ARUA CITY — On Saturday 22,March 2025, West Nile Effort for Museveni, a pressure group started by individuals among which was the late former Vice President Gen Mustafa Adris and late Hon Col. Ibrahim Abiriga, to amplify the vision of President Museveni and mobilize support for him and his party of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Gen Mustafa Adris served diligently as Vice President under President Idi Amin Dad, but went to exile after the 1979 war, he and many others endured hardships there and when President Museveni took over power in 1986 with his NRA/M, he extended his open door policy to all Ugandans who were exiled in then Zaire, now DRC and Sudan to come back to Uganda and contribute to national development and transformation.
Many feared then, but the bold dared and came back to what were ruins of the former glory of Arua which included the now (Yumbe, Koboko, Maracha, Terego, Madi Okollo, Arua City and District as well as Moyo (Obongi, Moyo and Adjumani) they started from stretch and started to rebuild, Arua town a ghost of it’s own, with no power, water, bombed structured and many others, there was fear within the returnees that the new government of President Museveni might also revenge on them like the post 1979 war government troops, but to their surprise they were protected and slowly but gradually, government started to work on restructuring and rebuilding lives and establishing of government authority and provision of services.
West Nile Effort for Museveni was formed to appreciate the great gesture by President Museveni who facilitated the return of exiled Ugandans, it wasn’t and hasn’t been easy to build trust within the community of West Nile, but over time things have been changing, there also developed a challenge of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) who terrorised northern Uganda, especially Acholi and affecting connection to West Nile, since many people suffered in the hands of the LRA, where lives and property were lost.
The pressure group has overtime championed to mobilize votes for President Museveni, and advocated for positive mindset change and participation in government programs like Emyooga, PDM, Youth Livelihood, Operation Wealth Creation, among many geared towards social economic transformation and development. West Nile Effort for Museveni operates across West Nile (Adjumani, Terego, Maracha, Koboko, Yumbe, Arua City and District, Madi Okollo, Pakwach, Nebbi, Zombo, Obongi and Moyo) and been participating in national celebrations across the country.
Rt Hon Richard Todwong, NRM Secretary General who was the Chief Guest, hosted by Hon Atima Jackson Lee Buti MP Arua Central Division and Government Regional Whip as well as the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Coordinator for West Nile, together with Hajati Medina Naham, Director Finance and Administration at the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was very appreciative of the foundation laid by the founding fathers of West Nile Effort for Museveni and promotion of the pillars of the NRM values of Pan Africanism, Democracy, Patriotism and Social Economic Transformation, which have been the guiding principles of the party.
The Secretary General had a tour of the value addition facility at Awindiri, the new market and interacted with the vendors and held a public engagement at the compound of late Hon Col Ibrahim Abiriga, where he addressed them on many issues.
“I want us to stand up and have a moment of silence in honor and memory of those great people, who started this pressure group, 25 years is a great milestone worth celebrating. As a person who grew up here, I know the transformation which has taken place here, in fact President Museveni has performed beyond expectations, he recalled our fathers from exile and aggressively worked around the clock to ensure security and peace prevail” noted Todwong
He assured the people that roads from Pakwach to Panyimur through Zombo to Arua all the way to Moyo via Koboko and Yumbe and again through Obongi through Rhino camp and back to Pakwach will be fixed, a new bridge connecting west Nile to Acholi via Moyo and Adjumani will be constructed, and plans to work on the aging Pakwach bridge.
“I want us the people of West Nile to appreciate Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) programs and enroll the children to get general knowledge about life, business, etc and also utilize the health facilities and utilize the connection to national grid for industrial and commercial development” he stressed
In the new market (Arua City) he assured the vendors that no one will force them out to a private market, the 39 billion shillings market was constructed by the government to support vendors and transform the business environment, for social economic transformation.
He donated 10m shillings from the NRM party to West Nile Effort for Museveni in support of their Super Yellow Project, where they do produce quality corporate branded and customized shirts for NRM and other interested groups, this is an initiative aimed at empowering the members of the group and improve on household incomes, he also donated 5m to Arua Central Market fish vendors to support their association. He also rallied them to support President Museveni again and again.
The meeting was attended by Hon Obiga Kania Mario, minister of state for lands and housing development, Hon Obiga Rose Woman MP Terego, Hon Lematia Ruth, MP Maracha East, Hon Adriko Yovan, MP Vurra County, Hon Odria Yorke Alioni, MP Aringa South, Hon Avako Melisa Gule, Woman MP Yumbe District, Hon Dr Musa Noah, MP Koboko North and Hon Leku Joel, MP Terego West, Hon Ayaka Rose MP Emeritus Maracha District, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) and District Chairpersons (LCV’s), NRM district chairpersons, Religious and Cultural leaders, councillors, Youth, Patriotic League of Uganda members, security and the people from across the region.
Richard Todwong encouraged the people of West Nile to engage in farming to supply the value addition facility which has great capacity to process huge bulk produce and feed the big markets of DRC and South Sudan, which greatly need products from Uganda.
Youth and Ghetto
“I encourage you to first stay in school and when out, get some work to do and build your life before marriage, and when you are grounded find a Godly wife or man to marry and settle, and form groups to foster production and sustain the foundation set by government, like investment clubs, farming groups etc and participate in government programs that are designed to support you. Think positive and your life will have positive impacts, and reaffirmed the commitment of government to ensure all people develop themselves ‘he stressed
Hon Obiga Kania, appreciated the gesture of the secretary general of recognizing the cadres and sparing time to meet them, not only during elections, but he reminded the people of West Nile about the situation that was prevailing during those dark days when they couldn’t pray in churches and mosques, no shops and no business, couldn’t go to their gardens, not until NRM took over power in 1986 under the leadership of President Museveni, and embarked on the recovery and development of the region, he also called upon the people to vote wisely and vote NRM throughout come 2026.
MPs assured the secretary general of their continued support to the team at the secretariat and appreciated the President Museveni for supporting the people of West Nile through different interventions like PDM, Emyooga etc and improvement of education and health service delivery.
Hon Atima Jackson Lee Buti, MP Arua Central Division appreciated HE President Museveni for the new market, Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) roads, street lights, Yumbe regional referral hospital and upgrading of Arua regional referral, establishment of Muni University and connection to national grid with now industrial reliable power that can spur industrial development and employment creation for the youth, but importantly the peace and security for close to 40 years. He appealed to President Museveni and the government to support the Ghetto within the region as witnessed in other regions.
Hajati Medina Naham, appreciated the secretary general for honoring the invitation and appealed to President Museveni to continue supporting the region by more appointments and investors to create employment.
‘I want to rally our people to foster and embrace unity across, fight drug abuse by young people, educate the children, work hard to get better in our lives, and keep the peace and security jealously for a better tomorrow and conducive business environment’ noted Hajati Medina Naham.
KOBOKO
On Sunday 23, March 2025 as part of his regional tour Rt Hon Richard Todwong had an engagement with leaders within West Nile who included Hon Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, Minister of State for Primary Education, Hon Huda Oleru, Minister of State Veterans Affairs, Hon Atima Jackson Lee Buti, Hon Dr Musa Noah, Hon Afidra Olema Ronald, MP Lower Madi, Hon Adriko Yovan, Hon Dr Aate Sharifah Taban, Hon Odria Yorke Alioni, RDCs led by Emma Mitala of Koboko, LCV chairpersons and NRM district chairpersons, CAOs, Town clerks, religious and cultural leaders among others, and deliberated on numerous issues over service delivery, NRM manifesto progress and the fight against corruption within public service.
He encouraged the people of West Nile to continue supporting NRM all throughout from LC1s to the President, so as to have smooth and coordinated service delivery channels, where all will be supervising only technical staff. He assured the leaders of the government’s commitment to better the lives of Ugandans.
