The electoral commission has today commenced the two days presidential nomination exercise that will see 10 presidential aspirants nominate to contend for presidency in the 2020/21 general elections.
At a quarter to 10am the incumbent and presidential flag bearer for the NRM Y.K. Museveni arrived at the nomination venue in Kyambogo escorted by the first lady Janet Kataha Museveni among other party and government officials.
Donned in yellow shirts for the male entourage and dresses for females as the dominant color for the party, it took not less than 30 minutes for the NRM flag bearer to duly be nominated as a presidential candidate for the coming race.
After the exercise, Museveni spoke to the media and reminded the public about the existence of COVID19 adding that the disease is very deadly giving statistics of 110 death with most of them being youth.
Here Museveni advised Ugandans to be extra cautious as they live their life with a special to people in rural areas (Villages) who think that covid19 is in urban or town areas. He told them that the disease has no limits confirming that it has already kicked doors of very many villages in Uganda.
He also asked people in rural communities to take full observation of the SOPs if they don’t want to contract the disease.
He also assured the nation of maximum peace warning those who plant to antagonize the country not to dare.
Second in line has been former ISO boss and minister for security, Gen. Henry Tumukunde Kakurugu under his new political platform, A Renewed Uganda whose nomination at 1pm was delayed with legal challenges which the commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama asked him to go back and correct then return for nomination.
On returning, Tumukunde was nominated at 1:30pm and chose a clock as a symbol he will be using during the contest.
Tumukunde who was escorted by Hon. Beatrice Kilaso, Omar Kalingenyago among others while speaking to the media before setting off and after the nominations, stated that his focus will be on addressing the unemployment among youth, child health then women issues, agriculture, infrastructure, mining, fishing, managing the heavy debt burden among others.
Drama ensued as presidential aspirant John Katumba (Independent) and fresh graduate from Makerere had a flat tyre at Spare motors in Nakawa where police put their road block. Here he circumstances forced him to sprint on foot to the nomination venue in Kyambogo which is almost half a kilometer away.
Later his team among them seconders and proposers were driven to the venue by the police car to be able to beat time. But the aspirant was not nominated after he failed to pay the set UGX.20 million on grounds that he has no TIN number since he not working.
Mugisha Muntu Greg of Allaince For National transformation (ANT) in the company of his party leaders, Alice Alaso, John Mugarura, his wife was nominated and now a full presidential candidate for the first time promises Ugandans a changed country where everyone is equal.
Last was Nancy Kalemba (Independent) a journalist and news anchor with UBC and Sanyu fm presenter, former beauty contestant in the miss Uganda contest and the only female aspirant escorted by her mother and other relatives failed to nominate after she failed to comply with Sec 10(b) of the electoral Act which require an aspirant to pay UGX.20 million which she had not paid.
The commission asked her to fast meet the rule before she would be nominated. And tomorrow she pledges to come back after paying the money.
After nominations all the candidates were asked to file their planned campaign programs to the electoral commission for approval.
The candidates also received two brand new cars one for their security and for the candidate each which they are to use to facilitate their movement across the country searching for votes.
