Kyagulanyi promises Tooro a better deal

Fort Portal, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  The National Unity Platform – NUP Presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, has promised to prioritise infrastructure and social services in Tooro sub-region once elected.

He says the region needs a better road network and an airport befitting a tourism city as it is called,  and an improved education system for the people of Tooro.

Kyagulanyi made the pledges while addressing three different rallies in the districts of Kyegegwa and Kyenjojo and in Fort Portal Tourism city on Monday.

The musician-turned-politician said that most of the roads in the Sub region that heavily earns from agriculture are in appalling state and make transportation of agricultural produce hard.    

He gave an example of the roads with in the tea estates and those that lead to tea factories in Kabarole like the Kijura road, which he said will be tarmacked once he takes over the office.

While at Kabura playground in Fort Portal, Kyagulanyi wondered how the area could be named a tourism city without a single airport. He said that for Fort Portal residents to benefit from tourism, he will ensure the place gets a modern airport.

In the education sector, he promised to promote arts and talent, saying there are several learners with talents in education institutions who have been left behind because the current system attaches less value on them.    

Kyagulanyi, whose speech was heavily based on Biblical teachings of love and respect, said people should not look at him as a politician but a person who wants to fight for their problems like poverty, unemployment, bad governance, and many others.

Kyagulanyi’s campaigns in Tooro were characterized by tight security where police beat up his supporters and fired tear gas and live bullets at most trading centres between Kyegegwa district where he started from and Fort Portal.

When he had just entered Kyegegwa, he was blocked from proceeding to the Humura Primary School playground in Kyegegwa town council and was escorted to Kibuye playground where he addressed dozens of his supporters for less than 20 minutes.

From there, police asked him to head straight to Butiiti Playground that is several kilometres away from Kyenjojo town council but along the way, masses poured onto the road sides to wave at him. However, police with reinforcement from the Uganda People’s Defense Forces – UPDF fired live bullets and beat up Boda boda riders and NUP supporters who attempted to escort his convoy.

While at Butiiti, the NUP Vice President in Western Region, Jolly Mugisha, appreciated the hundreds of the supporters who braved the security harassment and intimidation to reach the venue and listen to their presidential candidate.

Mugisha asked them to guard their votes and also recruit more people into the party that she said will win the presidency at all costs.

After the Kyenjojo rally, Kyagulanyi headed to Fort Portal but was blocked from Kitumba in Central Division and stopped from proceeding to the city Centre. His convoy and supporters were diverted to the Kitumba-Harubaaho-Kacwamba road that led to the Kabura playground where he addressed the final rally.

Before the Monday rallies, a number of Kyagulanyi supporters including Rehema Kunihira, the NUP parliamentary candidate in the Kyegegwa Woman Member of Parliament race, were arrested from AMAC suites hotel in Kyegegwa district while organizing for the rallies.   

The Kyegegwa Resident District Commissioner – RDC Mesach Ruhuga Kawamara who is also the the head of the security committee in the district told URN that he has no idea about their arrest or whereabouts.

On Tuesday, Kyagulanyi is scheduled to hold rallies in Ntoroko and Bundibugyo districts, even though the venues have not yet been cleared.

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URN