ONC’s Hajjat Namyalo Pumps UGX 10 Million Into Gen. Muhoozi Birthday Charity Run, Puts ONC-PLU Unity Back In Focus

By Gad Masereka

Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the Manager of the Office of the National Chairman, has made a bold and public show of solidarity with the Patriotic League of Uganda, contributing UGX 10 million toward the upcoming birthday charity run in honour of Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and personally receiving official kits on behalf of her office in a gesture that carries far more political weight than the act itself suggests.

The engagement, which took place on Monday between Namyalo and a PLU delegation led by Secretary General Hon. David Kabanda, came at a moment when speculation about the relationship between the two powerful mobilisation arms of Uganda’s ruling establishment had been quietly gaining traction in political circles.

By stepping forward publicly and directing resources toward the initiative, Namyalo effectively answered that speculation without dignifying it with a direct political statement.
The charity run, themed “Run for Charity, Run for Hope,” is designed to raise funds for vulnerable children living in ghettos, those housed in baby homes, and organisations working with disadvantaged youth across the country.

Hon. Kabanda described the event as one that stretches well beyond the birthday occasion itself, arguing that it reflects a continuing responsibility by those in positions of influence to look beyond politics and toward the communities that need support most.

Accepting the contribution and the kits, Namyalo said her participation is rooted in a personal and long-standing passion for charitable work and community empowerment. She said joining what she called a dynamic and committed team in a cause that uplifts the vulnerable is the kind of engagement she has always welcomed, and cited her involvement in other charity runs, including the Kabaka Birthday Run, as evidence of a consistent pattern rather than a one-off political gesture.

Kabanda was equally direct in addressing the noise about tensions between ONC and PLU. He reminded observers that the working relationship between both offices has long been functional and cooperative despite public perceptions shaped largely by social media commentary.

Drawing on an analogy President Yoweri Museveni is known to use in political contexts, Kabanda compared the situation to a football team where different players may operate from different positions but all work toward the same final result. Having different methods of mobilisation, he argued, is not the same as having a divided purpose.

Namyalo reinforced that point, noting that her professional history with Kabanda goes back many years, built on shared political values and a personal familiarity that outlasts any current assignment either of them holds.

She was emphatic that disagreeing on approach is part of any working relationship and should not be misread as institutional friction or personal animosity.

Her financial contribution to the birthday run is expected to give the initiative a visible boost as organisers continue to rally government officials, the private sector, and civil society behind the event.

With Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba at the centre of the occasion, the run is attracting significant attention, and Namyalo’s involvement adds both credibility and momentum to what organisers are positioning as a meaningful charitable exercise ahead of the celebrations.