Adjumani West is warming to receiving President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is drumming up it’s support for its flag bearer, Leku James Pilli ahead of the September 17th by-election.
Museveni, who is also the NRM National Chairman, will campaign for Leku during a rally on September 15, officially closing the NRM candidate’s campaign ahead of polling day.
The President’s visit comes as NRM teams enter the fourth day of an intensive village-to-village mobilization drive aimed at rallying voters behind Leku.
The mobilization is being led by NRM Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda Hamson Obua, Director of Mobilization & Cadre Development Dr Rosemary Sseninde, Senior Manager of Publicity Rogers Mulindwa and district party leaders.
Obua said the party had stepped up preparations for Museveni’s rally through meetings and radio engagements to ensure a strong turnout.
“We have held a number of preparatory meetings, and we are yet to hold more. We have had radio talk shows mobilising members of the community to turn up in big numbers on Tuesday,” Obua said.
He said the President’s rally would give residents an opportunity to hear Museveni’s message as he campaigns for Leku.
Obua said infrastructure and connectivity had emerged among the major concerns raised during the grassroots mobilization, particularly the need for a bridge linking Adjumani with other parts of West Nile.
“The most key and pressing matter is the issue of the bridge,” he said, noting that the proposed project is at preliminary stages under the Ministry of Works and Transport.
He also called for unity among NRM leaders and supporters, saying divisions could undermine development and service delivery.
“Leaders must take the lead, leaders must walk the talk, and leaders must practise what they preach in terms of unity,” Obua said.
Sseninde said the village-based campaign had enabled NRM leaders to reach voters directly and strengthened confidence in Leku’s prospects.
“We have moved village by village. We have been able to reach down to the people,” she said.
She urged residents to maintain unity, saying divisions cannot deliver development.
Leku thanked voters for their support and said the grassroots campaign had enabled him to interact directly with communities across the constituency.
He pledged to serve the people if elected and said he would build on the legacy and plans of the late Gen. Moses Ali, who represented the constituency for many years.
“I know most of his plans, and I hope to use the plans that he has left behind to enforce some of the things that I’m going to do in Adjumani,” Leku said.
Mulindwa said the people of Adjumani were all united in support of the ruling party, as evidenced in the general elections, where they highly voted for Museveni.
He appealed to the people to exercise the same spirit and vote for Leku.
