By: Our reporter

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called for unity among voters in Adjumani West County as he campaigned for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer, James Leku Pilli, ahead of Thursday’s parliamentary by-election.

Museveni made the appeal on Wednesday at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani Town Council, shortly after paying tribute to the late Gen. (Rtd.) Moses Ali by laying a wreath at his grave at Taqwa Mosque.

The President urged his supporters and those who had backed other candidates to unite behind Leku, saying political cooperation was important for peace and effective representation.

“I’m here to beg you to support Leku because he is the one who will support NRM,” Museveni said.

He welcomed the decision by former candidate Ben Anyama to withdraw from the race and support Leku, describing the move as an opportunity to promote unity among the people of Adjumani.

“I ask my supporters and the supporters of other candidates, for the sake of peace and unity, to rally behind the NRM candidate and cooperate,” he said.

Museveni said Leku had worked closely with the NRM and argued that his support for the ruling party would enable him to work more closely with government programmes if elected.

The President also used the campaign rally to highlight government investments in infrastructure, education and electricity in Adjumani and the wider West Nile region.

He pointed to road projects, including the Laropi-Moyo road and Laropi Bridge, as infrastructure requiring continued government attention. He also cited the upgrading of the Nebbi-Gulu road and the expansion of electricity connectivity across the region.

Museveni said Adjumani had also recorded progress in education, comparing the number of secondary schools in the district today with the situation when he was a student.

He, however, cautioned residents against measuring development solely through infrastructure, urging households to focus on income generation and wealth creation.

“There is a difference between development and wealth,” Museveni said, while encouraging residents to make use of government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM).

He argued that while roads, schools, health facilities and electricity serve communities, households also need to improve their own economic circumstances.

Tribute to Gen. Moses Ali

Museveni’s campaign visit came less than two months after the death of Gen. (Rtd.) Moses Ali, the long-serving Adjumani West Member of Parliament whose death triggered the by-election.

Gen. Moses Ali died on July 18, 2026, at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala at the age of 87. He had represented the constituency until his death and had served Uganda in military, political and government positions for more than five decades.

Born in April 1939 in what is now Adjumani District, Moses Ali joined the Uganda Army in 1962 and rose through the military ranks. His career included service as commander of the Paratrooper School and later senior political and government appointments.

He served in several ministerial positions, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, and Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry. He also served as First and Second Deputy Prime Minister.

Following the fall of the Idi Amin government, Ali went into exile and later led the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF). He subsequently reconciled with the government and became an important figure in Uganda’s post-1986 political establishment.

President Museveni, while paying tribute to Ali in Parliament after his death, described him as a freedom fighter, peacemaker and development-oriented leader. Parliament also remembered him as a statesman whose public service spanned different political eras in Uganda.

His death left the Adjumani West parliamentary seat vacant, prompting the Electoral Commission to schedule the by-election for September 17, 2026.

NRM receives defectors

During the rally, NRM Vice Chairperson for Northern Region Dennis Hamson Obua introduced a group of opposition politicians and supporters who had crossed to the ruling party ahead of the election.

Among those reported to have joined the NRM were members and supporters associated with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the National Unity Platform (NUP).

The FDC group was led by Patrick Tandrupasi, who withdrew from the parliamentary race and declared support for Leku.

NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong said the defections demonstrated what he described as the growing strength of the ruling party in the West Nile sub-region.

Todwong also commended what he described as peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities in Adjumani, and called on political leaders and their supporters to maintain discipline and mutual respect during the electoral period.

Meanwhile, Adjumani District NRM Chairman Akuku Charles Anzo commended the government for maintaining peace and security and appealed for support towards the construction of Laropi Bridge.

He also called for the elevation of Adjumani Town Council to municipal status.

Earlier, Anyama announced his withdrawal from the race and called for unity among the people of Adjumani.

The Adjumani West parliamentary by-election is scheduled for September 17, 2026, to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Gen. Moses Ali. reports indicate that the contest has narrowed following the withdrawal of several aspirants.