By Aggrey Twesigye
Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi on Wednesday conducted night campaign rallies in Bushenyi District, going beyond the Electoral Commission’s recommended campaign cutoff time of 6pm.
The Electoral Commission guidelines stipulate that presidential campaign activities must take place strictly between 7am and 6pm, and candidates together with their agents are expected to adhere to the set schedule.
Mafabi’s programme fell behind after he began his day in the rugged hills of Buhweju District, where poor and untarmacked roads slowed his movement. While addressing residents, he pledged to construct at least 200 kilometres of tarmac in every district if elected president.
Because of the difficult terrain, Mafabi arrived in Sheema District at 6:12pm, proceeding to hold a rally in Kabwohe Town along the Mbarara–Bushenyi road. Police officers at the venue did not interrupt the event, allowing it to continue despite exceeding the official time.
He later travelled to Bushenyi, arriving at 7:50pm, where he addressed another rally on the Ishaka–Kitagata road in Bushenyi–Ishaka Municipality.
During the late-night engagement, Mafabi criticised the poor state of road infrastructure in the region, questioning how a country heavily dependent on agriculture can achieve economic progress when farmers lack passable roads to transport their produce to markets.
