President Yoweri Museveni who is also the National Chairman of the ruling National Resistence Movement (NRM) party has rallied the people of Serere County to vote Philip Oucor in the forthcoming by-election, saying he already holds the party flag since 2020.
Museveni said, “I am here to campaign for Oucor because he is one who was selected by you people some three years ago. If there are some unsolved issues, this is not the end of the world. We shall have other elections,” Museveni said.
He added that, “I will meet the area elders. We shall look at the issues to be raised, but in the meantime elect Oucor,” adding that if he (Oucor) doesn't perform,he will be replaced in future because Uganda is not ending today.
Museveni revealed today afternoon as he campaigned for the NRM flag bearer, Mr.Philip Oucor both at Sapir Primary School in Ocaapa town council and Serere district head quarters in Serere town council.
He called upon Oucor and other leaders to treat politics as food, saying, “food is good but one must know what food to eat and how to eat it. Otherwise, food itself can be a problem if you don't know how to eat it. It can even chock you and kill you,” President Museveni said.
He discouraged people from mixing up sentiments and feelings in leadership, “some people want to elect leaders because they are their friends, they belong to the same tribe or clan. This is wrong because politics is about sustainable problem-solving of the ordinary people, an agenda that the NRM stands for.”
He said the NRM party has managed to solve people’s problems step by step, “we have solved problems for a long time even when we were still students by telling students not to consider tribes and region.”
Museveni on wealth creation
He said the NRM party begun by pacifying the country and Teso in particular when they disarmed the Karamajong who had over 40,000 guns hence ushering in peace and security.
“It is peace and stability which has enabled wealth creation among households and development,”Museveni said, adding that, “without security there is no development.”
The president also advised NRM leaders to fight ignorance through compulsory and universal free primary education to the unprivileged children.
“Head teachers in government schools should lift any form of fees because it discourages many children of the poor from accessing education. If the money given them is not enough, we should be asked to look for more money,” Museveni advised, saying, universal education for all children aides in the fight against poverty.
Mr.Museveni lastly asked leaders to fight poverty in the households through projects like the recent Parish development model (PDM) and Emyooga.
“We recently sent PDM money to all parishes. This money is your parish Bank. We don't want it paid back to government. We want the parish to allow you borrow, use it for agriculture and pay back,” Museveni said.
He discouraged locals of Serere from politicians who persuade them through handouts, saying, “Such leaders are enemies of progress.”
The NRM Director for Mobilization, Hon.Rosemary Seninde who represented the Secretary-General commended President Museveni for finding time to come and campaign for Mr.Oucor.
“The campaigns haven't been easy. We have done it using the revolutionary means to make sure people know that NRM is bigger than everyone,” Seninde revealed.
She advised, “We need to cherish the principles of NRM. We have mobilised from day one and we are sure God will not let us down. Our candidate is a good boy who had been demonize, but we have been able to defeat this narrative and victory will come our way.”
NRM flagbearer, Mr.Philip Oucor thanked president Museveni for coming to campaign for him, “I sincerely appreciate your guidance and hard work towards improvement of people’s livelihoods.
“The NRM government has restored my hopes even when I grew up a poor boy. You have welcomed, embraced me and I am willing to reciprocate the same by working for the ordinary people in Serere,” Oucor said.
CEC member, Lydia Wanyoto Mutende, The NRM Electoral Commission, Chairman, Dr.Tang Odoi, Deputy National Treasurer, Jackline Kyatuhaire, Hon.Emmanuel Dombo, Director for Communication and Director for Finance and Administration, Hajat Medina Naham were among the leaders who welcomed the President.
Others are Hajat Hadijah Namyalo from Office of the National Chairman and Mr.Moses Karangwa, NRM Chairman Kayunga district.