“You Voted Those Poor Opposition MPs Who Haven’t Helped You, Just Enjoying Free Salaries In Parliament” Museveni Tells Ugandans

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again sparked controversy during his nationwide campaign promoting the Parish Development Model (PDM), this time directing criticism at voters in the Buganda region. While addressing residents in Entebbe, where he has been meeting with the community over the past four days, Museveni took aim at those who supported opposition politicians.

The President claimed that by electing opposition Members of Parliament, voters had effectively rescued those MPs from poverty—only for them to contribute little to the development of their constituencies. He accused the opposition lawmakers of benefiting from parliamentary salaries without delivering meaningful results.

“I came from Kasanje, and the road there is terrible. I sympathized with the people, but I also reminded them—a Muganda cannot cry for someone who chose to hang himself,” Museveni said. “You voted for the opposition. I hear the same happened here in Entebbe. You saved them from poverty, and now they’re earning free salaries in Parliament.”

Museveni mocked the opposition MPs as “obusajja bwa opposition”—a Luganda phrase loosely translating to “the boys of the opposition”—and blamed them for failing to support government-backed initiatives like the PDM and Emyooga programs. He insisted that these projects could significantly reduce poverty if properly implemented and monitored at the local level.

During the visit, Museveni also launched infrastructure developments, including the Bukasa-Ssentema-Kakiri road. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to upgrading the country’s transport network and public services, even in areas where opposition support remains strong.

The Buganda tour is part of a broader PDM outreach that has taken Museveni to regions including Bukedi, Teso, Sebei, Busoga, Lango, Kigezi, Ankole, Rwenzori, Bunyoro, and Tooro. The campaign is widely viewed as early preparation for the 2026 general elections, for which Museveni has already secured the ruling NRM party’s nomination. He was endorsed unopposed after other contenders were reportedly blocked from standing.

In the 2021 elections, the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), swept most of Buganda, including Kampala. Museveni later accused NUP of rigging the capital’s vote—a claim that has not been substantiated.

As the country moves closer to the next elections, Museveni’s remarks underscore ongoing political tensions between the ruling NRM and the opposition. His statements have triggered strong reactions—some residents defend their choice to vote for change, while others express frustration, caught between political loyalty and the persistent challenges in their communities.