Africa-Press – Uganda. The fight over President Museveni’s campaign slogan took a new twist yesterday after the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) asked individuals claiming the ownership of the “Omalako Jajja Tova Ku Main” to back-off, saying the slogan rightfully belongs to Mr Museveni.
The ONC head, Ms Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, told journalists at the ONC headquarters in Kyambogo, Kampala, that neither she nor all the parties fighting for the slogan should claim its ownership because all their contribution towards its creation and development was paid for.
“I want to make it clear that whatever we have at ONC, including “Omalako Jajja Tova Ku Main” slogan, belongs to the national chairman. Those who are lamenting on social media won’t divert us because our focus is to ensure Mzee [President Museveni] continues leading the Uganda Revolution up to 2026 and beyond,” Ms Namyalo told reporters.
In a follow-up interview with Daily Monitor yesterday, Ms Namyalo talked of “city dealers looking for quick money” and vowed to shame them with evidence when the right time comes. She also indicated that “the President, who is also the party chairman, is aware of their intentions but they will not succeed.”
Ms Namyalo’s outburst came after two individuals, including social commentator Frank Gashumba and former ONC spokesperson Ibrahim Kitatta individually rushed to the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB), each seeking to secure the patent rights for the slogan, which is being used as a vehicle to rally President Museveni to return on the ballot in 2026.
Mr Gashumba, whose May application was objected to by Ms Namyalo through her lawyers in a June 5 letter to URSB, yesterday affirmed his claim over the slogan. He said in a telephone interview that he came up with the slogan after entering a partnership with Ms Namyalo in October 2022.
“As part of our agreement, I was supposed to supply T-shirts to the ONC office, I was also supposed to provide designs for the same. Along the way, she gave the contract to other people,” he said.
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The ONC started using the disputed slogan on October 19, 2022. Ms Namyalo, backed by State House big wigs and NRM secretariat, revealed that all the contractors were fully paid off and vowed to table evidence at the right time. She maintained that the slogan is now a property of the NRM party chairman.
Mr Kitatta who at some point worked at the ONC as the spokesperson, is also claiming the slogan. On June 23, he filed numerous documents objecting to the ownership of the “Omalako Jajja Tova Ku Main” mantra.
Mr Steven Baryevuga, a senior communications officer at URSB, last night declined to discuss details of the case and referred us to the affected parties.
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