Africa-Press – Uganda. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate, Yoweri Museveni, starts his scientific campaigns in Greater Mubende in the central region today.
Mubende sub-region comprises five districts of Mubende, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Kassanda, and Mityana, with a population of about 1.6 million people.
Land wrangles remain one of the most burning issues for voters in the region.
In one of the cases, landlord George Kaweesa is battling with about 200 squatters over 322 hectares of land Kawuulu Cell Mubende Municipality. Skirmishes resulting from the dispute left Kaweesa’s manager, one Yunus Kasadha dead and about 30 locals in jail. Another landlord identified as Twahirwa John is embroiled in a land dispute with about 50 residents of Kyerima Cell in Mubende Municipality.
Key promises of the NRM include increasing the budget for the Land Fund to use it to buy off Mailo landowners who are willing to sell land to the Government and allocate the land to the Bibanja owners.
Another burning issue for voters in Mubende is the controversy over gold mining activities in Bukuya Town Council and Kalwana sub-county.
About 300 artisan miners were recently evicted from the area, driving a wedge between communities and giving an arm to the opposition to de-campaign the NRM.
Other demands include the gratuity for veterans in Kiboga district. This financial year 2020/21, a total of 11,000 retirees will be paid from the sh90b earmarked by the Ministry of Defence.
Wealth creation
Since 2016, a total of 1,609 projects worth sh9.487b have been financed in Mubende sub-region under the Women Empowerment Fund, benefiting 19,262 women.
Similarly, more youth are benefitting from the Youth Livelihood Fund.
Candidate Museveni wants more money to be allocated to the wealth funds so that more households can engage in commercial production.
Health, poverty, education, and roads are the most pressing issues that voters want their leaders to address, according to a recent New Vision public opinion poll.
