PLU takes Muhoozi endorsement drive to Lango
Government Chief Whip and PLU Lango coordinator Dr Jane Aceng addressing the crowd at the Muhoozi’s endorsement event at Lira City Mayor's Garden on Sunday. (Photos by Joseph Ekol)
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The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party fraternity in the Lango sub-region on Sunday (October 4) hosted the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) leadership as they endorsed Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for the 2031 presidential contest.
Lira City Woman MP and Government Chief Whip, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, led Lango leaders in endorsing Muhoozi at an event held at Lira City Mayor's Garden in Lira city.
The leaders warmly received the PLU delegation, which included Daudi Kabanda, the head of the chairman's office, and director of mobilisation Michael Mawanda.
Several MPs, under the leadership of the chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group, Patrick Ogwang Obura, LC5 chairpersons and NRM party leaders attended the event. They expressed support for the crackdown on corruption ongoing in the country.
The event attracted hundreds of supporters, with the youth chanting and demanding that Gen. Muhoozi visit Lira in person.
Addressing the crowd, Dr Aceng said that for 40 years, some individual politicians had continued misleading the people of Lango into defying the NRM regime while benefiting individually, which she said had contributed to the region's underdevelopment.
Aceng said the gathering to endorse Muhoozi was a sign of acceptance that he was capable of taking over the leadership mantle as president when his father, President Yoweri Museveni, retires.
Lira City Woman MP and Government Chief Whip, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, signs the endorsement for Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba's presidential bid as Minister Engola and other leaders line up to append their signatures of endorsement at Lira City Mayor's Garden.
She encouraged the people to continue supporting both PLU and NRM, explaining that they had not come to eliminate the party but to reinforce it and further provide quality services and leadership for the country.
“Government has a lot of services to deliver, and those services can reach Lango. You even witnessed many that have so far been delivered without some individuals approaching the government individually to eat alone. And all these leaders you see here have made up their minds to tap those who survive and deliver to you,” Aceng explained.
Aceng, who is also the PLU regional coordinator for Lango, said the endorsement books would be taken to all sub-counties and placed at their headquarters for people to voluntarily sign.
Sports state minister Peter Ogwang also joined Lango leaders at the event. He appealed to the people to rally behind Muhoozi, saying he was the protector of the achievements and gains of the NRM.
“Muhoozi is the only one who can protect our gains and eliminate corruption; he can protect the UPE and USE from those who are stealing from those who are eating. What we want for today and tomorrow is: no one can tell you that you are the father and you don’t like and support your son unless you are a mad person,” Ogwang said.
Lango Parliamentary Group chairperson Patrick Ogwang Obura said they were strongly united and determined to deliver for the region. He added that, as they did so, the service delivery chain had to be protected from corrupt individuals and that Gen. Muhoozi had exhibited the ability to fight corruption.
He added that, as Museveni's son, Muhoozi had learned leadership skills from him to drive the country in his absence from the political arena.
PLU's Kabanda said that since early September, when he announced Muhoozi's 2031 presidential candidature, many groups from Lango had visited their headquarters to endorse him, with Lira being no exception. He said the groups included members of UPC and FDC.
Kabanda said some people had been telling the people of Lango that Museveni was bad while they were enjoying the benefits of his leadership, leaving voters vulnerable.
He called on Dr Aceng and relief and disaster preparedness minister Sam Engola to encourage disgruntled UPC members to join the PLU so they could work together for the development of Lango.
He added that the previous week they had been in West Nile, where former president Idi Amin came from, and that people there had endorsed their support for Muhoozi.
“PLU is not a party, and they will achieve everything they want through the NRM party. I encourage people to join and to continue supporting both the PLU and NRM,” Kabanda noted, assuring that the PLU movement was nationwide and not just a regional agenda.
Explaining the endorsement exercise, Kabanda said Ugandans in the diaspora often claimed that President Museveni was imposing his son on the people.
After receiving the signatures, he said they would provide evidence that the population was demanding Muhoozi to contest and become president to protect the gains and bring more gains.
The NRM regional vice-chairperson for northern Uganda, Hamson Obua, minister Engola, youth state minister Dr Marcy Lakisa and several other dignitaries attended the event.