Kampala, Uganda | URN | President Yoweri Museveni has castigated the opposition as useless and disruptive, saying their actions will fail because the government is determined to ensure a peaceful 2021 general elections.
President Museveni was speaking during the annual National Thanksgiving Prayers held at State House Entebbe organised by the Inter-Religious Council Uganda [IRCU].
Mr Museveni noted that the elections will be peaceful as long as all participants, especially the opposition players keep the peace and abide by the laws. Mr Museveni who has been in power since 1986 is seeking another term and is facing competition from ten candidates.
They include; the National Unity Platform [NUP] presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, Patrick Oboi Amuriat of Forum for Democratic Change [FDC], retired Major General Mugisha Muntu of Alliance for National Transformation [ANT] and Democratic Party [DP’s] Norbert Mao.
Others are Nancy Linda Kalembe, Retired Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, Fred Mwesigye, John Katumba and Joseph Kabuleta who are running as independents. Mr Museveni has repeatedly accused his rivals of receiving foreign backing to cause mayhem.
He however said he will not allow anybody within or outside Uganda to spoil the peace.
He says that while the clerics preach peace and condemn violence, his government is carrying out an audit on the instigators of violence especially last month’s protests that broke out following the arrest of Kyagulanyi. The protests claimed the lives of over 50 people and left several others nursing injuries.
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Mr Museveni also castigated the Electoral Commission [EC] and police for poor enforcement of the standard operating procedures [SOPs], which is exposing hundreds of Ugandans to COVID-19 infection.
Mr Museveni urged clerics and the general public to pray for supernatural intelligence to deal with problems such as coronavirus [COVID-19]. He noted Uganda has grappled with desert locusts, floods and floating islands and is now struggling to defeat COVID-19.
