General Salim Saleh on Saturday walked away from dozens of youths claiming to be journalists under an umbrella called ”Entertainment News Reporters Association.”
The 28 youths comprising both male and female reportedly traveled from Kampala city on Friday evening to meet Gen Saleh to demand payments for online content that they had reportedly been publishing in favor and in support for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party ahead of the 2021 general elections.
They camped at Lumumba square in the Fourth division army barracks in Gulu city as they waited to secure audience with Gen. Saleh who was holding a live relayed debate on the Capital Gang show.
Shortly after the show, Gen Saleh headed to meet the youth who claimed that they were reporting on economic prosperity brought by the NRM government, local economic development led policies and the achievements of the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) using their own finances.
Through their spokesman Twehoyo Ronald who did not disclose how much they need, the youths demanded to be compensated for the expenses they have incurred to spread the good gospel and progress of the NRM party in Uganda.
The youths had verbal exchanges with Gen Saleh and demanded for their fares, accommodation, feeding and payment for contents produced several months ago.
In his response, Saleh said that the youths have been fully constituted from the music entertainment industry into active politics and and so required to dedicate themselves for the NRM party.
However, Saleh demanded that the purported journalists submit an invoice and previously done works before they could be paid the money they wanted, citing that their visit was unplanned for.
Saleh told the youths to sort out their issues with his IT manager only identified as Deo before he left in his official motorcade to an unknown destination, leaving the youths stranded at the Fourth Division Barracks as Brigadier General Flavia Byekwaso, the army spokesperson pleaded with them to give Saleh more time to sort them out.
The youths were later seen haggling with Major Kiconco Tabaro, the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) spokesperson. They then started vanishing one after the other to unknown destinations as the other army officers also vacated the barracks.
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