The association of uneducated persons also known as “abataasoma” in Uganda have asked President Museveni to grant them a ministry and help them secure parliamentary seats from the five regions to represent them in parliament.
While addressing the press at their headquarters in Lubigi, Nansana municipality, Wakiso district on Sunday, the asoociation chairperson Hajji Kasim Kasasa said they want a ministry that will oversee needs of uneducated persons and five members of parliament to have their voices represented.
“We have supported President Museveni for over 20 years but we have not benefited from his presidency and therefore we now ask him to give us a ministry that will work on our issues as uneducated persons,” said Kasasa.
Kasasa says that President Museveni promised to give them support from the government to develop themselves but nothing has been delivered to the uneducated but some people have so far successfully blocked them from meeting the president to tell him their problems.
Amiri Ssengendo who is a popular musician who is also a member of the uneducated persons says that he was with the president in the bush during the 80’s but has not yet gained anything from Museveni’s leadership.
The Wakiso district chairperson for uneducated persons Sarah Nandujja said they were advised to form Saccos but when they went to register their association, their Sacco was blocked and told that it was political.
Sylvester Isoka, the Wakiso district youth chairperson for the uneducated says that they have failed to access the youth livelihood money and ask the president to divert part of the fund to the Saccos so that they too can benefit.
Recently, new seats were created in the Ugandan parliament including 5 for the elderly and representatives for newly created constituencies raising the number of seats to 523.
