Moses Byaruhanga the long serving Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of politics sweated to defend himself on how billions of monies released by President Yoweri Museveni to help and develop mechanics and garage operators in Kampala and Masaka in Buganda region was used.
This was after President Museveni spent hours listening and recording the narrations of struggling mechanics and garage operators from the entire country, who claimed that they have been ignored by the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
They pleaded for help from the president as the country prepares for 2026 presidential elections.
As he started addressing them, the President rubbished the narrative that he has ignored the mechanics and garage operators. He told them that ten years back, he released billions of monies to be help them. He tasked Byaruhanga to explain how that money was used.
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When he took to the microphone, at Kololo independence grounds, Byaruhanga defended himself by telling the President that he was not in charge of the said money adding that the money was directly handled by the former State House Comptroller Lucy Nakyobe and she is the one in a proper position to explain.
A furious Museveni interrupted Byaruhanga and summoned Imam Seruwu a mechanic and garage operator who was accuses him of ignoring them to tell him whether he learnt about the said money.
“Yes, it is true Your Excellence, I heard about that money that was released and drove to Masaka to witness how my people the mechanics were benefiting from the said money. Mr president, I was shocked when mechanics started attacking me that they were told that the president released their money and I connived with State House people to eat it which was not true,” Seruwu said.
He added that he tried to reach out to the concerned people who told him on phone that the president had also released another Shs500m as appreciation to them but up to now he has never received the said money.
The President who looked angry and confused as some of the youthful mechanics were chanting his name asked them for proposals which he can look at so as that they can benefit from the money his government is releasing for their development noted that he no longer trusts people in his government and their respective leaders.
As Museveni asked for proposals, his Special Forces Commandos tried to stop some mechanics who were running to the microphone to share their ideas with the head of State. A furious Museveni barked at them ordering them to leave them to speak.
The mechanics insisted that the President should not use government and NRM officials to deliver their money.
They reported that those people are very corrupt and it is the reason why they hate his government and because they know that they no longer support NRM candidates, some NRM candidates especially in Entebbe have started conniving with the army to steal votes like it was in 2021 general election
The President who declared that he was meeting the mechanics as the president of Uganda not NRM presidential candidate, agreed with the mechanics that the properties that government is going to buy for them are going to be registered in the names of the government and they will be used as a common user facility.
The President assured the mechanics that whoever eats their money is going to pay for it reminding them how leaders of carpenters in Nsambya were imprisoned for eating the money he sent to help the carpenters.
Museveni promised that he is going to inject billions of funds in mechanics and garage operators SACCOS and advised them to go and get cheaper loans with 6% interest annually noting that the money will be received from every Division in Kampala and in other parts of the country.
The mechanics told the President that it is not true that they are tired of him but the challenging situations they go through while struggling to survive forces them to look for help from wherever they can.
They noted that if they are helped by government, they will concentrate on their family and personal development.
The meeting was organized by Hallen Seku the Commissioner, National Secretariat for Patriotism, State House and the Private Secretary to the President on Youth Affairs.
It was attended by government officials including Janet Kataha Museveni the First Lady and Minister in charge of Education and Sports.
