President Museveni has been confirmed by the NRM Electoral Commission as the party’s official flag-bearer in the 2016 presidential elections.
“Today the 20th September, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been nominated as candidate for the NRM having been certified by the party’s Electoral Commission,” announced NRM electoral body’s chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi on Sunday.
The move follows a series of internal deliberations that involved the Central Executive Committee and NEC at State House Entebbe.
Museveni arrived at the party headquarters along Kyadondo road in Nakasero on a few minutes after 10:00am.
He was accompanied by his wife Janet Museveni and senior party leaders.
Museveni’s nomination papers were submitted by his long-time friend and NRA historical, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda.
Odoi said Museveni “is the only one who picked and returned nomination forms for the position of Presidential flag-bearer.”
He emphasised: “Today he has been the only candidate nominated for that position and under the powers given to me I declare him duly elected party flag-bearer.”
Museveni will have to face off with the opposition strongman Dr Kizza Besigye and possibly Independent aspirant Hon Amama Mbabazi in the 2016 presidential elections.
Odoi thanked Museveni for obeying the NRM Electoral Commission rules.
NRM Secretary General Kasule Lumumba was visibly excited by the nomination.
“I introduce the person who will hold our flag in the forthcoming elections. He is President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,” she charged amid a standing ovation from supporters.
Lumumba introduced Ruhakana Rugunda, Northern Youth MP Evelyn Anite and Hajji Abdul Kiyimba as seconders.
The NRM CEC was led by Hajji Moses Kigongo and Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.
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Museveni praised CEC, NRA historicals and NEC for supporting his presidential candidature.
“The NRM is not a novice organization but one that has gone through furnace of history of Uganda,” said Museveni.
“The party has gone through fire. We have achieved a lot in liberating the country and achieved minimum recovery for the economy,” he added.
The President who has been in power since 1986 said NRM has launched many developmental programs, ensured peace, stability and “entrenched the culture of democracy” in the country.
“I want to pledge that the next phase of our history will ensure the banishing of poverty in homes. We want many homes get out of poverty and get at least a minimum income of Shs 20m per year,” he added.
President Museveni said the next target will be industrialising the country.
“We should have local industries so that each area has a nucleus of industries. This way we shall add value to products and create jobs. We want to create jobs for the youth,” said Museveni who seized power after a protracted guerrilla war almost 30 years ago.
He further vowed to eradicate corruption, insisting only NRM can banish graft that costs taxpayers over Shs 500bn every year.
“I say that because it’s only NRM that doesn’t kneel down for any person like other parties do. Other parties have nothing to show,” he hit at the opposition which accuses NRM of presiding over deeply entrenched corruption that continues to hurt delivery of public services.
Museveni also seemed to be attacking former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, arguing that, “When you get out of the queue, we don’t kneel for you.”
He also talked about preserving wildlife to promote tourism, saying poaching in national parks has been controlled.
On security, Museveni said, “There used to be road blocks on roads by soldiers confiscating property from people but we stopped it.”
Museveni said corruption continues to thrive in ministries and parastatals due to lack of effective investigative machinery.
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“The only problem now is not fighting corruption but investigating those who are involved in such acts. The remaining problem with corruption is corruption and the judiciary who still have some problems,” he added.
In what appeared a move to paint a picture of a prosperous future, Museveni assured his supporters that “things are going to be better than where we came from. This is because we have now got a stronger foundation than in the past.”
He concluded: “We are now stronger than ever before.”
Lumumba said President Museveni was passed unopposed as the NRM chairman.
The NRM National Delegates Conference will sit at Mandela National Stadium to officially flag off Museveni for the 2016 presidential race.
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