President Yoweri Museveni has asked the electorate in Jinja East constituency to elect a representative who is aligned with the ruling NRM as that is the only guarantee that he will lobby for them.
The President who doubles as the NRM national party Chairman was on Monday in Jinja to rally support for the NRM candidate, Nathan Igeme Nabeta who is facing off with FDC’s Paul Mwiru in a by-election for the Jinja East Parliament seat.
Jinja East goes to the polls on Thursday with 29,000 people registered to vote across the 47 polling stations in the constituency.
Museveni blamed the people of Jinja East for electing political leaders both at the district and Parliament level who don’t contribute to the development of the constituency.
He said that for the five years that FDC leaning politician, Paul Mwiru was in Parliament, he never met with him [President] to tell him about the needs of his electorate.
“You are partly to blame for choosing opposition MPs who won’t help you. Mwiru sat in Kampala, got his salary until his five years elapsed,” he said.
“Therefore, know that elections aren’t a joke. It is not just about looking for handouts but people who will lobby for you”.
He explained that it is easier for him to collaborate with an NRM MP than it is when the legislator is from the Opposition, like Mwiru.
“Give me an MP who will remind me and follow up what we shall agree on. I have never seen Mwiru in any meeting yet I am the one in charge of the money,” the President told a crowd of people who gathered at Masese grounds for the final campaign rally.
In such circumstances, where the people’s representative is not politically aligned with the President, he said, it is difficult to understand the needs of the youths, women and other constituents. He tasked the electorate to hold their elected leaders to account, saying that often times government disburses funds but they are misappropriated at the district level.
The President used the rally to officially introduce the NRM flag bearer, Igeme Nabeta to the masses.
While speaking at the rally, Nabeta also reiterated that President Museveni is the person in charge of the finances in the country and thus the constituency should vote him as he belongs to the NRM.
He asked the President to support programs aimed at raising the income of the youths engaged in small enterprises as well as provide affordable credit for people doing business.
Nabeta also used the occasion to appeal to Museveni to reign in on elements in Jinja East who intimidate NRM supporters, threatening the peace ushered in by his government.