Museveni to hold Nationwide Radio Talk Shows on Land Matters

President, Yoweri Museveni is set to appear on radio talk shows to across the country to clarify on the constitutional amendment bill 2017. The bill seeks to amend article 26 of the Constitution to provide for the compulsory acquisition of land for government projects.

 

Article 26 of the Constitution provides for the right of persons to own property and how it can be acquired by the government. But the government argues that the provision has slowed down the implementation of key project resulting from compensation disputes.

 

The proposed amendment has attracted wide condemnation from the public, including religious leaders and civil society organizations among others. Now, Don Wanyama, the President's Press Secretary, says the president will be traversing the country to speak about the proposed amendment since it has raised contentious questions.

 

Wanyama says Museveni will kick off the campaign in Kigezi region by conducting a two-hour radio talk show on Voice of Kigezi in Kabale District before heading to Ankole region on Tuesday. Wanyama says that the state has also directed all other radio stations in Kigezi to tap the signal from Voice of Kigezi and rebroadcast it ensure people from all corners in the area get the message.

 

According to a close source, Museveni will thereafter hold a closed door meeting with Kabale and Rukiga District National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leaders on Tuesday to try and convince Abigail Victoria Atukunda, the independent candidate for the Rukiga District woman member of Parliament to step down in favor of her NRM rival, Caroline Kamusiime Muhwezi.

 

Atukunda contested in the NRM party primaries and lost to Muhwezi. She rejected the poll results, saying the election was not free and fair. All the other losers including Pamela Kihumuro Maureen Kyarisiima, Alice Bashobokwe and Charity Tumubweine have since thrown their weights behind Atunkunda.

 

They accused Kamusiime of bribing police to harass and arrest their agents on polling day. They also claimed that the office of the Kabale District NRM party registrar turned a blind eye towards Kamusiime who was openly bribing voters on polling day.