By Gad Masereka
More than 1,000 boda boda riders from across the Kampala Metropolitan area were on Monday evening flagged off by Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye to mobilise residents ahead of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Tuesday at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
The colourful send-off, organised through the Office of the National Chairman, drew hundreds of NRM supporters, youth mobilisers, and boda boda leaders who gathered to mark the launch of a last-minute but energetic ground mobilisation drive across Kampala and its surrounding divisions.
Hajjat Namyalo, who doubles as Manager of the Office of the National Chairman, used the occasion to frame the swearing-in not as a partisan political event but as a national celebration open to every Ugandan regardless of political affiliation, religion, tribe, or social background.
“This event is for every Ugandan. We invite all citizens to come and witness this important national function as President Museveni begins another term of leadership,” she said, calling on residents to turn up in large numbers and participate peacefully.
She also singled out the boda boda fraternity for recognition, describing the riders as a vital pillar in community engagement and a reliable force in spreading information at the grassroots level. Her remarks drew loud applause from the assembled riders, many of whom carried NRM flags and posters bearing the President’s image.
The riders subsequently fanned out across different parts of the city in a rolling procession, horns blaring and flags fluttering, as they took the mobilisation message directly to neighbourhoods, taxi parks, and trading centres throughout the metropolitan area.
The flag-off comes as the capital enters the final hours of preparation for what is expected to be one of the most attended national functions in recent years. At Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, finishing touches were underway on Monday evening, with seating arrangements, public address systems, and ceremonial structures being put in place ahead of the main event.
Several dignitaries, government officials, diplomats, and regional representatives have already begun arriving in the country, while security has been heightened around Kololo and along major access routes leading to the venue.
For the thousands of boda boda riders now criss-crossing Kampala, the mission is straightforward: ensure that when the ceremony begins on Tuesday morning, the grounds at Kololo reflect a Uganda that showed up.