The President made a stopover, a few metres away from the Lokopio Hills Technical Institute, following a thunderous welcome by the party supporters who had thronged the roadside.

He first got out of the vehicle and stood at the opposite side of the road to speak to the people who were chanting and singing party songs.

“During these times of the Coronavirus pandemic, we are not allowed to hold rallies for fear of contracting the virus.  I will get time to come back here and speak to you but I urge you to vote for NRM,” Museveni told the party supporters who responded with ululations.

The President later walked a distance of over 150 metres to the institute where he addressed district and party leaders.

He noted that initially, when the NRM came to power and asked those who had gone to exile to return, they thought it was a joke until they later realized it was real.

“The Banyankore have a proverb that somebody threw dried meat at a dog and it ran away thinking it was a stone.  Initially, people of West Nile thought we were throwing stones at them but later found out it was meat,” he said.

Museveni said that since then, West Nile region has overwhelmingly supported the NRM and urged them to continue with the support to ensure they secure the country’s future.

“After elections, I will come back here so we talk more but also have a feast. For the issue of compensation of former UNLF and West Nile Bank Front, we shall handle.

It is about several competing needs but it will definitely be done.”

The President was later given a spear and a bow by the local leaders as a sign of support to his presidential candidature in the forthcoming elections.

President had earlier commissioned the refurbished and expanded Yumbe Regional Referral hospital  and a fruit factory at Pani village, Lodonga sub-county in Yumbe district.