Adjumani West: NRM's Leku Pilli Pledges Continuity in Development Projects

ADJUMANI — National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer Leku James Pilli has pledged to ensure continuity and completion of development projects initiated under the late former Adjumani West Member of Parliament, Gen. Moses Ali, if elected in the September 17 by-election.

Leku made the commitment on Saturday as he intensified his grassroots campaign across Agojo, Loa, Mugi, Okangali and Opejo parishes, where he met voters as part of the NRM's parish-to-parish mobilisation strategy.

The candidate, who was accompanied by district and national NRM leaders, told residents that his priority would be to ensure that projects already initiated for the constituency are followed up and completed, rather than allowing them to stall.

Addressing voters during one of the campaign meetings, Leku asked residents to give him the mandate to represent Adjumani West in Parliament, where he said he would lobby government and follow up development programmes intended to improve the livelihoods of people in the constituency.

“My message to the people of Adjumani is that they should send me to go to Parliament so that I can make sure that the projects that were started by General Moses Ali are completed,” Leku said.

Road infrastructure a major priority

Leku identified road infrastructure as one of the key areas he intends to pursue, particularly the proposed tarmacking of the road connecting Sinyanya, Adjumani town and Elegu.

He said improved road connectivity would not only ease transportation for residents but also strengthen trade and economic activity, particularly given Adjumani's strategic location and links to South Sudan.

“The road from Sinyanya up to Adjumani town and going to Elegu will be tarmacked — that I will follow,” he said.

The candidate said better roads would contribute to easier movement of people and goods while opening up opportunities for farmers, traders and other businesses operating within the constituency.

Adjumani stadium and municipality status

Beyond roads, Leku pledged to follow up on the construction of the Adjumani stadium, which he listed among the development projects requiring continued attention.

He also said he would pursue efforts aimed at securing municipality status for Adjumani, arguing that the elevation would support planned urban growth and improve the delivery of public services and infrastructure.

“These are the key major issues that I will put to the people of Adjumani, alongside other essential follow-ups in the health, education, and road sectors,” Leku said.

He said his agenda would therefore not be limited to a single sector, but would encompass health, education, roads and other government programmes intended to improve social and economic conditions in Adjumani West.

Building on Gen. Moses Ali's legacy

Leku's campaign message has largely focused on continuity, with the NRM candidate presenting himself as a successor who will carry forward development programmes associated with Gen. Moses Ali.

Gen. Ali, a veteran politician and former long-serving representative of the area, died on July 18, 2026, triggering the by-election to fill the vacant parliamentary seat.

Leku has therefore positioned his candidacy around preserving the development agenda associated with the late legislator while ensuring that unfinished projects receive the necessary government attention.

He told voters that his role, if elected, would include following up with relevant government institutions to ensure that commitments made to the constituency translate into actual projects on the ground.

NRM highlights voter education

Apart from development issues, Leku also used the campaign rallies to emphasise the importance of voter education, warning that lack of knowledge about voting procedures could result in ballots being declared invalid.

He said educating voters on how to correctly cast their ballots would be an important component of the NRM campaign in the days leading to polling.

“Civic education is what the people want because you can have a very beautiful election place, but the votes can be spoilt,” Leku said.

He added that spoiled ballots could undermine voters' intentions and potentially affect the outcome of an election.

“When votes are spoilt, it is a very bad sign and can even spoil an election.”

Leku commended the NRM mobilisation teams for conducting voter education and said the campaign would dedicate a special day to further guide residents on the voting process.

The emphasis on voter education comes against the background of concerns raised by NRM campaign officials about the number of votes that were invalidated in Adjumani West during the January 2026 general election.

Grassroots mobilisation intensifies

The Saturday campaign activities formed part of the NRM's broader grassroots mobilisation strategy ahead of the September 17, 2026 by-election.

The parish-to-parish approach is intended to bring the candidate closer to voters while allowing campaign teams to address issues specific to different communities.

Leku said the response from residents during the third day of mobilisation had been encouraging, with voters turning up at different campaign venues to listen to his message.

“This is what I have been communicating to the community, and they have been receiving it very well. I thank them for the good reception,” he said.

The NRM candidate is seeking to retain Adjumani West for the ruling party following the death of Gen. Moses Ali. His campaign is centred on development continuity, completion of existing government projects, improved infrastructure, stronger representation in Parliament and effective follow-up of government programmes.

With polling day approaching, the contest is expected to increasingly focus on which candidate can convince voters that he or she is best placed to provide effective representation and deliver on the development priorities of Adjumani West.

For Leku, the central message to voters is that electing him would provide continuity in the development agenda associated with Gen. Moses Ali while giving the constituency a representative who can work with government to push forward unfinished projects and secure new interventions for the area.