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President Museveni’s wealth creation gospel was yesterday the talk of the town in Masaka City as Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) manager empowered Ghetto Youths and different women groups with capital items worth millions for poverty eradication.
The empowerment drive at Kasana Grounds in Nyendo-Mukunguwe (Mathias Mpuuga’s constituency) on Friday, May 17 saw tens of thousands of Bazzukulu from the ten Districts that make up the Greater Masaka Sub-region walk away with wealth creation tools such as Sewing Machines, Chips Frying Machines, Hairdryers, Jet car washing machine, Automobile toolbox, hand hoes, maize seeds and fertilizers, among others.
In her address to the Bazzukulu, Chief Muzzukulu as she is profoundly addressed urged the youths to focus on their wellbeing and not allow it to be used by self-seeking politicians who add no value to their lives after achieving their agenda. She greatly implored them to use the tools given for their own benefit and warned against those who may have intentions of selling them not to do so.
“President Museveni sent these tools for the empowerment of his Bazzukulu in the region, please do not dare to sell them because our office will monitor every beneficiary and whoever takes these items must use them to drive themselves out of the poverty lines,” the ONC boss told the mammoth of a crowd at Kasana Grounds on Friday afternoon.
Namyalo, who also doubles as the Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs scoffed at the bureaucracy in government programmes which has derailed President Museveni’s goal of seeing every Ugandan enter the money economy with such empowerment avenues but called upon the Masaka locals to take advantage of ongoing initiatives such as Parish Development Model, Emyooga, Youth Livelihood, etc and speak up against any corruption tendencies in them to hold their leaders accountable.
Referencing her humble background, as a “street villager”, Namyalo said he was sent by President Museveni to empower the youth and clarified that her initiative is not a campaign tool but a personal effort by the NRM National Chairman to uplift his Bazzukulu from abject poverty.
“This is an initiative by President Museveni himself as the National Chairman, not the government. But we should embrace government programmes such as EMyooga, Parish Models, Youth Livelihoods, Women Empowerment, and that of the PWDs. We should embrace and chase after them,” She rallied the Masaka supporters before endorsing President Museveni’s long-awaited candidature ahead of the 2026 elections.
Today, the people of Greater Masaka showed us incredible love as we empowered ghetto youths at Kasana Playground. I urged them to use the equipment wisely. This is part of H.E. President Yoweri Museveni’s mission for wealth creation and prosperity. Thank you Masaka! pic.twitter.com/vYDT19JqRf
— Uzeiye Hadijah (@ChiefMuzzukulu)May 17, 2024
SPA Namyalo explained that Greater Masaka comprises ten districts, that is Sembabule District, Kalungu District, Bukomansimbi District, Kalangala, Lwengo, Masaka, Lyantonde District, Rakai District, and Kyotera District, and that in each district, five groups were selected for the initial phase of empowerment, but promised to come back for more on orders of her principal, H.E Yoweri Museveni.
At the same event, controversial NUP councillor, Kateregga Ali who recently pledged allegiance and loyalty to work with the ruling NRM government for the release of jailed youths heaped praise on President Museveni for appointing Namyalo to take charge of his office at Kyambogo, and for his youth empowerment initiatives.
He, however, warned the ghetto youth against being used by political figures like Bobi Wine, whom he despicably belittled for standing in the way of having NUP supporters detained during the 2021 general elections released from prison.
“…You have by now, realized who loves you and who uses you for their benefit, you have known who can fight for your freedom when jailed and who cares about only those close to him such as Nubian Li, Eddie Mutwe, etc” Mr Kateregga said, sending a direct brutal attack to the NUP leader, Robert Kyagulanyi.
“Most of the youths in the prisons are boda boda riders and Chapati makers but have not been cared about. It is sad that you go abroad and even put on “bell bottom” trousers for fun at the expense of these youths languishing in jail,” he added, before calling on the youths to be considerate of and mindful of where they cast their votes.
Meanwhile, several leaders in Masaka Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Mr Hudu Hussein commended Namyalo’s selfless efforts in empowering Ugandans, especially the youths. Still, he challenged her to bring more of such income generation tools since the Masaka Sub-region has a large number of unemployed youths who need to benefit from such initiatives from the President.
In the same vein, Hudu also added his voice to that of Councillor Kateregga by calling upon the youths to avoid being manipulated by political opportunists who want to continue exploiting them, especially the ghetto youths for political interests.
The former Minister for Defence, now Presidential Advisor, Hon Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja also applauded Namyalo for uplifting the image of the office of the National Chairman as assigned to her by the President. He, however, asked her to visit each of the ten districts in greater Masaka independently so that the mass wealth creation campaign reaches a bigger population in the region.
Museveni’s Value-Addition Strategy at KKM Factory
Later in the day, Hajjat Namyalo after Paralysing Nyendo-Mukungwe proceeded to Kimanya-Kabonera County (of Abed Bwanika – also NUP) where she officially opened KKM Recycling Center, a value-addition factory which recycles rubbish and wasted plastics into various outputs including jerrycans, pavers, to mention. The factory employs over 300 ghetto youths at various production stages.
In her brief remarks, the SPA applauded Mr Kakooza for implementing the value-addition strategy preached widely by President Museveni as a promissory route to wealth creation and prosperity in the country. She promised to empower the factory in her capacity and see that they get tools to better their production works.
“These are the things President is always preaching about – value addition. These are the people worth being empowered because they have shown us the creativity and zealousness to work, so I call upon our proud sponsors, and well-wishers to help us empower them with the necessary tools they need,” she remarked.
The Director KKM Recycling Centre, Mr Kakooza Muhammad thanked Hajjat Namyalo for endeavouring to make it at the factory launch but asked the government and its stakeholders to bail them out with incentives such as better and modern tools for their production.
The ONC Masaka event in general underscored Hajjat Namyalo’s significant political mobilization efforts underway as the region prepares for the next electoral cycle, with local leaders rallying behind President Museveni and emphasizing the importance of youth empowerment in achieving political success.
At the dawn of the event, Masaka locals were treated to befitting entertainment from Uganda’s finest musicians led by Gravity Omutujju, Winnie Nwagi, several Masaka-based upcoming artistes, and the climax of it all by DJ Suuna Ben “Ow’ebinyanyanya” as revellers spoiled themselves to the much fun of it.