Museveni Camps in Hoima ahead of Thursday’s By-election

By Johnbosco Tugume

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Chairman and President Yoweri Museveni has joined Hoima parliamentary by-election campaigns to rally support for the NRM candidate.

Bunyoro Affairs Minister Ernest Kiiza says the President will be in the district beginning today (Monday) and Tuesday. He is expected to move out to several campaign rallies, including in villages canvassing support for Harriet Businge the NRM flag bearer.

Businge is tussling it out with FDC’s Asinansi Nyakato who is also the joint opposition candidate.

The by-election is slated for Thursday, September 26. Museveni’s intervention will be a major boost for the NRM candidate, whose campaign trail earlier appeared to have been neglected by the party’s national leadership, while opposition bigwigs including People Power’s Robert Kyagulanyi, FDC’s Kizza Besigye and ANT’s Mugisha Muntu among others have since camped in the district to campaign for the opposition candidate.

Those familiar with the region’s politics say Museveni’s coming in and the support he enjoys in the area will automatically be a major turnaround for Businge. Voters, especially in villages, are already gearing up to receive the President.

Hoima district parliamentary seat fell vacant last year when Tophas Kaahwa Byagira opted to represent the new Kikuube district, which was carved out of Hoima.