By Spy Uganda
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today met with National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders from Greater Masaka at State Lodge, Masaka, urging them to focus on addressing the real challenges affecting the wananchi, promoting government programmes, and exposing corruption at local levels.
The meeting was organised by Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament-elect, Hon. Justine Nameere, who the President praised for her courage and initiative.
During the engagement, President Museveni criticised some leaders for spending excessive time in political debates instead of solving the pressing needs of ordinary citizens.
“It is unfortunate how some leaders waste time in Parliament talking instead of looking at the real issues and reaching the ordinary people. Leaders must expose wrongdoing and demand solutions to the problems affecting the wananchi,” he said.
He warned that silence in the face of corruption erodes public trust and weakens service delivery.
“Keeping quiet about thieves and corruption in your areas is unacceptable. If leaders at the district level are corrupt and Members of Parliament fear to expose them, then the whole system rots,” the President emphasised.
President Museveni also encouraged NRM leaders to confidently speak about the achievements of the government instead of fearing criticism, while cautioning against sectarianism, which he described as a dangerous force that divides communities along tribal and religious lines.
Reflecting on unity and cooperation across communities, the President recounted how his education in the 1950s and 1960s was supported through cattle sales to traders from diverse backgrounds, illustrating that development depends on collaboration beyond ethnic or religious lines.
He further called on leaders to mobilise communities to embrace government wealth creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), stressing that these initiatives are designed to bring support directly to households.
“Use and embrace government programmes to solve the issues in society,” he urged.
Hon. Nameere thanked President Museveni for meeting the leaders and for his continued guidance, pledging to continue mobilising leaders and communities in Masaka to support government initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and fostering development.
