President Yoweri Museveni, who is currently on the campaign trail in eastern Uganda, will address the nation today on emerging issues in the country.
He is expected to explain the Government’s position on last week’s riots following the arrest of Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, update on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the health of the economy.
“The Presidential Address deferred last Sunday will happen today. President Museveni will speak to the country at 7pm, and address will be broadcast on TVs, radios and online,” said Don Wanyama on twitter. Wanyama is President Museveni’s Senior Press Secretary.
On the other hand, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine will also speak nationally on Facebook and Youtube on the state of his campaign in what seems to be a competition with the Head of State President Museveni.
“Tonight at 7:45pm, I will be addressing the nation about the state of our campaign, and other matters of national importance. The address will be relayed live on Facebook and other social media channels,” Bobi Wine tweeted.
Mr Museveni’s address will also aim its fangs at matters regarding security and the Covid-19 pandemic, says the National Resistance Movement [NRM] presidential candidate.
The rivalling Sunday night addresses somehow manifest not only a political contest but also a clash of “new age media” against “Traditional media” in Uganda’s case.
This, owing to the fact that the president’s camp emphasizes that Mr Museveni’s address will be broadcast on all TVs, Radio station and online while Bobi’s camp maintains that his campaigns will run entirely online.
Uganda is fast-racing towards hitting 17 million internet subscriptions with a Simon Kemp #Digital2020 report showing that social media penetration stood at about 5.6 percent; even as Uganda Communications Commissions (UCC) continues to emphasize that media users ought to seek authorization.
President Museveni’s televised address tonight will be the first instalment of many more weekly addresses that will run all through the campaign period; on each subsequent Sunday.
This implies that all factors held constant, Mr Museveni’s addresses will be happening routinely on Sundays until at least after January 14, 2021, but themed differently.
It remains unclear whether Bobi Wine will also hold weekly ‘national addresses’ especially with intent to thwart his political foe.
Bobi Wine last Sunday [November 22, 2020] snookered into the president’s plan to have his [Mr Museveni’s] maiden weekly national address, only for the president to suspend his.
The address packed Sunday night comes barely two weeks after the country witnessed a violent start to the electoral season ahead of the 2021 polls. It therefore, comes with no surprise that Mr Museveni has matters of security on his menu tonight.
