Opinion By Julius Kashugi Lyvine
I have watched Uganda’s political landscape for some time and encountered many people who have taken up the difficult task of grassroots mobilisation. Yet, among the many NRM mobilisers I have seen, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye stands out as a particularly energetic and visible figure, too unique in this generation, a formidable and indefatigable presence in the mobilisation arena.
Her strength, in my view, is not simply in addressing crowds or appearing at political events. It is in her ability to take mobilisation closer to ordinary Ugandans, particularly young people, women and communities that often feel disconnected from centres of power, making her approach remarkably visceral, relatable and consequential.
As Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Namyalo has been at the centre of efforts to strengthen the NRM’s grassroots structures and connect communities with government programmes. The ONC itself describes its mandate as supporting the National Chairman in implementing the Movement’s principles, policies and other programmes, placing her in a pivotal and strategically consequential position within the Movement’s mobilisation architecture.
What makes Namyalo’s approach interesting is the emphasis on visible engagement, actions than political speeches. Her activities have included youth empowerment initiatives, women’s mobilisation, community outreach and efforts to increase awareness of programmes such as PDM and other livelihood initiatives, giving her mobilisation style a pragmatic, kinetic and distinctly hands-on character.
She has been seen, for example, engaging youth groups from informal settlements in Kampala and supported them with motorcycles and vocational tools intended to improve livelihoods. The ONC has also documented initiatives involving women and youth empowerment, including support for income-generating activities, a practical manifestation of her increasingly galvanising grassroots approach.
That is why I believe her contribution to mobilisation deserves to be looked at beyond the usual political arguments, because her footprint has become increasingly conspicuous and difficult to overlook.
Namyalo understands that mobilisation is ultimately about being and listening to people, an almost axiomatic principle that she has turned into a distinctly grassroots vocation.
A political organisation cannot remain strong at the grassroots simply by holding rallies. It must maintain relationships with communities, listen to their concerns, respond to their aspirations and demonstrate that leadership can translate into practical opportunities. The chief muzzukulu has repeatedly attempted to do exactly that, with a tenacity and ebullience that have become characteristic of her public engagements.
Her engagement with women is another important part of her work. Recently, Namyalo called on women to participate actively in the Women Council elections and linked strong grassroots leadership with effective delivery of government programmes. For the NRM, that connection with women and young people is particularly important. Uganda has a youthful population, while women remain central to household and community economic activity. A mobiliser who can speak to these constituencies and maintain their attention is naturally an important political asset, and Namyalo’s ability to galvanise these constituencies gives her mobilisation profile a particularly potent and consequential dimension.
Absolutely. I’ve kept the same meaning, structure and personal voice, while adding a few sophisticated, witty and uncommon words to give it more editorial character.
It is against this background that I would respectfully urge President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to give serious consideration to retaining Hajjat Namyalo in a role where her mobilisation experience can continue to be utilised through 2031. Get me right, I know some of NRM “mobolayizas” will jump to me because of this, but get it right: this is not simply about rewarding an individual. It is about preserving institutional experience, hard-earned wisdom and an invaluable mobilisation repertoire.
Grassroots mobilisation takes time to build. Networks are developed gradually, relationships are cultivated over years and trust cannot simply be transferred from one person to another overnight. The experience Namyalo has accumulated through nationwide engagement could therefore remain valuable to the Movement as it looks beyond the 2026 electoral cycle, because such grassroots capital is painstakingly built and cannot be conjured out of thin air.
Of course, no leader should be considered indispensable. Institutions must remain stronger than individuals. But where a public official demonstrates energy, accessibility and a sustained commitment to grassroots engagement, it is reasonable to acknowledge the value of that contribution, particularly when that contribution has become conspicuous, consequential and difficult to discount.
For me, Hajjat Namyalo has demonstrated that mobilisation can be about more than politics. It can also be about empowerment, listening and showing up where ordinary people live and work, turning what can sometimes be an abstract political enterprise into something visceral, tangible and profoundly human.
That is the kind of political engagement that leaves an impression, lingering beyond the microphones, podiums and fleeting political theatrics.
And if the NRM is thinking seriously about maintaining a strong grassroots connection into 2031, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye is a name that deserves to remain part of that conversation, not merely as a familiar political figure, but as a potentially consequential custodian of the Movement’s grassroots machinery and mobilisation ethos.
Ninye Kashugi Lyvine, I sign out — facts may speak softly, but results have a thunderous voice.
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