SHEEMA – Buhweju County MP Francis Mwijukye has said he has done more for Buhweju in his two years as MP than the NRM government has done for the district in the last 32 years.
Mr Mwijukye, who is the only FDC MP from Ankole, was reacting to President Museveni’s criticism of his work in the district.
While campaigning for the NRM candidate in the Sheema Municipality MP election on Thursday, the President said the residents should not be like the neighboring Buhweju District, which voted for the FDC MP Francis Mwijukye, who is only making noise in Parliament.
“Buhweju had a hardworking MP called Biraro. He was pestering me a lot for services in his area but they voted a person called (Francis) Mwijukye. I have never seen him and I even deleted Buhweju from the map,” the President, who is also the NRM party chairman, said.
However, Mr Mwijukye, who has camped in the area as he campaigns for the party candidate Virginia Plan Mugyenyi, hit back at Museveni, saying the ruling party has not helped his district to develop.
“Yesterday [Thursday], the President said that I am nothing, then I ask myself that if he calls me nothing yet I’m the Member of Parliament, what do you think he calls you voters who vote us?” he said at a rally in Rushozi Ward, Sheema Municipality Saturday.
“That I don’t know where services are delivered from because I’m not a member of NRM caucus, but even me I don’t want to go there, because it’s where our suffering comes from, it’s where unnecessary amendments come from, it’s where they fix and raise taxes from because all members there are puppets,” Mwijukye added.
He advised the FDC youths to form groups of ten members each group and start monitoring different parts of municipality to curb the rigging of votes.
“They hired Bright Rwamirama and Rweyeshera because they know how to beat, let us leave them to beat us using sticks and we punish them with votes to win them. Make groups of ten members each group and you go together that in case you find someone bribing voters, we do it for her or him because we are seriously tired of NRM humiliation,” advised Mwijukye.
FDC’s Virginia promised to offer employment opportunities to NRM members who were defeated in their party primaries especially Kamukama and Mwebesa once she wins the elections.
Opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, while campaigning in the area on Saturday, also ridiculed the achievements of NRM, saying the ruling party no longer has any agenda for the country.
“The NRM government works under the opposition’s pressure. Last time I had Mr Museveni lying to you that he no longer thinks about people of Buhweju District because they voted Hon.Mwijukye Francis of FDC, he even intimidated you that if you don’t vote NRM members you won’t get services. Now hear this, when Mwijukye bought an Ambulance for his people, the Government quickly bought two Ambulances for Buhweju. Since 1986 Mr Museveni has never appointed a resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Buhweju, but in the last reshuffle Buhweju produced two RDCs. He lied to you that he (Museveni) is relaxed but in actual sense he spends sleepless nights because of opposition in Buhweju,” Dr Besigye told the cheering supporters in Kashozi Division, Sheema Municipality.
The FDC top leadership on Saturday spent the day in Kashozi Division campaigning for Ms Mugyenyi.
FDC president Patrick Amuriat, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Winnie Kizza, MPs Mwijukye, Roland Kaginda and Betty Muzanira, FDC Secretary for Mobilization Ingrid Turinawe, former MPs Oddo Tayebwa and Vincent Mujuni Kyamadidi and Martin Byomuhangi combed villages of Kanekye, Rwanyamukinya, Karera B and others, mobilising support for the candidate.
Mbarara FDC chairman Stanley Katembeya, DP Vice President Imam Makumbi and lawyer David Kamukama, who lost to NRM candidate Elioda Tumwesigye in the party primaries, all were present at the rallies.
Speaker after speaker sought to reassure the voters to overcome fear, confront those who intimidate them and ensure they demonstrably show their disgust to NRM misrule by voting for Virginia Plan.
They also appealed to voters to resist bribery and other freebies distributed by Dr Tumwesigye.
Seven candidates in the race for the election that will take place on July 27. They are Ms Mugyenyi (FDC), Dr Tumwesigye (NRM), and Independents Mesarch Katusiime, Ambrose Mwesigye, Jonas Tumwine, Raymond Akankwasa and Ben Ruyombya.
