On June 16, the Electoral Commission issued a revised roadmap in which they banned open-air campaigns as a means to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The commission chairperson justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi said all political contenders will have to use the media as the means of campaigning.
BBS and CBS will provide a joint platform for any politician who wants to campaign to pay an aggregated fee for him/her to appear on both 88.8 and 39.2 CBS FM and television. According to Robert Ssemakula, the chief executive officer of BBS, this arrangement is meant to make it easier for the candidates to outsource media coverage.
“Our country has never been at such a point and as a television station, we must be prepared to take on the challenge. We shall give opportunity to everybody to speak to Ugandans,” Ssemakula said.
Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga urged the political contenders to learn how to tolerate each other, saying that Ugandans are tired of elections that result in people losing lives.
“We don’t want violence and bloodbath in our elections…How can we in the 21 century be talking about killing people? We want everyone competing for any office to respect their opponents,” Mayiga said.
Mayiga called upon the media that is going to be at the centre stage of this election to give opportunity to all contenders to speak to the people regardless of their political persuasions.
The Vvaawo Mpitewo program is expected to start this month and go on up to May 2021 when those who will have won electoral seats take oaths.