Museveni woos Luwero, asks to start relationship afresh

President Museveni has asked for a reset of the relationship between government and Luwero, following decades of being accused of ignoring the base that helped launch him to power.

The former National Resistance Army (NRA) rebel leader said that a lot has happened in the past, but his government is ready to rekindle the relationship and make strides.

Museveni made these remarks while addressing a Christian crusade in Luwero, which was hosted by his daughter, Patience Rwabogo.

“Let us start our relationship between the government and the people of Luwero afresh. We sent some leaders to you who did not help much while you also elected leaders who were not helpful. But today, we are starting afresh,” Museveni said.

“It is not true that the government forgot the people of Greater Luwero.”

The Luwero Triangle was the centre of action in the 1980s as Museveni, who was a rebel leader then, battled against the then government forces of Dr. Milton Obote.

Over the years, the people in Luwero have always expressed discontentment, saying that they feel the government has not done enough to support them.

Political analysts said that it is therefore of little surprise that in the recently-concluded 2021 elections, the area voted overwhelmingly for National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Robert Kyagulanyi.

According to the Electoral Commission (EC) Results, Museveni obtained only 41,166 votes (27.94 per cent) out of 151,964 votes cast in the Luwero district. His main challenger, Kyagulanyi scored 103,782 votes (70.45 per cent).

Majority of NRM candidates who contested in the region lost in the polls over what residents said was a vote of no confidence because of poor service delivery.

Unlike the 1980’s when Museveni came with bombs in Luweero, he said that he now “comes in peace.”

The government has over the years put compensation programmes and made personal donations to residents of the Luweero Triangle, but all these either failed to take off, or did not succeed.