ADJUMANI WEST BY-ELECTION : President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has criticized the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), saying the opposition party has no clear plan for Uganda and questioning why people continue to join it.
Museveni made the remarks on Tuesday while campaigning for National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate James Leku Pilli in the Adjumani West County parliamentary by-election.
The President said FDC represents what he described as the “old wrong politics” that have previously divided Ugandans along tribal and religious lines instead of focusing on development and wealth creation.
“I don’t know why people join FDC because it has no plan,” Museveni said.
He welcomed the decision by some opposition supporters and independent candidates in Adjumani West to back Leku, saying the move would prevent the electorate from being divided.
Museveni said he was particularly pleased that one of the candidates, Ben Anyama, had agreed to support the NRM candidate.
“The man of FDC has seen the light,” Museveni said, describing the development as a birthday present to him as he turned 82. “So you have given me a good birthday present in Adjumani,” he said.
Museveni urged residents to vote for Leku, arguing that an NRM Member of Parliament would be able to work closely with the government to coordinate development programmes in the constituency. “I am here to beg you to support Leku because he is the one who will work closely with NRM,” Museveni said.
The President also used the campaign rally at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani District to outline government priorities for the district and the wider Madi sub-region.
He cited improvement of the road network, expansion and upgrading of electricity distribution lines and infrastructure, and strengthening of wealth-creation programmes among the priorities.
Four candidates were initially nominated for the Adjumani West County parliamentary by-election. They included NRM’s James Leku Pilli and independent candidates Gasper Draga, Ben Anyama and Patrick Tandrupasi, who was associated with the FDC. Two of the independent candidates have since withdrawn from the race and declared their support for Leku.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni further confirmed more major tarmac road projects aimed at improving connectivity between the Madi sub-region and the wider West Nile sub-region.
Some of the confirmed tarmac road projects include the 103-kilometre Yumbe–Koboko road, the 76-kilometre Nebbi–Arua road, the 37-kilometre Lalopi–Moyo–Afogi road, and the Lalopi Bridge.
These projects are in addition to ongoing road construction works on the Nebbi–Goli and Arua–Obongi roads, among others.
They also add to the already completed Kampala–Adjumani tarmac road and the Atiak–Adjumani–Lalopi tarmac road, which is being extended to Yumbe District.
President Museveni also praised the late General (Rtd) Moses Ali for what he described as political and ideological clarity, urging residents of Adjumani to emulate his focus on development and wealth creation.
He recalled Uganda’s turbulent political history following independence, saying early politics were largely driven by tribal and religious identities, contributing to political instability.
Museveni referred to the 1966 political crisis involving Milton Obote and Edward Muteesa, the 1971 coup that brought Idi Amin to power and the subsequent political conflicts, before highlighting the 1981–1986 liberation struggle that culminated in the NRM’s rise to power.
He said the NRM ideology was founded on patriotism and a focus on national development, adding that leaders such as General Moses Ali played a role in that political journey.
Museveni called on the people of Adjumani to embrace politics centred on development, wealth creation and working with government programmes.
