BOBI WINE

3/4 Our children would not have to study under trees. Our teachers would not have to resort to riding bodabodas because of poor pay! I could go on and on with these statistics but they're not even as important because they only summarise the lived experience of our people. So this is my point: With power, there is nothing; no condition within our capacity to change that we cannot change. We only need to have the good will to do so. Like Kwame Nkrumah once said, "Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else shall be added unto you." Power is a double edged sword. Give it to evil people, and they will use it to steal, kill and plunder. Give it to good people, and they will use it to build and empower. That is why we must take back that power from a group that has caused so much suffering and humiliation to our people and use it, as the people of Uganda, to build a better nation. We must fight to take power from a man who is not ashamed to say that he is only workout for himself, his children and grand children and use it to build a country based on freedom, fairness and social justice. All of us, regardless of our differences in opinion, religion or tribe have only one country to call home – Uganda. If we are pained by whatever wrong is going on in this Uganda, we have the duty to get our hands dirty and resolve it. We must do that using each and every opportunity we get. That is why this year is very important. I want to invite us all, fellow citizens, to get our hands dirty. You boda boda riders, you farmers, you soldiers and police officers, you mechanics, you lawyers, you doctors and nurses, you religious and cultural leaders, you nurses and doctors, no one can be safe in a sinking boat. The other day, our fellow citizen Ssemwaka Julius was shot dead here in Kampala over a simple traffic issue. A few days back a UPDF soldier, Amon Ariho was forced to send himself to an early grave because of the working environment in the military. Maybe these citizens didn't care so much about politics. Maybe they didn't think politics affected them in any way. Well, until their lives ended in the most cruel way because of bad politics. Let us use this year to fight for the future of our children and grand children. Use protests of all kinds. Use election campaigns. Use Parliament. Use the mainstream media. Use social media. Our friends in the diaspora, protest, agitate and knock on doors. Use everything to fight. Have no shame, no apologies for fighting for a future that we truly deserve. As we have constantly told the nation, we are committed to using every opportunity to put an end to this situation. If we succeed before an election, THANK GOD. If we get to the election, we must use it to mobilise, organise and agitate. I ask especially the young people of Uganda, to crowd all those registration points from the 20th of this month and register to vote. I want to encourage all people young and old, across the country to stand for office under the NUP flag and other pro-people fronts. Go for different positions. Not all of you will be MPs because there can only be one MP for every constituency. Run for LC 1 Chairperson. Run to become a councillor. Run to be on the youth, women, PWDs, and the elderly committees. Replace those corrupt officials and when you win, do not become corrupt yourself. But as you run and do your politics, do not stand in the way of the revolution. That position you are fighting to occupy is nothing compared to the freedom the people of Uganda seek to achieve. Let me also encourage everyone who seeks to run under the NUP flag to connect with the people. Whether you're an incumbent leader or not, your bosses are the people. The NUP flag is not at Kavule on anyone's desk. It is not for sale. The NUP flag is on the ground. Whatever mode of candidate selection we eventually decide to use, the voice of the people will override any other consideration.