Earlier this week, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs and Manager of President Museveni’s Office of the National Chairman of NRM (ONC), paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Highness William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, the Kyabazinga of Busoga, at his Igenge Royal Palace in Jinja District.
The meeting, which occurred on Monday, February 05th, 2024, focused on discussing collaborative efforts between the ONC Manager and the Kyabazinga to alleviate poverty among the youth in Busoga and Uganda as a whole.
“It was a great moment for our King to meet Museveni’s hardworking lady who has so far transformed thousands of Ugandans by empowering them. So we hope this mutual relationship between the two parties [Kingdom & ONC] will yield positive results for our people,” said a Kingdom source who was part of the meeting.
In regards to the NRM Manifesto implementation, Ms Namyalo expressed the NRM’s dedication to collaborating with cultural and traditional leaders, recognizing their significant influence on Uganda’s development.
However, despite its abundant natural and human resources, the Busoga Sub-region is unfortunately associated with poverty and various social issues, such as teenage pregnancies and early marriages.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) revealed that Busoga has the highest number of individuals trapped in a cycle of poverty, followed by Bukedea and Karamoja. These findings were recently disclosed in 2021/2022 by Mr Vincent Fred Senono, the principal statistician and head of analysis at UBOS.
The findings show that 14.5 per cent of people in Busoga are “totally poor”, while Bukedea has 10.4 per cent and Acholi has 10.3 per cent.
The above statistics explain why the workaholic Namyalo has given this region more attention ever since she kicked off her empowerment campaign last year. So far some of the Busoga districts that have benefited from Namyalo’s empowerment initiative include; Iganga, Jinja, Bugweri, Tororo and very many others.
In her initiative to empower others, the head of the ONC generously provides tools that can assist individuals in starting their businesses and earning a daily income for their households.
The tools she donates encompass a wide range, including popcorn machines, chapati-making machines, dryers, hair-cutting machines, sewing machines, welding machines, sprayers for farmers, car washing machines, and occasionally even food such as maize flour to help feed their families, as poverty often brings hunger.
Hajjat Namyalo has recently announced her plans to visit more districts in different regions throughout the country in 2024.
She aims to ensure that by the time HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commences his 2026 election campaigns, he will find his people leading lives free from poverty.
