The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hundreds of National Resistance Movement-NRM party chairpersons in Kitgum district have stormed out of a meeting over lack of transport refund.
The 357 Sub County, Parish and village chairpersons had assembled at MSGR Antonio Vigna Secondary School in Kitgum Municipality on Thursday for the launch of the door to door campaign ahead of the 2021 general elections.
The event was officiated over by Bosco Odoch Olak, the head of NRM Mobilization for Northern Uganda in collaboration with Kitgum district NRM Chairperson and representatives from the party headquarters in Kampala.
However, tension started when James Acire, one of the NRM village chairpersons asked the officials if they would provide money them transport back to their respective villages and a token of appreciation for the time spent at the meeting.
Acire, who didn`t specify the amount of money needed by each person, said that the party chairpersons arrived as early as 7:00 am at the meeting venue but were delayed by Olak who came almost at 6:00 pm. Through Acire the party chairpersons asked Olak for a transport refund noting that they come from distant places and could neither use their monies nor walk back.
However, in his response, Olak said that no money would be given for transport noting that the only money approved was to be used for feeding, drinks and hiring the meeting venue. His response didn’t go down well several chairpersons who shouted on top of their voices in protest while others murmured that the meeting was a waste of time.
The party officials pleaded with the chairpersons to sit for some minutes to allow for the launch of the door to door campaign but dozens of them stormed out of the venue in protest. One of the village chairpersons told URN on condition of anonymity that it is unrealistic for the party leaders to keep them for the whole day and send them off barehanded.
Olak later handed over bicycles and motorcycles to some chairpersons to symbolize the launch of their door to door campaigns. NRM has embarked on the door to door campaign strategy in Northern Uganda to solicit for up to 98% of the votes for president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
********
URN
