John Katumba Explains Absence of Manifesto

Independent presidential candidate, John Katumba is yet to produce a manifesto a month since he started campaigning for the country’s top office. Katumba is among the ten presidential candidates seeking to replace the incumbent president, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni and the National Resistance Movement-NRM candidate.

Unlike his rivals, who have published their manifestos or sets of documents listing their plans and strategies they have for the country, the youngest presidential candidate, Katumba is yet to make his manifesto known to the public.

He told URN in an interview that he doesn’t see the relevancy of having a manifesto as a campaign working document, arguing that his policies are generated by the electorates in the course of his campaigns. 

He argued that unlike other politicians he is more interested in engaging with the electorate to understand their concerns other than making reference to a manifesto whose content may not rhyme well with the local issues.

Using the analogy of a man who is given a prize of female attires that present no value to him, Katumba argues that he equally does not see the relevance of having a campaign manifesto that is not agreed upon with the electorates.      

//Cue in: “since I’m not….      

Cue out; ….was done before.”//    

Luganda    

//Cue in: “Tekigasa okujja okusomera…    

Cue out; …..amanyi aga banna Uganda.”//

Katumba has on the hand indicated that the most stunning challenge he has identified on his campaign trail is the widespread poverty that has rendered majority of Ugandans vulnerable to all situations.

He blames that the underlying situation to inappropriate policies generated by selfish politicians who have created social inequality in the population. 



//Cue in: “the greatest problem….  

Cue out; …..overcome that.”//    

Luganda 

//Cue in; “ekiziibu ky’ensangidde ddala….   

Cue out; …..obwavu bwetwogerako,”//     

In several of his open campaign meetings, Katumba has appeared not to have well-crafted messages he puts across to the electorates. He instead spends much of the time asking the audience to chant his name. 

Katumba however, says that he deliberately chose to be sarcastic as a campaign tactic to bond properly with the electorate who he says have accepted him and supported his campaign throughout the one month he has been on the road.