KAMPALA – On Sunday, August 16, 2020, President Museveni flagged off the distribution of 68,733 bicycles to all NRM village chairpersons across the country.
The bicycles are to be used in mobilising support for the ruling party in the 2021 general elections.
This raised public concern that the bicycles given out by Mr Museveni on Sunday are the same earlier promised by his government over two years ago.
In July, 2018, the government through the State Minister for Local Government, Ms Jennipher Namuyangu revealed that every Local Council One (LCI) chairperson would be entitled to a bicycle to ease administration and running of the village duties. Each LCI chairperson would then be expected to hand over the bicycle to his or her successor at the end of their term of office.
However, the State minister for Information, Communication and Technology, Mr Peter Ogwang, said the bicycles being distributed by NRM are not part of the government pledge for LCI chairpersons made in 2018.
“I want to assure the country and specifically the LCs that the government is undertaking to procure bicycles for all LCs as far as LCIs are concerned. The ones you see here today are for the party but the ones of government, work is ongoing,” Mr Ogwang stated.
“The money has already been secured and the government process is going on within the ministry of Local Government,” he added.
