The Electoral Commission (EC) in Uganda has blocked presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, from campaigning in 16 districts without permission.
Bobi Wine had hoped to return to the districts he skipped in his campaign schedule but EC wants him to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) before he embarks on a return journey to the districts.
Bobi Wine rejected the condition, saying other presidential candidates are in the field campaigning without signing the document.
“Justice Byabakama is a judge but he is the one who is flouting the law with impunity. We have written to him complaining about several things and he has continued to go silent about it. We cannot sign this MoU. We shall, however, reach out to the people anyway,” Mr Kyagulanyi told journalists in Kampala Tuesday.
Some of the districts in question are Kaliro, Pallisa, Kaberamaido, Kwania, Namutumba, Ngora, Bukedea, Kalaki, Amolatar, Serere, Buyende, Bugweri, Butebo and Dokolo.
In the MoU, all presidential candidates are required to hold peaceful campaigns and follow the Covid-19 guidelines from the Ministry of Health and EC guidelines on processions.
Also, candidates are not allowed to be in the same districts.
Bobi Wine said he had missed out on campaigning in these districts because police had blocked him from accessing these areas without a clear explanation.
EC spokesperson Paul Bukenya Tuesday reminded Bobi Wine that he had to comply with the set conditions before visiting the 16 districts.
“It is in his best interest to comply and it is not true that we have refused to harmonise his programme. This is a process and we have just told him to meet his obligation on his side, we shall allow him to go and campaign in those areas. We hope all candidates will be able to come and sign this MoU,” Mr Bukenya told Daily Monitor .
Last week, citing the surging Covid-19 infections and persistent violation of the standard operating procedures by some candidates, the EC suspended campaign meetings in Wakiso, Kampala, Mbarara, Kabarole, Luweero, Kasese, Masaka, Wakiso, Kabarole, Jinja, Kalungu, Kazo, and Tororo.
“EC is conniving with President Museveni to break the law. NUP will keep exposing them so that everyone gets to know that they are not acting within the law. ‘We need to free the minds of the people’,” Bobi Wine said, quoting the words of Jamaican political activist Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
“You need to contact the people in Masaka, I don’t have enough information about the matter,” the police spokesperson Fred Enanga told Daily Monitor .
Efforts to get a comment from both the regional police commander and the district police commander were futile as our repeated calls to them and messages went unanswered.
Bobi Wine also said police were still holding onto four of his campaign cars following his arrest in Kalangala District last Wednesday.
“They confiscated all our belongings, my watch, cars, and other things. They did the same in Arua and to date, they have refused to return two of my cars including a Toyota Tundra and a Toyota Harrier. We are demanding the return of these cars,” he said.
