PLU issues stern warning as extortionists target public
KAMPALA: The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) has warned the public against individuals impersonating the organisation and using its name to extort money, as it moves to streamline and protect its leadership structures across the country.
In a statement, PLU General Secretary Fadil Twalla said his office had received reports of individuals falsely claiming to represent the organisation and creating non-existent groups under the PLU banner to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“My office has noted that there’s a lot of impersonation by individuals calling themselves PLU and using non-existent groups branded as PLU to extort people,” Twalla said.
He also expressed concern over what he described as deliberate or unintentional efforts to undermine existing PLU structures that have already been established in some sub-regions and districts.
Twalla clarified that PLU remains one organisation and that no subsidiary structures have been created apart from those appointed by the organisation’s chairman, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
He said the existing leadership structures appointed by the chairman would remain in place and would oversee the formation of lower-level structures, including district and municipality coordinators, sub-county and division coordinators, parish and ward coordinators, as well as village and cell coordinators.
According to Twalla, the organisation will first complete the appointment of regional leadership before rolling out structures to lower administrative levels.
“We shall maintain the status quo in areas where structures were appointed by our chairman. The appointed structures must be respected,” he said.
Twalla appealed for patience from supporters as they await the appointment of leaders in the remaining sub-regions.
He further directed that all activities conducted in the name of PLU must first be communicated to and cleared by the Office of the General Secretary, with guidance from the chairman, to prevent fraud and protect the organisation’s image.
“All activities related to or planned to include PLU must be expressed to and cleared by the Office of the General Secretary with guidance and consultation from our chairman to avoid extortionist tendencies and putting PLU in bad light,” he said.
Twalla also acknowledged concerns raised by PLU supporters in the diaspora, saying the issues would be presented to the chairman for consideration and guidance on the way forward.
The warning comes amid the organisation’s continued expansion of its grassroots structures across Uganda, with PLU seeking to strengthen its organisational presence while guarding against individuals exploiting its name for personal gain.
