Jinja, (UG):- The National Unity Platform (NUP)’s suspended secretary for mobilization in the Eastern region, Mr. Moses Bigirwa has unveiled his new political pressure group as he aims to amplify the eastern region politically and demand an equitable share of the national cake.
Dubbed the “Eastern Revolutionary Platform (ERP)”, the new political formation comprises of mainly politicians and youths mostly from the opposition Democratic Party and National Unity Platform and aims at pushing the Eastern Uganda agenda but also positioning the region to take over national power.
The group was officially launched on Tuesday in Mafubira division, Jinja City before proceeding to Kamuli municipality along Namwendwa road for a mini-launch.
Accompanied by a number of youths from the eastern, Bigirwa also introduced the group’s slogan of ‘Eastern first’ with a black brand and interlocking fingers as its symbol.
Bigirwa, a former contestant for Kamuli municipality lost his seat as the NUP’s secretary for mobilization eastern region to Andrew Kiiza Kaluya over disciplinary reasons and now says he is determined to ensure that the group uplifts his political ambitions going forward.
“There are issues which will be discussed under this group yet they may not be discussed in any political party. Here we are freestyle without being blocked by any law and we can decide the party where to belong when elections draw close but our task is to mobilize people in politics to demand what belongs to us,” Mr. Bigirwa said.
“Our main focus shall be to position the Eastern agenda and to this, we shall awaken voters, leaders and all stakeholders who matter to drive the Eastern narrative,” he added.
“We have seen UPC in Lango, NUP in Buganda, NRM in Western and all these regions have benefited from the national cake but we have lagged behind. ”
Mr. Francis Adepo, the ERP Secretary General said the eastern region has lagged behind in development for a number of years adding that the platform will ensure development through change of leadership at all levels. He added that they will traverse a number of sub-regions for the revolutionary message of ERP.
“The nine presidents we have had since independence there is no one from the east and we are saying that the next president should come from eastern Uganda. We’re building capacity to be ready by 2026 and we are not only targeting elections but also making a revolution to change leadership by all means,” Adepo said before calling upon people in the east to embrace the group citing that a number of leaders in the region have been dumped with no clear reason.
DailyExpress has understood that the pressure group is bringing together various people around all opposition political parties and a few from the ruling government for a common goal of ensuring that the eastern region takes the lead in changing leadership in the country.
The group is currently headed by Moses Bigirwa as its president, with Eng Ivan Masawi as his deputy, while Mr Adepo Francis is its secretary general, and Ngalula John is the spokesperson. Also, Mr. Ronald Baloda has been appointed as the comptroller general (treasurer) and others as regional coordinators.
Mr. Baloda speaking to this publication said they want to have a president from the country and they intend to fight poverty levels and other cases which paint a bad image of the region.
He said they aim to use the pressure group to demand for their cake and develop the region like other regions that have had the top office in the country like the western region.
The group with its vision of changing the mindset of the people of eastern Uganda to get concerned on state matters and take power, has designed a mission of bringing the Eastern region to power with among other objectives; to negotiate the national cake of the region and awakening the region to demand for what they deserve.
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