State House officials meet youth who threatened to join People Power over Museveni cash

State House officials led by the comptroller Lucy Nakyobe have met with a group of NRM youths who recently threatened to join Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi’s People Power political outfit after missing out on President Museveni’s cash.

A group of youths in Makindye calling themselves ‘Banyiivu’ literally translated as ‘the angry’ last month wrestled their chairperson, Kassimu Wasswa whom they accused of receiving  cash donations from the President before later storming State House in Entebbe and protested.

On Wednesday, the group led by one Mahadi Kaweesa met with State House officials at Biyem Hotel in Rubaga before solving the impasse.

“We are youths from all the divisions of Kampala but our request is to work with you in eradicating poverty out of the youths. We have high hopes in you to ensure we uplift our fellow youths,”Kaweesa told Nakyobe, the State House Comptroller.

The group said they operate 531 washing bays in 98 parishes all over the five divisions of Kampala before asking for assistance in form of pumps to ease their work.

“If each washing bay gets one pump, it can make our work easy and each one of us cash wash at least 10 cars a day,” the group leader said.

Nakyobe apologises

The State House comptroller apologized to the youths for being neglected but said all youths throughout the country would be looked into.

“There were claims that we had ignored you.  We are sorry for anything that went wrong,”Nakyobe said.

“I know you support President Museveni and I am ready to support you.”

The State House comptroller told the youths that the president is ready to support all youths throughout the country but noted that he is limited by funds.

“The groups that received machines and cash were identified by the president himself as he moved along various roads. The program is still on but we are limited by funds. We hope to donate to youths in the next financial year.”

She however promised shs500 million to youths in each division adding that the equipment they had asked for would also be purchased and donated to them.

Nakyobe also promised to organize a meeting between the group and president Museveni as they had earlier requested.

Youths apologise

The youths in return apologized for the chaos they have always caused including staging a protest at State House.

They said they would from now start canvassing votes for President Museveni before launching a yellow outfit, similar to one donned by Bobi Wine and his People Power supporters.

“We shall never take part in protests in the city and we pledge to work with the president,” the group told the State House comptroller.

President Museveni last month dished out cash to various youths groups all over Kampala but the move attracted a backlash with many saying the money was meant to neutralize Bobi Wine’s supporters.

Last week, Museveni explained that the money is meant to help those who want to get out of poverty without borrowing from banks.

He also dismissed the notion that opposition people were earning more from the money given out explaining that opposition stronghold areas would in fact miss out because of what he termed as their ego-centric leaders.

“Therefore, the complaint of the “akaana akalizi kalya emboli enene” (the child who makes alot of noise-crying ─ eats biggest potato) does not apply in my examples (projects). In fact, in many cases, Opposition areas, other than the big national projects, that cannot be missed, may miss out because their ego-centric leaders do not come to the fora  where planning is done,”Museveni said in a statement over the weekend.