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Kalangala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Independent presidential candidate John Katumba cancelled campaign meetings in Kalangala on Friday after he missed the MV Kalangala Ferry.
Katumba and his team failed to make it on time to board the MV Kalangala Ferry at Nakiwogo docking site in Entebbe.
MV Kalangala departs from Entebbe at 2pm everyday and arrives in Kalangala at 5:30pm, before it departs for Entebbe at 8am the next day.
David Ahimbisibwe, one of the officers in the marketing department at MV Kalangala says the ferry departed at 2pm sharp, even though Katumba’s team had notified the captain that he would be ten minutes late.
Eye witnesses say the ferry waited for ten minutes but in vain and thereby departed without Katumba.
Now, Marvin Konde, a member of Katumba’s campaign team, says the candidate has since resorted to use the road trip via Masaka and will use either MV Ssese or MV Pearl from Bukakata to Luku/Bugoma docking site in Kalangala.
However, since it is a public holiday, both ferries stop operations at 4pm, except when management of Kalangala Infrastruture Services Ltd, that operates the ferries, accepts to operate an emergency or special trip. However, Konde says they had not requested KIS to operate an emergency trip today.
As a result, Konde says that the candidate, who passed the equator marker in Kayabwe, Masaka district at 4pm and now at Bukakata docking site, will sleep in Masaka town if he does not cross over to Kalangala tonight. He will then depart for Kalangala at 8am tomorrow.
“We’ve found the gate at Bukakata docking site closed but we hope that we can be allowed to cross to Kalangala. But if they refuse, then we will sleep in Masaka,” says Konde.
Katumba was expected to spend two days in Kalangala beginning today.
Konde however says that the candidate will try to cover as much ground as possible as soon as he arrives in Kalangala town council.
Kalangala district is made up of 84 islands, divided into Bujjumba and Kyamuswa counties.
Some of the voters, including supporters of National Unity Platform in Kalangala are unhappy that Katumba has not made it today. However, they are hopeful that he will campaign tomorrow,.
Ronald Kakeeto and Hussein Wamala, both NUP supporters say that much as they support Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, they said Katumba has exhibited leadership skills during the campaigns.
Currently, the security deployment is normal from Bugoma to Kalangala Town Council.
However, sources within security in Kalangala and Masaka say security will be beefed up as soon as Katumba’s convoy arrives.
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