Sserubiri team is not part of us, ONC officials clarify

By Andrew Cohen Amvesi    

ARUA. Officials from the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) have come out publicly to clarify that they are not part of the group soliciting funds for the registration of party pressure groups across the country.

This is after we published how NRM mobilizers in West Nile rejected the demand made by a team led by Frank Sserubiri, the national chairman of NRM pressure groups network to have the pressure groups in the region registered each at a fee of shs350,000.

We earlier indicated in our story that Sserubiri’s group is attached to the Office of the National Chairperson (ONC).

However, when the news went viral, officials from ONC denied dealing with the group and thus condemned their act of registering pressure groups at a cost.

During the visit to Arua last week in the company of Sserubiri, Prosy Nabagala, the NRM national pressure groups network treasurer said they need money to organize the pressure groups in the country.

“I’m the one in charge of the preparation of the pressure groups. Yes, we are having pressure groups but each group has its own vision, aims, missions and others. But for Mr. Sserubiri also has his own visions and missions. It is me to organize the groups to be under his docket and there is no other way we can do it without money since we are not yet facilitated by the President,”said Nabagala said.

“Yes, he is having a dream but it is we the pressure groups to facilitate the dream, there is no way we can facilitate this dream without money. Nothing can move without money, it is us to contribute some money for the preparation of our documents and our leadership, for him so that he can meet his goals,” Nabagala added.

But after getting wind of the news, Hajat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, the Senior Presidential Adviser in charge of ONC took to her twitter handle on Monday to condemn the act and also distance herself from Sserubiri’s team.

“It has come to my attention about this fake news making rounds that ONC is collecting money from members of the public. Please take note that Frank Sserubiri is not a member of the ONC staff. ONC is for youth empowerment and not extortion. Report this to relevant authorities,” Namyalo clarified.

Similarly, Irene Amia, the sub regional coordinator for West Nile in the office of the National Chairman in Kyambogo disowned the team, saying what they did shouldn’t be associated with ONC at all.

“I want to make it clear that ONC does proper work in line with the NRM manifesto. We are not in any way involved in extorting money from the public in the name of bringing people to NRM. NRM is a mass party and anyone who is willing to join NRM is free to join without any cost or any money,” Amia said while meeting some of the NRM pressure groups in Arua for a fact-finding mission on the matter on Tuesday.

“Yes, I know Frank Sserubiri, I met him many times at the office and at some point, he worked with us but this time when he came to West Nile, he came as his own group that he formed and whatever he did or any transaction that he made in West Nile is not attached to ONC. Whatever he did with his team he did it as Frank Sserubiri. I want to put it clear that we are not soliciting money from the public in order to bring people to NRM,” Amia emphasized.

She further noted that their work as ONC is to monitor government programs, bridge the gap between the aggrieved NRM persons and the NRM party, and also mobilize for President Museveni ahead of 2026 general elections.