The ruling NRM and opposition camps have each a deadly plan to unleash to outwit each other in the last days leading up to the polling day in Jinja East by-elections. First of all the biggest players in the two camps who respectively are President Yoweri Museveni and Kizza Besigye will both pitch camp in Jinja for the last three days. The two political giants are respectively backing Nathan Igeme Nabeta and Paul Mwiru in the by-election slated for Thursday 15th March.
Reliable inside sources within the NRM camp say that Museveni will arrive on Sunday 11th and stay campaigning in Jinja up to 13th which is the last day for official campaigning. The same applies to the opposition camp whose Kizza Besigye will drive to Jinja daily for three days campaigning for Mwiru. It’s expected the two leaders will create a new momentum and thereby re-energize their respective candidates’ supporters. It’s revealed that Igeme camp is eagerly waiting for the campaign cash to be used to prepare for the President’s raid onto Jinja. Besides bringing Museveni, the NRM camp has also planned to orchestrate the arrest of vocal Mwiru supporters like the Central Division Chairman Mubarak Kirunda (aka Political Engineer) over the Shs80m he owes his former town clerk who sued him for defamation. Kirunda called the T/C a thief during radio talk shows and the matter was filed in Court where Kirunda lost the case and was ordered to pay Shs40m in damages.
The figure has since grown to Shs80m because Kirunda has taken long to pay yet there was interest on the money. This ex-T/C is understood to be willing to help the ruling NRM to arrest the very influential Kirunda and keep him away in the days closest to the polling day. The police have also been ordered to restrain against unleashing any brutality or even teargas on the Mwiru crowd fearing such will translate into a sympathy vote for the FDC candidate. The opposition camp isn’t taking things lightly if LoP Winnie Kizza’s vow is anything to go by. She says she has mobilized close to 100 MPs sympathetic to the Mwiru cause and on the voting day, each of the 42 polling stations will be manned by at least two legislators to ensure the candidate’s votes aren’t stolen. The legislator’s presence is also expected to embolden the local Mwiru supporters to resist intimidation. Watch this space for more updates leading to the polling day. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
