Former members of the Arrow Boys, a local defence group that fought alongside the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in Teso, have endorsed General Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s reported bid for the presidency in 2031.
The former fighters say they will embark on a peaceful mobilisation campaign across the Teso sub-region to gather signatures from supporters backing Muhoozi’s candidature.
The endorsement was announced at the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) offices in Nakasero, Kampala, where former Minister of State for Works Musa Echweru appeared with former Arrow Boys commanders and members.
Echweru said the former fighters support Muhoozi because they view him as a leader associated with peace, national development and the fight against corruption.
He said the group would use its networks across Teso to mobilise residents and collect signatures in support of the General.
“We are now going to comb the villages, this time peacefully, to make sure that people append their signatures to endorse this patriotic leader,” Echweru said.
Echweru also linked his support for Muhoozi to their experiences during the LRA insurgency. He said his relationship with the General dates back to 2003, when the LRA, under its leader Joseph Kony, intensified attacks in Teso.
At the time, Echweru was serving as Resident District Commissioner in Kasese. He said he returned to Teso after the insurgency reached the region and advised the government to mobilise local youth, including former members of various armed groups, to work with the UPDF against the rebels.
He said the initiative contributed to the formation of the Arrow Boys, whose membership, according to him, eventually reached 9,014 fighters.
Echweru cited the battle at Apopong among the major engagements between the UPDF-backed local fighters and the LRA. He claimed that 32 LRA commanders were killed during the fighting.
He also recalled Muhoozi’s role in the military campaign, saying the officer, who was then a Major, chose to operate alongside troops in Teso rather than remain at the military headquarters in Kampala.
According to Echweru, Muhoozi survived several encounters with the rebels, including an ambush at Atira in which one of his soldiers was injured.
Echweru further said President Yoweri Museveni relocated to Soroti during the military campaign and used the city as a strategic base for directing operations against the LRA.
He said Muhoozi continued operating with troops on the ground as the military pursued the rebels, eventually contributing to the defeat of the insurgency in Teso. Echweru claimed that 52 senior LRA commanders were killed during the campaign.
Drawing on that history, Echweru said former Arrow Boys members now wanted to support Muhoozi through peaceful political mobilisation.
He said their campaign would focus on peace, continuity, national transformation and the fight against corruption.
Speaking at the same event, Kasambya North MP David Kabanda, who heads the PLU offices in Nakasero, praised Echweru for what he described as his sacrifice and patriotism during the insurgency.
Kabanda said Echweru had demonstrated commitment to the people of Teso by leaving his assignment in Kasese and returning to the region when it came under attack.
He said the signature campaign was also intended to demonstrate that support for Muhoozi was being generated by Ugandans rather than being imposed by President Museveni.
According to Kabanda, the campaign targets 20 million signatures from across the country. He said registration would be conducted at village and sub-county levels before the names are verified.
He added that photographs and other personal details would be recorded as part of the registration process, arguing that this would help prevent fraudulent entries and strengthen the supporters’ register.
Kabanda also called on members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to participate in the mobilisation exercise and demonstrate their support for Muhoozi.
He said previous public events organised for Muhoozi in different parts of the country had attracted large crowds, with Teso among the regions he claimed had registered significant support.
Kabanda subsequently handed registration materials to Echweru and tasked him with coordinating the mobilisation and signature collection exercise throughout the Teso sub-region.
Meanwhile, PLU has begun distributing nomination and endorsement books to villages as part of the nationwide campaign to collect signatures for Muhoozi.
Kabanda launched the exercise at the National Chairman’s Office in Nakasero, with Kampala District designated as the first area of implementation.
The registration materials were handed to the Minister for Kampala, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, who said the mobilisation would start in Kampala before being extended to other parts of Buganda.
She said the campaign would continue beyond Kampala as organisers seek to build support for Muhoozi across the region.
The organisers say their ultimate target is to collect 20 million signatures from supporters across Uganda before compiling the records and presenting them to Muhoozi.
The campaign comes amid growing political activity by Muhoozi’s supporters ahead of the anticipated 2031 presidential contest.
Supporters have continued visiting PLU offices in Nakasero to sign endorsement books backing the serving military officer.
The ongoing signature drive has nevertheless generated increased political activity at the PLU offices, where supporters have continued arriving to register their backing for Muhoozi’s proposed presidential bid.
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