Kalangala: The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Deputy Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Rose Namayanja Nsereko, on Friday intensified grassroots campaigns for the party’s Woman MP flag bearer, Idah Nabayiga, addressing mobilisation meetings in Bumangi and Bugoma villages in Mugoye Sub-county as part of the ruling party’s village-to-village strategy ahead of the Kalangala by-election.
Namayanja, accompanied by Kalangala MP William Lugoloobi and other party leaders, urged residents to support Nabayiga and elect leaders who can effectively work with government to deliver development and public services.
Speaking to residents in Bumangi, Namayanja thanked the people for their continued support for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and the NRM, noting that despite stiff political competition in Buganda, the ruling party remains a significant political force in the region.
She said communities benefit most when they elect leaders who can effectively engage government institutions and influence national decision-making processes.
“When people vote against leaders who can directly engage with government structures, it is not the President who loses. The biggest loss is felt by the communities themselves because development programmes and services are delivered through government systems,” Namayanja said.
The NRM deputy secretary general argued that several projects initiated during Nabayiga’s tenure as Woman MP before 2021 slowed down after she left Parliament, saying the district would have registered greater progress had she remained in office.
She emphasized that while leaders should speak out about the challenges facing their communities, lasting solutions require active engagement with government.
“Our people need better roads, schools, health facilities, clean water and improved livelihoods. These are achieved when leaders actively lobby government and ensure their communities’ priorities are reflected in national planning and budgeting,” she said.
Namayanja explained that government resources are allocated through the national budgeting process, where issues raised by legislators are first discussed within the NRM Parliamentary Caucus before being considered by Cabinet and Parliament.
“Our regions benefit from the national cake through the budget. Leaders who understand government systems and work closely with the ruling party are better positioned to capture and address the concerns of their people,” she added.
She described Nabayiga as an experienced leader who understands Kalangala’s unique challenges and is well placed to champion the district’s development agenda if returned to Parliament.
“We are asking you to vote for a leader who understands the job and what is required of her. As the party in government, we are ready to work closely with Hon. Nabayiga to ensure Kalangala receives the services and development it deserves,” Namayanja said.
She also called on NRM supporters to remain united and actively participate in grassroots mobilisation efforts, saying the party’s strength lies in its ability to reach every village and engage voters directly.
“The role of every NRM supporter is to strengthen the party and persuade others to join us. Many who are now serving in the NRM once belonged to other political parties. We do not want any part of Kalangala to lag behind in development,” she said.
Namayanja noted that the district’s Woman MP seat remains vacant within the NRM Parliamentary Caucus and appealed to voters to fill that gap by electing Nabayiga.
She further assured residents that government remains committed to addressing the unique challenges facing island communities and fishing communities in particular.
Lugoloobi described Nabayiga as the missing link in Kalangala’s NRM Parliamentary team.
He said with Nabayiga, they would be able to move as a bloc and deliver enormous projects to the district from the central government.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for a major NRM rally in Kalangala on Monday, where President Museveni is expected to officially hand over the party flag to Nabayiga and boost ongoing mobilisation efforts.
The President’s visit will crown days of intensive village-to-village mobilisation by senior NRM leaders who have camped in the district to canvass support for the party candidate ahead of the by-election.
