Patrick Wakida, a long-time critic of President Museveni and now a parliamentary aspirant for Kabweri County, came under pressure this week as disillusioned residents challenged him to provide real answers to the region’s worsening poverty.
Wakida, who recently secured his nomination to contest in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries scheduled for July 16, 2025, made a grand entrance into Kabweri, Kibuku District, aboard a helicopter that landed at Kadama playgrounds.
Jubilant supporters greeted him with cheers before a spirited procession swept through the county.
However, amid the fanfare, residents voiced frustration over rising poverty and government programs they say have failed to deliver.
Many cited mass evictions from wetlands—where rice cultivation was a primary livelihood—as a tipping point.
“Programs like PDM [Parish Development Model] cannot help us here,” Wakida told residents during a stopover meeting.
“We need affirmative action—customized policies tailored to the needs of places like Kibuku if we are serious about ending poverty.”
Wakida’s campaign slogan, “Time to Work,” rang out across the county, but it was at Kagumu Primary School playground where he officially launched his campaign and unveiled his agenda.
Speaking to the crowd, he pledged to advocate for targeted poverty eradication policies and push for long-neglected infrastructure upgrades.
“Look at our roads. When it rains, they’re impassable. That is unacceptable,” he said, pointing to the poor state of rural roads as evidence of persistent government neglect.
With the 2026 general election looming, Wakida is positioning himself as a reformist voice within the ruling party, promising more than just the continuation of central government programs.
His emphasis on affirmative action and tailored development is aimed at contrasting himself with rivals who back blanket policies that many residents say have left them behind.
As frustration over poverty, displacement, and underdevelopment continues to mount in Kabweri, Wakida’s candidacy is emerging as a key test of whether bold promises—and new policies—can restore faith in the region’s political leadership.