NRM gazettes Museveni swearing-in day as public holiday

National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretary General, Mr Richard Todwong, has announced May 12 as a Public Holiday, as party leader and president-elect, Mr Yoweri Museveni, is sworn in for his seventh elective term of office.

Mr Museveni, who won the January 15 presidential election with 7,946,772 votes (71.6%), according to the Electoral Commission (EC), defeating seven other candidates, will be sworn in on that day at Kololo Independence Grounds.

“Maybe you may wish to know that May 12 is going to be a public holiday because it is a very important day for this country,” Mr Todwong said while addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala onTuesday.

He added: “But just to refresh our memories, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was elected by 71.65% of the national vote cast, but at parliamentary level, out of the 529 Members of Parliament, the NRM got 372.

“National Unity Platform (NUP) got 49, Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) 12, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) nine, Democratic Party (DP) six; People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) one, and 68 Independents. That is the composition of Parliament if you add the 10 members representing the UPDF.”

He said the party is celebrating victory that was achieved at all levels, including Local Government, where out of 149 LC5 chairpersons, 117 are from the NRM, plus 3,776 LC5 councilors out of 4,736 councilors, among other positions.

“We are starting this celebration by inaugurating the president and celebrating the victory. May 12 is inauguration and celebration at the same time. Thereafter, we shall be swearing in our Members of Parliament, LC5 chairman and Mayors, in that order,” he added.

Mr Todwong further explained that as a party, they are joining hands with the government and Office of the President to make the day “colourful”.

“We are having a series of meetings at the party head office, and inviting delegations representing the party leaders at the district level. Each district is going to send 50 members to represent the rest of the party members in those districts.”

However, it should be noted that abrupt public holidays are announced by the Public Service ministry.