Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine Saturday pledged to prioritize teachers’ welfare and reward health workers “what’s equivalent to their services.”
Bobi Wine and Barbie Kyagulanyi
According to Bobi Wine the Kyadondo East MP, teachers ought not to go several months without pay yet the salary they currently earn is “not even enough to pay school fees for their own children.”
“Teachers should be respectable citizens. Our government will ensure that teachers earn a decent salary, that they live in decent accommodation and have access to meaningful benefits when they retire,” he said before adding that health-workers will have their service “respected and rewarded by the government” if he’s voted president on January 14, 2020.
“Today, Uganda loses over 100 doctors every year who leave the country in search for greener pastures abroad. Some even go to neighboring countries such as South Sudan, Kenya and Rwanda. The lower level health-workers are not exempted from the challenges of poor payment, lack of training opportunities, the absence of equipment in the health facilities, etc,” he said.
The 38-year-old singer cum politician made the remarks during the launch of his manifesto at Kakyeeka Stadium in Mbarara City in western Uganda as he plans to unseat President Museveni, 76, who has been in power since 1986.
Read also : Zari Hassan Endorses Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine
“My own mother was a mid-wife and I understand the challenges mid-wives go through. In some cases they have to use candles, torches and tadooba lights to assist delivering mothers. Our promise to all the health-workers is that our government will prioritise their welfare and ensure that they are paid well and on time,” he said.
Also Read : Diamond Platnumz Manager wins Parliament Elections in Tanzania
Below is Bobi Wine full speech;
THANK YOU MBARARA. THANK YOU UGANDA. BEHOLD MY MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH
7th November, 2020
The people of Uganda gathered in this place and those watching us all over the country and all over the world;
Madam Deputy President, Western Uganda
Mr. Deputy President, Central Uganda;
Madam Deputy President, Northern;
Mr. Deputy President, Eastern Region;
The next first lady of Uganda
Mrs. Barbara Itungo Kagaaju Kyagulanyi
Distinguished leaders of the NUP!
Abantu ba Mbarara, muri buhooro? Muri buhoorogye? Mugumire?
First of all, it is not by mistake that in observing protocol, I started with you, the ordinary people before recognizing the leaders! No, this is intended because we have told you time and again that it is our policy to put the people of Uganda first in everything we do. Our assurance is that when we take over government, which we shall soon do, the people of Uganda will for the first time in history become the bosses and the leaders will be servants!
Countrymen and women, I bring you greetings once again and I thank God for giving us this opportunity to meet here in Mbarara to launch the manifesto of the National Unity Platform. All I can say is, Ebenezer, thus far the Lord has brought us, and we believe that he will guide us into the new Uganda!
Fellow citizens, before I go into any policy alternatives, allow me to mention that the greatness of any nation does not lie in having a beautiful manifesto or even in having many well written policy documents. The greatness of any nation lies in the commitment of leaders who say what they mean and mean what they say.
It lies in having patriotic leaders who relate with the challenges of ordinary citizens. Brothers and sisters, the greatness of any nation lies in having leaders who are focused on the next generation and not on the next general election.
I am not saying there is no value in having a manifesto. But I want to emphasize that no matter how beautiful the ideas of any candidate in any manifesto are, if there is no will from the leaders to improve the lives of the people, it will be nothing but just words. And to emphasise this point, ladies and gentlemen, just look at all the NRM manifestos since 1996.
A quick scan through their promises each election year shows nothing but lies, false promises and contradictions.
Just in the last election year, General Museveni went as far as lying to our young children. He moved all over the country promising that government would provide free sanitary pads to school-going children in order to enable the girl-child stay in school. Up to today, this promise, like very many others remains in words. When she was asked about this, Gen. Museveni’s wife, who doubles as his Minister for Education claimed that there was no money to fulfill this promise. The government has never failed to find billions of shillings to bribe MPs to pass bad laws.
They have never failed to find billions of shillings to buy off political opponents or hire mercenaries to sing praises for the regime. They have never failed to find money for luxurious travels abroad for the political class. Yes, they have never failed to find money to purchase teargas and such other oppressive equipment.
But they could not find money to purchase sanitary pads for our young children so as to enable them keep in school. It will be remembered that the rate of children dropping out of school in Uganda is one of the highest in Africa and indeed the whole world.
According to UNEB figures, out of 12.2 million children who started P.1 over the past twenty years, only 6.9 million children were able to complete P.7. That is only 57%.
The drop-out rate is even much higher in the case of female children.
Here in Mbarara, 10,099 children aged between 6 and 15 years are not attending school! Over 72.9% of the people in the greater Mbarara district have only S.4 as their highest level of education.
According to UNESCO, more than half of all female children who begin primary school in Uganda do not complete P.7!
In part, this is attributed to the lack of sanitary pads.That a government can fail to find money to save our female children and yet find money for luxury and repression speaks of the worst misuse of public resources coupled with an absolute lack of empathy by a regime which is detached from ordinary Ugandans.
It speaks to a government which does not care whatsoever about the plight of the people! The election year is yet again upon us, and once again, Gen. Museveni has come with the same promises, which he has no intention of fulfilling; not now, not in the future. This is the tragedy of Uganda.
Comrades, my assurance to Uganda is that we are not merely making promises in order to win power! No.
The National Unity Platform is committed to working with all Ugandans to improve their lives. We believe that immediately after taking over government, every Ugandan from Kaabong to Kisoro, from Yumbe to Busia will experience meaningful change in their way of life.
As you have heard already, we have clustered our promise in five critical points which we call the first-five. These are not merely promises. These are action points which we believe can and shall be achieved.
Our promise to the teachers of Uganda is that we shall prioritize their welfare. Teachers must not wait for three months to be paid a salary that is not even enough to pay school fees for their own children. Teachers should be respectable citizens. Our government will ensure that teachers earn a decent salary, that they live in decent accommodation and have access to meaningful benefits when they retire.
Our promise to the health-workers is that their work will be respected and rewarded by the government. Today, Uganda loses over 100 doctors every year who leave the country in search for greener pastures abroad.
In the new Uganda, the opposition will not be the biggest enemy of the state. Instead of turning our guns on citizens for disagreeing with us, we shall turn all guns on poverty levels that are ever skyrocketing under Museveni. It is painful when one travels across this country and sees the levels of poverty and lack.
Therefore countrymen and women, I call upon you to vote for me and the National Unity Platform in the coming election. A vote for NUP is a vote for democracy and the rule of law in our country. A vote for NUP is a vote for equality and fairness. A vote for NUP is a vote for constitutional reform, where we shall restore and fix term limits. In the new Uganda, it will be treason for anyone to attempt to remove term limits, or to extend their term beyond two presidential terms.
A vote for NUP is an assurance that citizens will never be persecuted for disagreeing with the government.
A vote for NUP is a vote for servant leadership.
A vote for NUP is a vote for improved welfare for our soldiers, our police officers, our teachers and our health workers.
A vote for NUP is a vote for improved infrastructure, focusing on feeder roads.
A vote for NUP is a vote for economic transformation.
A vote for NUP is a vote for the closing of the income gap between the rich and the poor.
A vote for NUP is a vote for rewarding agricultural activity.
A vote for NUP is a vote for improved relations with the global community, and the respect for our country among nations. A vote for NUP is a vote for massive investment in athletics and sports.
A vote for NUP is a vote for the protection of our natural resources as a country which Gen. Museveni now treats as his personal wealth.
A vote for NUP is a vote for deployment of science and technology.
A vote for NUP is a vote for zero tolerance for corruption, not only in words but in practice.
A vote for NUP is a vote for discipline in spending public resources. It is a vote for a smaller yet effective public administration. Fewr ministers fewer MP’s and yet better governed country.
In a nutshell ladies and gentlemen,
A vote for NUP is a vote for a renewed commitment to the dignity of all citizens of Uganda.
For the respect of fundamental human rights.
For the recognition that all citizens are equal before and under the law.
That will be a new Uganda for us. A Uganda In which citizens are free to enjoy their God given rights and freedoms.
I know that many of you will ask me what will happen after you have given us that vote. My call to all citizens remains that we should turn up in very large numbers to vote. When we vote, let us all take responsibility to guard that vote. When we guard that vote and anyone attempts to tamper with it, it is our responsibility to defend that vote and it is within the law.
We have done this before in Kyadondo, we have done this before in Bugiri, we have done this before in Rukungiri and we have done it before in Arua. It is now time to do it all over Uganda.
This is a liberation struggle. It will take all of us citizens to complete this mission.
God bless you. God bless Uganda.
Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert
Presidential Candidate
Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert Musinguzi aka Bobi Wine
Presidential Candidate
Read also : Sudan’s decision to join Abraham Accords unlocks US and regional aid
