ONC Manager Pay Courtesy Visit To Kyabazinga, Discuss Poverty Alleviation & Empowerment Strategies For Busoga Community

By Gad Masereka

Jinja, Uganda: The Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs and Manager of President Museveni’s Office of the National Chairman of NRM (ONC), Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Kyabazinga of Busoga, His Royal Highness William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, at his Igenge Royal Palace in Jinja District.

In a meeting held on Monday, February 5th, 2024, Namyalo and the Kyabazinga explored collaborative strategies to combat poverty among youths in Busoga and Uganda at large.

“It was a great moment for our King to meet Museveni’s hardworking lady who has so far transformed thousands of Ugandans through empowering them. So we hope this mutual relationship between the two parties [Kingdom & ONC] will yield positive results for our people,” shared a source from the Kingdom who attended the meeting.

Namyalo reaffirmed the NRM’s commitment to working with all cultural and traditional leaders, recognizing their significant impact on Uganda’s development as outlined in the NRM Manifetso.

Despite the abundance of natural and human resources, the Busoga Sub-region continues to struggle with poverty and associated challenges such as teenage pregnancies and early marriages.

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Busoga ranks highest among sub-regions with the most people living in a complete poverty cycle, followed by Bukedea and Karamoja.

Recent findings released by Mr. Vincent Fred Senono, the principal statistician and head of analysis at UBOS, indicate that 14.5 percent of people in Busoga are “totally poor,” while Bukedea has 10.4 percent and Acholi has 10.3 percent.

These statistics underscore the heightened attention given to the region by Namyalo since the inception of her empowerment campaign last year. Various districts in Busoga, including Iganga, Jinja, Bugweri, and Tororo, have benefited from Namyalo’s initiatives.

Through her empowerment program, Namyalo provides tools to enable individuals to start businesses and generate daily income for their households. These tools include popcorn machines, chapati-making machines, dryers, hair-cutting machines, sawing machines, welding machines, sprayers for farmers, car washing machines, and sometimes even food items like maize flour.

Looking ahead, Namyalo plans to expand her initiatives to more districts across Uganda in 2024, with the aim of significantly reducing poverty levels by the time President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launches his 2026 election campaigns.