President Museveni yesterday blamed an Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for slow development, saying he is the reason his area is still devoid of services such as clean water supply and electricity.
While addressing trekkers at Bukatira in Nakaseke District, Mr Museveni blamed the residents for electing ‘useless’ Ssemakula Lutamaguzi.
Mr Lutamaguzi represents Nakaseke South County in the 10th Parliament and belongs to the Democratic Party.
“Nakaseke [South] made a mistake and sent in a young man called Lutamaguzi. You sent this useless young man [to Parliament], Lutamaguzi. Akavubuka takalinna makulu (that young man is useless). So that is your own mistake,” Mr Museveni said before setting off in the second day of the 195km walk.
The President was responding to locals who had tabled to him various demands, saying they had not received their tokens of appreciation for supporting the National Resistance Army liberation struggle between 1981 and 1986.
The President, however, pledged to address the issues raised but urged locals to work with leaders that will deliver .
Mr Ismail Kasozi, Semuto Sub-county chairperson, Nakaseke District, demanded that the secondary school that the President had previously pledged be fulfilled.
“President I hereby request that you honour your promises. You promised to give us a secondary school in Kilema Village but we have never seen it since the war ended. It has never been built,” Mr Kasozi said.
Mr Kasozi asked Mr Museveni to increase the packages allotted to locals in the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) so that it benefits more.
“We would like to appeal to you, that on the concern of pigs and cows, there is a problem. This is because in a three year-period, OWC has so far given me eight cows to distribute them among 24,500 people in Semuto Parish. I have so far been given 19 pigs in three years,” Mr Kasozi said.
Walk not a campaign tool
The government Chief Whip, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, dismissed allegations of the walk being a campaign gimmick.
“If the President was specifically campaigning or looking for votes in this trek, then he would not be targeting the old people. You have been observing that wherever we found people gathered along the way, he has been targeting the old people,” Ms Nankabirwa said.
“He has been calling them his colleagues. That means his target was not to specifically look for votes because he would [instead] mobilise the youth because they are the majority,” she added.
Impact of trek on communities
Ms Nankabirwa also said the trek has enabled the locals and the President meet directly so that those that have not yet received their tokens of appreciation get to be heard.
“Whoever fought and has not received anything. His name and number is being recorded. The President will then invite them. The Minister for Luweero Triangle is going to organise his records and I can assure you that many of those people will be worked on,” Ms Nankabirwa said.
People caught in the trail or routes being used by the President and others in the trek lauded the move, saying it accords them the chance to direct the trekkers.
Mr Alumansi Ssebaduka, the Ssemuto Village chairperson, said the trek allowed them direct access to the President and boosts their confidence in him.
“It is a good thing that the President is walking through our villages. It gives us the chance to directly meet him.
This gives us chance to air out our grievances and that way we are sure he has heard unlike some of the leaders that lie to us,” Mr Ssebaduka said.
By Daily Monitor
