Is there anything presidential candidates have not promised us? They have promised us tarmac roads. They have promised to provide Ugandans with clean drinking water and water for their animals. We have been promised that immediately after elections, we shall have medicine in our health centres.
Candidates have told us farmers will say bye-bye to poverty because the government is going to put a lot of money in the sector so that farmers are able to benefit from their sweat through providing markets for their produce and empowering them to form co-operatives through which they collectively produce, store and sell without being exploited by middlemen.
The youth have been told in no uncertain terms that jobs will be created for them so that they don’t have waste their useful years on the streets looking for what to do with their lives.
Voters have been promised that children will no longer study under trees, and teachers have been promised higher salaries. Doctors have been promised better working conditions including higher salaries. Soldiers have been assured of equal opportunities through which they can grow according to their ability.
Public servants have been promised they will be given a wage they can be able to live on with their families. Women have been told government will allocate monies within the budget that is deliberately meant to empower women to be self-sufficient without necessarily having to depend on men for their existence.
What else have the aspiring presidents promised the voters? How could we forget! The corrupt will be put away after their stolen monies have been recovered, and the keys thrown in Lake Victoria. Apparently, life looks likely to be rosier with the promise of slashing taxes, making goods more affordable. And to end land wrangles, government will enact a law that leaves no cause for conflict. One candidate has promised to transfer the power to solve land wrangles to the communities where people know each other.
The elderly have not been forgotten. Pensioners will be given higher pensions and all the other elders have been promised universal health care. The disabled and other marginalized groups, will no longer be disadvantaged, they will be given equal opportunities in the allocation of the jobs which have been promised.
All the other candidates other than the incumbent have promised to cut size of government to MAGUFULI levels and to use all the saved monies to invest it in productive sectors. They have also promised to re-instate presidential term limits of service so that they can give many Ugandans a chance to also serve their country.
All that the voters are expected to do is to just go and vote for the candidate of their choice. To do that, they have to check in good time that they are on the list to vote otherwise they will not be able to especially now that they have introduced some ‘piece of paper’ that every voter is supposed to present before being allowed to vote.
Voters shown on national televisions Tuesday night said they were hearing about these ‘magic’ papers for the first time. Whoever hopes to vote must get that paper that shows your voting station. And then just wait for the promised Manna.
