Soroti, Uganda — An emerging pressure group, Kazi Ni Kazi, which is mobilising support for General Muhoozi Kainerugaba ahead of the 2031 presidential election, has reportedly caused concern among some leaders in the Teso sub-region.
The group’s growing mobilisation has raised fears among a section of Teso leaders who reportedly worry that its activities could affect their relationship with Gen. Muhoozi and potentially leave them isolated.
Kazi Ni Kazi has attracted support from thousands of people in Teso, particularly young people, because of its approach to mobilising communities at the grassroots level.
Among the approaches being used by the pressure group is engaging directly with communities to discuss their development priorities and outline what they would like to see done for Teso if Gen. Muhoozi becomes President.
The group is also advocating for a specific development agenda for Teso, an approach that supporters say has not received sufficient attention from other political actors.
Some residents argue that having a clear regional development agenda would give Teso a stronger bargaining position when engaging the government on development and service delivery.
They point to other regions that have benefited from major investments, including stadiums and manufacturing facilities, and question why Teso has not received similar projects.
According to supporters of the initiative, the absence of a unified development agenda has made it difficult for the region to clearly articulate its priorities and demand specific government interventions.
John Omoding, a long-time supporter of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Teso, questioned why the region has continued to struggle with poverty despite having many leaders appointed to various government positions.
Omoding argued that some leaders have failed to adequately address the region’s development challenges while allegedly using the area’s poverty situation to advance their own interests.
“I am surprised that the same leaders who have failed Teso’s development are the same ones running everywhere with PLU books in Teso, asking people for their National IDs and using PDM programmes to mobilise people to register in that big book. I think this is the wrong approach,” he said.
Meanwhile, Betty Akurut, a resident of Gweti, said having a clear Teso development agenda could help the government direct resources towards priorities identified by the region.
She said the agenda being promoted by Kazi Ni Kazi could provide a framework through which the government would understand and respond to the development needs of the people of Teso.
The growing activities of Kazi Ni Kazi have therefore opened a new debate in Teso about regional development priorities, grassroots mobilisation and how communities can collectively articulate their demands to government.
