Minister Ongalo Warns PLU on Money Politics, Says Learn from NRM as Teso Backs Muhoozi for 2031

By Peterson Hiirya.

Minister for Teso Affairs Dr Clement Ongalo- Obote has warned the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Members against turning politics into a money-driven activity, saying excessive spending risks undermining efforts to fight corruption and could weaken the organisation as it prepares for the 2031 elections.

Ongalo was speaking at Soroti Hotel, where more than 300 leaders and supporters from across Teso gathered and declared their support for Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the PLU leader, for the presidency in 2031.

The minister said PLU should learn from the experiences of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and build a political organisation where people participate because of conviction rather than financial incentives.

“NRM has become synonymous with money. If you do not have money and you do not use money, you can not go far,” Ongalo said.

He questioned how politicians who spend large sums of money to win elections can effectively fight corruption once in office.

“When people spend a lot of money in politics, how do you expect them to fight corruption?” he asked.

Ongalo urged PLU leaders to allow the movement to grow naturally and create space for people to participate without feeling that they must spend money to gain influence or political positions.

He said the new political journey should avoid mistakes that affected the NRM’s growth in Teso, particularly attempts by a few individuals to dominate the movement.

“The problem for NRM was that a few individuals tried to own the movement to the point where they were willing to let NRM lose as long as they remained dominant,” he said.

According to Ongalo , political exclusion pushed some people who were initially sympathetic to the NRM into opposition parties, including the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

He therefore urged PLU leaders to avoid creating similar divisions by allowing the organisation to accommodate different people and ideas.

“I hope that you will allow PLU to grow naturally,” Ongalo said, adding that the objective should be to build a mass organisation capable of comfortably winning the 2031 election.

He described the Soroti gathering as part of a continuing political process rather than an entirely new beginning.

“As we embark on this launch, my brother, Honourable Peter Wang, this is not a new beginning. This is merely a child being born. It is a continuation,” he said.

Ongalo also encouraged PLU leaders to study the history and growth of the NRM in Teso so that they can avoid repeating past mistakes.

He said political movements should be judged by where they are heading rather than simply by when individuals joined them.

The minister also welcomed supporters who had taken political positions in support of the new movement, praising those who were willing to stand up and be counted despite uncertainty surrounding political developments.

Ongalo’s remarks came as Teso leaders and supporters publicly endorsed Muhoozi for the 2031 presidency, signalling growing mobilisation around his political ambitions in the region.

The Soroti meeting ended with calls for greater unity, grassroots mobilisation, and a political organisation that can attract broad support across Teso ahead of the 2031 elections.