Adjumani, Uganda | URN | President Yoweri Museveni has urged voters in Adjumani District to emulate the late General Moses Ali’s political legacy, particularly his emphasis on development, wealth creation and what he described as ideological clarity. Museveni said Ali, a long-serving political and military figure from the West Nile region, made a deliberate choice to associate with the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its ideology, urging the people of Adjumani to follow a similar path.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday while campaigning for the NRM flag bearer in the Adjumani West County parliamentary by-election, James Leku Pilli, at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani District. Museveni recalled Uganda’s turbulent post-independence political history, saying the country was plunged into instability by politics organised around tribal and religious identities. He cited the 1966 crisis involving then-President Edward Muteesa II and Prime Minister Milton Obote, the 1971 coup that brought Idi Amin to power and the subsequent political turmoil that culminated in the 1981-1986 liberation war.
According to Museveni, it was during this period that the NRM’s ideology of patriotism, national unity and development emerged, with leaders such as Moses Ali becoming part of the political movement. Museveni also welcomed the defection of several opposition leaders and supporters in Adjumani to the NRM, describing the development as a pleasant birthday gift. He argued that opposition parties, including the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), lacked a clear plan for Uganda’s future, urging voters to instead support leaders who can work with the government to deliver development programmes.
Museveni asked voters to elect Leku so that he can effectively coordinate government development programmes and represent the interests of Adjumani West in Parliament. The President said the government’s agenda for Adjumani and the wider Madi sub-region includes improving road infrastructure, expanding electricity distribution and upgrading power lines, alongside interventions aimed at increasing household incomes and wealth creation.
Four candidates were initially nominated for the Adjumani West parliamentary by-election: NRM’s Leku and three independents — Gasper Draga, Ben Anyama and Patrick Tandrupasi, who was leaning towards the FDC. Two of the independent candidates have since withdrawn from the race and declared their support for Leku. Museveni’s appeal comes as the NRM seeks to consolidate its support in Adjumani West ahead of the parliamentary by-election.
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