By Mulengera NewsMasaka City and neighboring Bukomansimbi District were on Monday gripped by dramatic scenes as President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign rallies turned into emotionally charged platforms where religious and NRM leaders openly demanded a personal audience with the President.From the moment President Museveni arrived at Liberation Square in Masaka City, it was evident that this would not be an ordinary campaign stop.A massive crowd filled the grounds, the atmosphere thick with excitement and tension. One message repeatedly rang out from speaker after speaker: “Mr. President, we want to meet you.”Religious leaders took control of the microphone first. Led by the Bishop of West Buganda Diocese of the Church of Uganda, the Right Reverend Gaster Nsereko, they opened the rally with prayers. However, once the prayers ended, the tone shifted sharply.The religious leaders told the President that they were burdened with serious issues that could not be resolved through phone calls, letters, or intermediaries. They insisted on physical, face-to-face meetings with President Museveni himself.The crowd’s attention intensified when a Muslim cleric clad in a bright green vestment stepped forward. He began his prayer in Arabic, drawing silence and reverence from the gathering. When he switched to Luganda, the crowd responded loudly and energetically.In a passionate address, the cleric appealed to President Museveni to meet all religious leaders from the Greater Masaka sub-region during the Christmas season, stressing that such a meeting was both urgent and long overdue.In his speech, the cleric praised several influential figures whom he credited with helping to clean up Masaka and restore its dignity. He thanked State House Controller Jane Barekye, former presidential advisor and also the NRM Candidate for Masaa City Woman Member fo Parliament Justine Nameere, Rogers Bulegeya—whom he proudly referred to as the “Lion of NRM in Masaka” and Joseph Mukasa Sewava for their roles in improving the city.The calls for engagement continued as senior Muslim leaders took to the stage. Sheikh Badru Wasajja Kiruuta Kamulari, the Greater Masaka Muslim Regional Kadhi, addressed the President, accompanied by Hajji Yusuf Sowedi Mayanja from the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and Sheikh Buruhan Bagunduse, a special envoy from the Office of the Supreme Mufti in Buganda. Their presence underscored that the appeal was not isolated but represented a unified religious leadership from the region.One of the most emotional moments of the rally came from Hajji Isma Ssesimba, a member of the UMSC General Assembly representing Masaka and Kalungu districts. Speaking boldly before the President and the crowd, Ssesimba directly asked Museveni to give him a vehicle to enable him serve the Muslim community more effectively.He invoked his family’s political history, reminding the President of his late father, Sheikh Anas Ssesimba, whom he described as a loyal NRM cadre in Masaka. The appeal, rooted in history and loyalty, drew close attention from the audience. Other religious leaders present were Bishop Joseph Tumwebaze of Greater Masaka Balokole (Born Again) Christians and Bishop Leonard Sserwadda of Pentecostal Churches of Uganda in West Buganda diocese.Political leaders also joined the wave of demands. Joanita Nalule, the NRM candidate for Masaka District Woman Member of Parliament, pleaded with the President to grant NRM leaders in Masaka a private meeting.She further used the platform to commend Lt. Col. Mercy Tuhakirwa, the Commandant of the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU), for her firm action against illegal fishing at Bukakata landing site on Lake Victoria.Later, when President Museveni proceeded to Mirembe–Kitanda Playground in Bukomansimbi District, the message from leaders remained unchanged. Rogers Buregeya, the NRM Chairperson for Masaka City, told the President that campaign rallies alone were not sufficient. He emphasized that leaders wanted direct meetings, discussions, and photographs with Museveni as symbols of trust, access, and political connection.Across both Masaka and Bukomansimbi, Museveni’s campaign trail shifted from a routine mobilization exercise into a loud public appeal for recognition, access, and personal engagement with Uganda’s most powerful leader. The repeated message from the region’s leaders was simple, direct, and impossible to miss: “Mr. President, meet us now.”However, in his campaign address, President Museveni did not respond to the appeals for meetings. Instead, he focused on outlining the seven pillars of the 2026–2031 NRM Manifesto, rallying residents of Masaka City and the wider Greater Masaka sub-region to support NRM candidates and fully embrace government wealth-creation programs. He emphasized that peace, development, and economic empowerment remain the National Resistance Movement’s strongest contributions to Uganda’s transformation. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).