Uganda Poll: Organizers of Museveni’s zoom meetings in Masaka survive mob justice over allowances

Two separate zoom conference meetings for National Resistance Movement-NRM mobilizers in the greater Masaka sub-region ended in chaos on Tuesday evening after participants started fighting for transport allowance.  

The meeting involved different categories of people including the business community; leaders of Boda Boda group and sub-county youth league and council leaders made to come up with strategies for winning next week’s general election. 

The groups that converged at the Masaka Liberation Square and Masaka Rugby grounds also listened to the National Resistance Movement-NRM presidential candidate, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni who asked them to intensify their campaign efforts and promised to meet all their demands. 

However, the situation turned chaotic at both venues shortly after Museveni’s address when the organizers started making arrangements to pay the participants their transport refund and allowances.

At Rugby grounds in Nyendo Township, Boda Boda riders turned rowdy protesting the Shillings 10,000 that was given to them as transport refund arguing that it was too little compared to what they were promised during their mobilization. 

Geoffrey Ssewanyana, the mobilization secretary Masaka-Kitengesa Boda Boda stage in Masaka town accused the organizers of pocketing part of their mobilization allowances that was disbursed by the president. He accused Abdallah Ssennabulya, the Chairperson Masaka Municipality Boda Boda Operator’s Society of slashing their allowances from the promised Shillings 30,000 to 10,000.

//Cue in: (Luganda) “tutuuse okujja….  

Cue out:….okuwuliziganya naye,”// 

The charged youths turned against the organizers and threatened to beat them up forcing them to flee for their safety.  The rowdy mobilizers then turned to the NRM campaign T-shirts many of which they tore into pieces as they denounced the party candidates in favor of opposition candidates. 

//Cue in: “Ye nze Ssejengo….    

Cue out; ….essaati zaabwe,”// 

Members of the business community and youth leaders who met at Masaka Liberation Square also turned rowdy and vandalized chairs and tent-stands in protest of the Shillings 30,000 given to them as allowances arguing that they were promised Shillings 150,000 each.  

Gerald Ddundu Tabula and Rogers Buregyeya, the Chairpersons of the greater Masaka business community and NRM Youth league respectively were rescued from the chaos by bouncers escorting the Youth Affairs State Minister, Florence Nakiwala who rushed to contain the situation.

The bouncers were backed up by the Kasijjagirwa UPDF Armored Brigade Commander, Brigadier Deus Sande who rushed to the scene to calm down the rowdy groups. Abdallah Ssennabulya, the Chairperson of Masaka Boda Boda Riders Association who was among the organizers of the meeting denied pocketing part of the monies meant for allowances, arguing that the money was not enough compared to the turn-up. 

He has also criticized the aggrieved participants for being selfish at the expense of sacrificing for their party.    

//Cue in: “Twayise aba boda boda….  

Cue out; ….n’enkwata mu nsawo yange.”//      

URN