KALUNGU
Kalungu District Woman MP ,also state minister for water Aisha Ssekindi has shed tears after learning that her campaign posters along Kampala-Masaka highway have been replaced by his archival and ruling National flag bearer for the same seat , Hellen Nakeeya .
In Lukaya Town Council , where her campaign team erected an arch to welcome President Museveni, who is scheduled to campaign in the district on Saturday –all the posters have been removed and replaced with those of NRM flag bearers including Vincent Ssempijja who is contesting for Kalungu East MP seat .Ssempijja and Ssekindi has enjoyed a lukewarm political relationship for over five years after the latter exit the former’s camp and started working with opposition National Unity Platform(NUP) members who won majority of leadership positions including two parliamentary seats in the district.
Ssekindi’s pain comes just hours before the ruling NRM presidential flag bear Yoweri Museveni campaigns in the district on Saturday .
It is not only Ssekindi’s campaign materials that have been vandalised, but opposition candidates are complaining too .
According to Ms Ssekindi her political opponents have made all attempts to frustration her bid for re-election, but will not relent . “It is clear that candidates whose posters were spared are the ones behind defacing of ours .Those people have done many things to annoy me , but I have remained strong, they cannot defeat the will of the people ,” she said
Sulait Ssekitto , a resident of Lukaya Town , said the posters were defaced by groups of hired young men guarded by armed operatives. “I was coming from the Mosque and saw them removing the posters and putting them on a white double cabin truck which was guarded by armed men in plain clothes,” he said
Mr Yusuf Kiruluuta , the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for Kalungu East MP seat ,said all his big campaign posters in towns of Lukaya ,Mukoko and Bukulula, which cost him Shs300,000 each ,have been removed and doesn’t know where they have been taken .“The people defacing our campaign materials and taking others away, are causing a huge financial loss to us. They are forgetting that voters love the person not the posters, I request our people to vote for me even when I don’t print new posters,” he said
Mr Seif Kataabazi , the Kalungu resident district commissioner ,said police detectives have already got clues on individuals behind the defacing and confiscation of campaign posters for opposition and independent candidates .
“That matter is already under investigation and the evidence we have so far will enable us arrest all those behind this crime,” he said