By Mr Swift | Frank Kamuntu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni received an unexpected political endorsement on Sunday when members of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) team in the Bugisu sub-region unveiled banners calling for his continued leadership beyond 2031.
The endorsement came during the national celebrations to mark World Tourism Day 2026 in Mbale, where Museveni was the chief guest at an event held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
As the President addressed the gathering, members of the ONC Bugisu team raised large banners expressing support for his continued leadership, with messages praising what they described as his record on development, stability and national transformation.
Speaking to Swift News, Mr. Chris Buyela, representing the ONC Bugisu team and the ONC Manager Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, said the endorsement was motivated by what the team described as Museveni’s contribution to the welfare of Ugandans, particularly young people.
Buyela said the President had addressed a wide range of issues affecting the country’s younger generation, commonly referred to as bazzukulu, and argued that continued leadership would provide the stability and continuity they believe the country needs.
The political moment was further animated by sections of the crowd who were heard shouting “Namyalo! Namyalo!” while others drummed and celebrated the name of Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the ONC Manager whom the Bugisu team said has played a significant role in mobilising and empowering Museveni’s bazzukulu across the country.
The chants and drumming provided a visible demonstration of Namyalo’s recognition among sections of the crowd, particularly among young people who have interacted with ONC programmes. The Bugisu ONC team said youths in the region were among those who had benefited from initiatives aimed at empowering and supporting young people.
Buyela said the fresh endorsement followed engagements with youths in Bugisu who, according to him, expressed continued confidence in Museveni’s leadership and development agenda.
He added that the youths viewed Museveni as a leader who had provided stability while overseeing development programmes across the country, and that they wanted his leadership to continue beyond 2031.
Meanwhile, Museveni used the World Tourism Day platform to emphasise tourism, conservation and economic transformation.
The President commended the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), led by Dr James Musinguzi, for expanding conservation and tourism activities into Eastern Uganda. He said bringing conservation facilities and tourism opportunities closer to communities could help protect Uganda’s natural heritage while creating economic opportunities.
Museveni also highlighted the importance of moving Ugandans from subsistence agriculture into commercial agriculture, manufacturing, agro-processing and other higher-value economic activities.
He cited modern farming methods, including intensive fish farming, as examples of how Ugandans could generate higher incomes from relatively small pieces of land while reducing pressure on the environment.
For the ONC Bugisu team, however, the Mbale event provided an opportunity to combine the region’s tourism celebrations with a public show of support for Museveni and recognition of the mobilisation work associated with Namyalo among sections of the bazzukulu.
The endorsement has now added another political talking point to Museveni’s visit to Bugisu, with the region’s ONC team making its position on the country’s leadership beyond 2031 publicly known.
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