Jinja — The Minister for the Presidency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has urged leaders and stakeholders in Busoga to put aside their divisions and unite for the region’s development and for a stronger NRM showing in the upcoming elections.
Speaking during a preparatory meeting for her thanksgiving event set for June 7, Hon. Babalanda reminded leaders that other regions have progressed because they chose unity over division.
“Other regions have moved far because they set aside their differences,” she said. “It is time for us as Basoga to unite and work for the people. Generations to come will judge us. We are directly accountable to those who put us in power.”
She further noted that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the NRM party chairman, is concerned about internal wrangles among Busoga’s NRM members. “The divide and rule mentality must stop if we are to move forward,” she said.
Hon. Babalanda also stressed that her thanksgiving will not be about her personal achievements, but will serve as a platform to endorse President Museveni and mobilise Busoga to deliver better results in the next election.
She congratulated all NRM leaders who won in the recent internal party elections, and called on those who did not win to work together with the winners for the greater good of the party.
RDC Richard Gulume, the Busoga regional whip of RDCs, presented some of the issues that had undermined NRM’s performance in the last election, including sugarcane farmers’ concerns and unresolved fisheries issues. He, however, thanked the President for recently signing the Sugar Bill, which is expected to address some of those challenges.
RDCs and Busoga stakeholders pledged their full support for Minister Babalanda’s thanksgiving and committed to stepping up mobilisation efforts to ensure President Museveni wins with a higher percentage in Busoga in the next election.
The meeting at Jinja City Hall was attended by RDCs, DRDCs, ARDCs, DISOs, CAOs, NRM leaders, and Hon. Fredrick Mbaghadhi Nkaayi, Commissioner of RDCs in charge of Kampala Metropolitan.
