As technology continues to play a marked role in Uganda’s elections and politics, many Ugandans are currently in a rare happiness after receiving telephone calls from President Yoweri Museveni and sms messages from the president thanking them for voting him in the February 18th Presidential elections.
In different parts of the country, people have since Monday been bragging of receiving a personal telephone calls from the President in his authentic voice, while some held clout for having received a personal sms message from Museveni who was on Sunday declared winner with 68% of the votes.
Museveni "owekikorifa" (of the hat) has excited Ugandans by sending them sms and making individual calls to many
Jane Ogwal of Natete in Kampala says she could hardly sleep on Tuesday when she received a telephone call from the President “thanking” her for voting him and asking her to work together for the development of Uganda.
Johan Kitanda had to show off his sms message from YKMuseveni thanking him for voting NRM and Museveni in the February elections and asking him to ‘work with the president” for the good of Uganda. But Kitanda was disappointed to learn that four of his 9 workmates had received the same sms message.
The recorded calls have been from a number +256144 and the sms messages from YKMuseveni, both reserved by Museveni’s communications strategists to send mass sms and make mass recorded calls to telephone numbers. Those reporting receiving telephone calls are on the Airtel network.
While many people are continuing in the excitement of the call or sms from the President, the unsolicited calls and sms raised concerns with some people saying it is against the Uganda Communications Commission guidelines for telecom operates of such messages to send out unsolicited messages and telephone calls.
This however doesnt negate the clever use by the NRM of information and communication technologies during elections to raise support or appreciation for political causes.
The 2011 Uganda elections saw the Electoral Commission develop an online voters register, introduce an sms system for voters to check their polling stations, and launch digital input of election results from poling centers.