RAILA ODINGA JOINS MUSEVENI CAMPAIGN

NEW VISION, KAMPALA
Wednesday, 15th December, 2010
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Museveni react to cheers from the NRM supporters in Iganga district By Milton Olupot IN a sign of solidarity, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga joined President Yoweri Museveni last evening as he solicited for votes in Iganga district. Odinga arrived at the Jinja airfield in the morning. He was taken to Nile Resort Hotel before he went to Jinja State Lodge, where he was received by the President. Odinga accompanied Museveni to a rally at Bunyiiro Primary School in Kigulu South and then later to Luuka district and Iganga town. Asked to greet the ecstatic crowd, Raila said: “I am here to visit my old friend and comrade. This is my home because I have had good relationship with people here. This is also where I have been given safe passage whenever I have needed it,” he said. He said a friend in need is a friend indeed, and Uganda has been a friend indeed when Kenyans were in need. He said he once ran to Uganda from where he later found his way out of trouble. Raila, who was accompanied by 10 Kenyan MPs, said Uganda and Kenya have enjoyed good relations. He reminded the crowd that Uganda had gone through a lot of problems including Idi Amin’s regime when people were slaughtered like chicken. “At that time, Kenya stood with Uganda. Even my friend here (Museveni) was in Kenya,” he said. He observed that Uganda had since recovered and the economy was doing well. He said Kenya was looking forward to a complete political federation of East Africa. “You have elections soon. We want you to elect the people for the people you know, and we are behind you. We shall work together. Ugandans should come and do business in Kenya and the youth should come and get employment there,” he said as the crowd cheered, ‘Museveni Pakalast.’ He called on Ugandans to ensure that the prevailing peace is jealously guarded to enable the two sister countries continue to trade together. “Uganda is a great market for Kenya. Many Kenyan products are in Uganda, not so?” he asked as the crowd answered “yeees”. “We are one. There are Basamia, Iteso, Sebei, Wagisu and Jaluo in Kenya and Uganda. Ugandans and Kenyans are one,” he noted, drawing thunderous ululation from the crowd. Museveni said like Odinga was saying that ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’, the NRM had been with the Ugandans all the time when the country was in chaos. “Olara Otunu was not here, he was enjoying the comfort of New York. Besigye left us still struggling to liberate the whole country and went to South Africa. Now they have come when we have sorted the problems and are saying, ‘agende’. If I go, will Besigye manage this Uganda?” he asked. “Managing a country is not like this karata that young men play in towns, pata-poteya, you need to have a cause to be able to appropriately steer a country,” he added. Museveni urged the people to vote for the NRM candidates since they have been tested. He said his team should be given another term to consolidate its achievements. He implored the locals to embrace the Prosperity for all Programme as a way of eradicating poverty. He advised the people to get out of subsistence farming and start small-scale commercial farming. The President said the Government would continue educating children from P1 to S6 and those in technical institutions. He said the Government would also soon introduce a loan scheme for students to pursue higher education. Museveni noted that because the economy had improved, the Government had enough money to manage its development projects such as roads and extension of electricity to the rural areas. He again promised to severely deal with the medical personnel who steal drugs from government hospitals.