Summary:
President Museveni emphasized the importance of electing a legislator who collaborates with the government to facilitate development in Kawempe North.
KAMPALA: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who also serves as the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has urged the people of Kawempe North to vote for a political party that understands their problems and has the capacity to solve them.
“First of all, elect a party that understands your problems. If you don’t do that, you will not get a solution. Therefore, don’t just look at Nambi; look at the party first. And when listening to campaign messages, pay attention to whether the party truly understands your challenges and has the capacity to address them,” he said.
The President made these remarks on Tuesday while campaigning for Ms. Faridah Nambi, the NRM flag bearer for the Kawempe North parliamentary seat, at a public rally held at Mbogo Muslim Primary School grounds. The seat became vacant following the death of the area MP, Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, in January 2025.
The by-election is set to take place on Thursday, March 13, 2025.
President Museveni emphasized the importance of electing a legislator who collaborates with the government to facilitate development in Kawempe North.
“If you want your problems solved, you need to elect a Member of Parliament who works well with the government,” he stated.
He further noted that from the very beginning, the NRM government had a clear vision to improve the livelihoods of Ugandans.
“I know Kawempe very well. During the liberation struggle, I ambushed Obote’s vehicles at Kawanda, Matugga, Kigogwa, and Sanga, and I had camps in Nansana and Namugongo. Back then, these places were bushy. Today, they are full of factories,” he said.
“These factories provide jobs and create a market for your products. They exist because of the stability created by the NRM government and the availability of electricity. This shows that NRM has always been aware of your problems and has worked to address them.”
President Museveni also encouraged residents to focus on wealth creation to improve their standard of living.
“We can talk about general development—tarmacked roads, Kawempe Hospital, electricity—but at night, you don’t sleep on a tarmacked road; you sleep in your house. And when you return home, you still find the same personal financial challenges. That is why wealth creation at the household level is crucial,” he said.
He outlined various initiatives introduced by the NRM government to uplift Ugandans, including peace, free education in government schools, prosperity-for-all programs, and vocational training for youth to combat unemployment.
“That’s why we are asking you to listen carefully to the NRM. One of the key solutions is free education in government schools, but some people at the grassroots have sabotaged this effort. Elect Nambi so she can help implement it effectively at the local level. Free education will solve many family challenges,” he urged.
Another key government intervention, he noted, is Bonna Bagaggawale (Prosperity for All), a program aimed at economic empowerment.
“Since the 1990s, we have allocated funds to programs like Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation, Emyooga, and the Parish Development Model (PDM). These initiatives are meant to improve livelihoods,” he said.
The President also revealed that the government plans to increase PDM funding in urban areas to ensure more people benefit.
“The Prime Minister informed me that the current Shs100 million per parish is insufficient, especially in urban areas where the population is larger. In some rural villages, the impact is noticeable because there are fewer people, but here in towns like Kawempe, we need to allocate more funds,” he said.
He questioned why previous MPs elected by Kawempe North residents had not advocated for increased funding.
NRM First Vice Chairperson, Alhajji Moses Kigongo, thanked President Museveni for personally campaigning for Faridah Nambi and praised Kawempe North residents for supporting the party.
“Your presence in large numbers today proves that we can win this by-election. NRM has fronted Faridah Nambi as its candidate—let’s support her to victory,” he said.
Ms. Nambi informed the President that her campaign team had been mobilizing through door-to-door engagements, which she believes is the most effective strategy.
She expressed confidence in winning the seat, saying, “I thank the people of Kawempe for supporting NRM. Your turnout today shows that we are on the path to victory.”
Defections from Opposition
During the rally, 186 people defected from the National Unity Platform (NUP) to NRM.
Mr. Mutebi Edrisa, the leader of the defectors, told President Museveni that they had “seen the light” by joining NRM.
