Duty-bearers tarnishing Museveni image—Minister Mugasa

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Hoima – Corruption, job selling and land grabbing among duty-bearers, including Police officers, LC chairpersons, district and service commissioners, are some of the challenges affecting President Yoweri Museveni’s image, public service state minister Grace Mery Mugasa has said.

Mugasa made the remarks on December 2, 2025, as she met LC1 chairpersons, Police officers and Resident City Commissioners to mobilise support for President Museveni ahead of his campaign visit on December 12, 2025. The meeting held at Hoima city's Bujumbura cell-based St Bernadette Primary School was also aimed at gathering grievances affecting service delivery.

She said one of the weaknesses of LC chairpersons is shielding criminals and aiding land grabbing. According to her, some village chairpersons are influenced, and they sign for people selling land twice, and this has resulted in increasing land conflicts.

“One of the major weaknesses of LC1 chairpersons is land. You are fond of signing twice for one piece of land, signing for different buyers. This has resulted in increasing land grabbing, and I am warning you that you are putting yourself in trouble,” she said.

She also expressed concern about the growing habit of selling jobs among the district and city service commissions in the Bunyoro sub-region. She noted her office has registered several cases from job seekers complaining that service commission officials continue to demand bribes to offer them jobs.

Mugasa also said the public is always complaining about the Police for demanding bribes for Police bonds and releasing suspects before producing them to court are some of the things she said compromise justice.

Such action by duty-bearers, according to mugasa, is hindering the electorate from getting services from the Government, which is affecting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party support and that of President Museveni.

Julius Hakiiza, the Albertine police spokesperson (L) with his deputy SSempijja attending the meeting. (Photo by Peter Abaanabasazi)

“All these things you do, people blame the President and the Government. Let me ask, have you ever seen him coming here to sell jobs or to grab, no, but our people, our people blame the government and our president. So, stop engaging in such acts as leaders because you are tarnishing the name of our beloved President,” she said.

Mugasa highlighted the achievements in Hoima city and the Bunyoro region that voters should consider when deciding to renew the mandate for President Yoweri Museveni and the NRM in the 2026 General Election.

She highlighted the Uganda Support for Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) programme, which has supported tarmacking of different road networks in town, construction of Hoima central market, installation of city scan and ICU unit at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital and the construction of the regional blood bank.

She also highlighted the construction of the Malt trillion Kabalega international airport, which resulted in the construction of Hoima city stadium, adding that the infrastructure is a testament to NRM achievements and a basis why the people of Bunyoro and Hoima city should vote for Museveni.

“In the 2021 election, our support was not good; we had 50% vote for our President, but with the NRM achievement, we should vote for him with 99%,” she said.

Leader’s demands

Tom Barongo, the LC1 chairperson for Mpaija cell in Hoima city, said that as the President requested Ugandans to give him another mandate, he should focus on fighting the increasing grabbing of land from the poor by the rich.

He noted that the increasing land grabbing in the area is one of the major challenges affecting the development and well-being of local people.

Wyclif Tibeita, the NRM chairperson for Kikwatamingo cell, cited deteriorating healthcare, education services and electricity shortages as some of the urgent concerns that should be present to President Yoweri Museveni.

Albertine Police region spokesperson Julius Hakiiza urged the local leaders to work with the Police to ensure that they address community concerns.

He also challenged local leaders to be security conscious and mobilise the locals not to engage in election violence to ensure peaceful elections.