President Yoweri Museveni who is also the NRM Presidential Candidate has today cast his vote at Kaaro High school in Nswere, Rushere, in Kiruhura district. The President who arrived at the polling station at exactly 2.44pm was accompanied by his daughter Diana Kamuntu and adopted daughter Georgina Nyangoma. Dressed in a black suit, yellow dotted tie and his famous hat, a jovial Museveni was number 24 in the queue of voters and waited patiently as he chatted with journalists.
At one point, Kenyan Journalist Jeff Koinange commented about how famous his rap song had become even in Kenya, to which the President replied that it is loved by the young people. After getting his ballot paper, the President said,” Obviously, am voting for myself. I can’t vote for Besigye in this crowd. It is either a tick or a thumb,” he said before casting his vote with a tick at 3.44pm. After voting he had a brief interview with the journalists whom he told he was optimistic about winning this election. He revealed that the party conducted a census and established its support in homesteads at 84% thereby predicting his victory around that percentage.
The President who is also the NRM Presidential candidate in the polls also voted for the area member of parliament and went through the entire process as stipulated before greeting supporters that had waited for him outside the voting area. He commended them for turning up to vote and reminded them that fighting poverty in their households is still the most important thing they must focus on. He noted that their adoption of dairy farming as he advised them has helped a lot in improving their incomes. This is the second multi party elections in Uganda since the amendment of the 1995 Constitution in 2005. It is also the second time for the country to hold both Presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day. The NRM has 364 flag bearers for parliamentary seats, with at least a contender for every constituency and several contestants for special interest groups.
The Parliament of Uganda comprises of 215 constituency representatives, 79 district woman representatives, 10 Uganda Peoples Defence Representatives, 5 representatives of the Youth, 5 representatives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), 5 representatives of workers and 13 ex-official members. The Electoral Commission has registered over 10.5 voters as of October 2009. The President later held a press conference for foreign and local journalists at his country home in Rwakitura in Kiruhura district. END