KAKUMIRO — Residents in Kakumiro District are calling for the return of former Member of Parliament and State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Dr. Kasirivu Atwooki, to the political arena ahead of the 2031 general elections, saying his previous leadership delivered projects they still consider significant.
The residents say they want Dr. Atwooki to contest for the parliamentary seat currently held by Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama.
The calls emerged during a recent visit to Kakumiro, where several residents praised Dr. Atwooki’s leadership and his efforts to lobby the central government for development projects during his tenure.
Residents attributed several projects in the district to Dr. Atwooki’s lobbying efforts, including the construction of the Kakumiro District administration block, water systems, electricity extension, coffee-growing initiatives, road and bridge construction, schools and the creation of new local government administrative units such as sub-counties and town councils.
They described Dr. Atwooki as a soft-spoken leader who, despite his low-key approach, was effective at lobbying for government programmes and infrastructure projects.
Some residents said the electricity network has also expanded significantly from the areas that had electricity during his tenure.
One of the residents, Lawrence Asiimwe, said people in the district want Dr. Atwooki back on the ballot paper in 2031 so that he can continue from where he stopped.
“Wait and see. Come 2031, we shall force him to be on the ballot paper. We are already doing our ground mobilisation. We need services, not what these present leaders are doing of ferrying musicians who come and these leaders give booze to drink and later our girls are infected with sexually transmitted diseases,” Asiimwe said.
According to Asiimwe, residents had expected leaders appointed to influential government positions to use their positions to lobby for development in their home areas and support President Yoweri Museveni’s government through improved service delivery.
He, however, accused current leaders in Kakumiro of spending too much time fighting among themselves instead of concentrating on development.
“When we get our leaders appointed into powerful positions, we expect them to use those positions to help the President who appointed them by lobbying for their areas. Those he appoints should act as bridges for him to their areas of origin,” Asiimwe said.
He added that it was disappointing for leaders to use their platforms to enrich themselves or fight political opponents rather than address the needs of their constituents.
Asiimwe further alleged that security agencies, including police, have sometimes been used against people perceived to be opposed to certain leaders.
“It is shameful when these appointed people now use their platforms either to enrich themselves or, worse still, to fight others. In Kakumiro, the police has also been used to clamp on those the leaders think are not their supporters. What a shame,” he said.
Residents who support Dr. Atwooki’s return say his leadership period, which they associate with his political career from 1996 to 2021, remains memorable because of the development projects they believe were secured during that time.
The former minister is also remembered by some residents for formally submitting written requests to government authorities while lobbying for projects, a practice they say helped document the needs of the district.
The calls for his return come as Kakumiro continues to be represented by leaders holding prominent positions in government, including Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama.
However, the residents’ claims about the performance of current leaders and the attribution of specific projects to Dr. Atwooki could not be independently verified.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Dr. Kasirivu Atwooki were unsuccessful. The former minister could not be reached by telephone despite attempts to contact him for his response to the residents’ calls and allegations.
For now, the growing calls from some residents signal renewed interest in Dr. Atwooki’s political comeback, with supporters already talking about a possible return to the ballot in 2031.
