UGANDA: BY LURING OPPOSITION YOUTHS, MUSEVENI IS NOT LOOKING FOR VOTES

By CHANGE OF GUARDS

With just two days to the January 14 polls, Museveni is busy coercing and luring the mostly urban based opposition youthful supporters. He is using a two pronged approach; harassing them with kidnaps and detentions on trumped up charges and luring them with cash handouts. With many urban youths vulnerable to the former approach, they are succumbing to the latter approach as a way of securing themselves. Interestingly, even Museveni knows that in private, these youths are not changing their stand on supporting the opposition but are simply trying to insulate themselves against state harassment while at the same time seeking to fleece him of some cash. That is why many of them have publicly been grumbling and protesting over the disappointing financial incentives being offered to them. 

In luring these urban youths, Museveni is not seeking to boost his vote portfolio; he is attempting to dissuade them from the potential for a post election protest. He is trying to portray a picture that these youths are now behind his candidature after realizing that they had got lost in supporting the opposition.  Otherwise, for the votes he has more than enough that will be provided through ballot stuffing by the security forces and the Electoral Commission officials. 

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM