By Spy Uganda
National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has dicided to counter president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s state of the Nation Addresses slated to happen every Sunday night via all media houses across the country. To counter this, Bobi has decided to also be going live on Facebook and Youtube at the same time the president is addressing the nation via the tradition media.
Last week, Museveni decided to cancel his address few hours to the agreed time when Bobi Wine also announced that he was going to be live addressing the same audiences, but via Facebook and YouTube. This Sunday, after the president announced he was all ready this time to address the nation, Bobi also came few hours ago and announced to his supporters that he was going to be live, at the same time the president will be talking to the nation.
According to pundits, this is meant to divert a good number of netizens from listening to the president and instead listen to Bobi Wine.
https://www.facebook.com/www.bobiwine.ug/posts/10160453289943012
“Tonight at 7:45pm, I will be addressing the nation about the state of our campaign, and other matters of national importance. The address will be relayed live on Facebook and other social media channels. #WeAreRemovingADictator pic.twitter.com/KHnO8DBMnX
— BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) November 29, 2020”
Kyagulanyi’s communication followed Museveni’s post about the same that read thus; “At 7pm tonight, I will address the country on issues of security and the Covid-19 pandemic. Address will be on all TVs and radios.”
https://www.facebook.com/KagutaMuseveni/posts/2137572926378120
It should be remembered that ealier this month during NBS TV’s Front line show, Gov’t mouth piece Ofwono Opondo aka OO revealed that the president would address the nation on 22, November 2020, briefing on a number of issues, including but not limited, the recent violent riots that rocked the country, living more than 50 dead which didn’t occur over known reasons.
In the same vein, on November 19, 2020, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the national regulator of media industry had sent a lengthy document across all media houses in the country, in which they reminded them of their cardinal duties, among which, to broadcast national addresses free of charge as per their license terms.
However, a section of media owners under their umbrella organization National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), rejected the move citing that these were political campaigns guised as national address, first; to evade their high brid airtime charges, but also, to take advantage of campaigning at the disadvantage of other contestants who may not get the same opportunity the incumbent has, thus creating an imbalance in the distribution of equal airtime if it’s about selling their political agendas which is actually believed to be the reason why last week’s address failed.
