Mukono, Uganda: President Museveni’s Senior Political Advisor and head of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has assured voters in Mukono District of a new central market and an upgrade of health services in the next NRM term, urging residents to abandon the opposition and vote the ruling party as Uganda goes to the national elections on Thursday.
Namyalo, popularly known as Chief Muzzukulu, was speaking during a high-energy ONC Street Jam that swept through Mukono Municipality from Kigunga Valley through Wantoni to Ngandu Trading Centre, paralysing traffic along Jinja Road as thousands of NRM supporters, dubbed the Bazzukulu Army, marched, danced and chanted messages in support of the ruling party.
Addressing the crowd, Namyalo said Mukono’s long-standing opposition voting pattern had denied the municipality key development opportunities, including a central market and higher-level health facilities.
“You cannot stay in opposition year after year and expect government to prioritise you. If you (Mukono) want a fair share of the national cake, then this Thursday you must vote NRM from top to bottom,” Namyalo said.
She told residents that Mukono, historically the mother district to Buikwe and Kayunga, has been overtaken by its offshoots because their leaders consistently vote and work with the NRM government.
“Buikwe quickly lobbied for a market, and Jajja delivered because their leaders are NRM. Kayunga now has a Regional Referral Hospital, while Mukono is still stuck at HCIV level because of politics,” Namyalo said.
But the ONC boss assured residents that a new central market and a hospital upgrade are among the priority issues she will personally raise with President Museveni to consider in the forthcoming term, urging Mukono voters to realign with the ruling party to ensure coordination and smooth implementation of government programmes.
“These are the issues I will take to Jajja as a reward for your loyalty. Development needs coordination. It cannot work when local governments and MPs are dominated by the opposition,” she said, castigating the barren reign of opposition legislator, Betty Nambooze Bakireke, who has led Mukono as MP for now 20 years.
As part of ONC’s extended voter education drive, Namyalo also demonstrated the correct voting procedure, warning voters against errors that often lead to invalid ballots. “A valid vote is a tick or thumbprint inside the box opposite the bus symbol. Any mark outside the box wastes your vote. We must protect every vote for Jajja,” she said.
Residents, NRM leaders speak out
During the interaction, residents raised concerns over the absence of a central market despite Mukono’s municipal status, alleged theft of drugs in public health facilities and persistent youth unemployment.
“I have voted opposition for years, but we have no market and no empowerment,” said Moses Kato, a boda boda rider from Wantoni. “This time we are voting NRM so that we benefit directly from government.”
Sarah Nakato, a trader from Kigunga, said residents regretted repeatedly backing opposition politicians. “They talk a lot but bring nothing. ONC has at least shown us hope through empowerment tools,” she said.
Mukono Town Council youth leader Hamza Ssekandi said young people were ready for change. “We want programmes like PDM and Emyooga to work for us. That can only happen if we vote government,” he said.
Speaking at the same rally, Mukono Municipality NRM MP flag bearer Daisy Nabatanzi Sarah Ssonko said the time had come to end the long opposition dominance in the area, pledging to work closely with government to address Mukono’s development gaps.
Nabatanzi urged voters to send NRM representatives to all parliamentary positions, including Municipality MP, Mukono South, Mukono North, Nakifuma and District Woman MP, to enable government to decisively address poverty, infrastructure and service delivery challenges.
Similarly, Mukono Municipality mayoral flag bearer Micdad Mulimira rallied voters to “paint Mukono yellow” from grassroots leadership to parliamentary and presidential levels.
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