BY ENOCK MUSIKA
Office of the National Chairman Manager and Senior Presidential Adviser, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has Monday, thrown her weight behind the upcoming birthday charity run organised in honour of Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who marks his 52nd birthday, paying 10 million shillings on the spot and receiving official kits on behalf of the ONC in a show of solidarity that sent a clear message about the relationship between two of the ruling party’s most prominent mobilisation offices.
Namyalo was warmly received by a delegation from the Muhoozi Project commonly known as PLU led by its Secretary General Hon. David Kabanda, in an event that doubled as a public reaffirmation of unity between the ONC and PLU structures at a time when speculation about rivalry between the two offices has occasionally surfaced in political circles.
Addressing the press, Kabanda outlined the purpose and spirit of the run, revealing it is being held under the theme “Run for Charity, Run for Hope” with proceeds directed towards supporting vulnerable children living in ghettos and those under the care of non-governmental organisations across the country.
“This run is for a cause,” Kabanda said, emphasising that the event transcends birthday celebrations and speaks to a deeper commitment to the welfare of Uganda’s most marginalised children.
He expressed appreciation for Namyalo’s participation, noting that the ONC and PLU have consistently supported each other’s initiatives because both offices ultimately serve the same national purpose mobilising Ugandans around the President’s vision for the country.
Kabanda was equally direct in addressing the elephant in the room, firmly dismissing suggestions of tension between the two offices. “There are no wrangles or conflicts between the ONC and PLU,” he said. “We work together and we shall continue to do so.”
Namyalo, speaking with evident warmth, described her passion for charitable causes as personal rather than political, framing her participation in the birthday run as a natural extension of values she has long championed in her community development work.
On the question of celebrating Gen. Muhoozi, she was unequivocal. “Gen. Muhoozi is here to defend this country,” she said, “and therefore celebrating him is very okay.” Her remarks were received enthusiastically by the PLU delegation present.
She also spoke of her longstanding personal bond with Hon. David Kabanda, recounting a friendship that stretches back to childhood, a relationship that, she suggested, makes the collaboration between their respective offices not merely institutional but deeply human.
Namyalo further noted that both she and Kabanda share a common political history, having worked side by side to secure President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s electoral victory in 2026 a shared mission that continues to bind their efforts in the post-election period.
The 10 million shilling contribution and receipt of official kits on behalf of the ONC was widely interpreted by those present as more than a financial gesture, it was a statement of institutional endorsement from one of the ruling party’s most visible mobilisation offices, lending the birthday run added momentum ahead of the main event.
As Uganda’s political and military establishment rallies around the charity initiative, the run appears set to attract significant participation from across government, civil society and the private sector all united, at least for now, under the banner of hope for the country’s most vulnerable children.