President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday told voters at Kaunda grounds in Gulu town that if they vote him, he will grant Gulu a city status.
Gulu is among several municipalities clamouring to attain city status.
Museveni who is fresh from campaigning in West Nile also made a similar demand in Arua: vote me and I will make Arua a city.
Museveni said Gulu could become a city before the expiry of the term of the 9th parliament.
“Therefore the people of Gulu, people of Acholi,’’ Museveni said ‘‘give me all your votes. Vote the old man with the hat,’’ he told the crowd.
Museveni claimed granting Gulu a city status has been delayed by parliament because it has been busy creating new constituencies.
The president’s promise of a city status for Gulu if he is voted caps a day in which he issued a string of directives which critics have described as populist.
One such directive is in a letter dated November 20th in which he directs the Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda to include in the next financial year (2016-2017) a budget for the ‘‘purchase of 18 million hoes to be distributed to six million households.’’
Museveni had a day before his Gulu campaign also promised the people of Nwoya a ‘‘city of factories’’ if they give him ‘‘good land’’ on which the factories can be built.
In Gulu Museveni also campaigned in Awach, Odek and Bobi where he also asked residents to vote him and other NRM candidates.