People attend President Museveni’s campaign rally in Yumbe District
President Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidate, has re-echoed his call on Ugandans to embrace wealth creation and improve their livelihoods.
He said while the NRM government has prioritised infrastructural programmes such as road tarmacking, construction of health centres, schools, and industrial parks, kicking poverty out at the household level comes at the top of his five-year agenda in case he is re-elected.
“We started with Entandikwa, Bonna bagaggawale, Operation Wealth Creation, Parish Development Model, and the Uganda Women Empowerment Programme to empower Ugandans and get them out of poverty,” Mr Museveni, who is seeking a seventh term, told a gathering at Geya Primary School Ground in Yumbe District yesterday.
Throughout his campaign rallies, Mr Museveni has emphasised peace and security and wealth creation and development, which he refers to as major pillars of his ruling NRM government.
The residents recognise the NRM government for its concerted effort in restoring peace in the once war-ravaged area. The government has also upgraded Yumbe Hospital to a Regional Referral Hospital with a view to improving health services in the district.
“I want Ugandans to get involved in wealth creation. We are putting Shs100 million per parish per year. We are going to add another Shs15 million for local leaders because they have not been getting money in the current arrangement,” Mr Museveni said.
He announced the creation of special funds for religious leaders, university graduates, and cultural leaders.
“All these are aimed at chasing poverty out of homes. We shall also open up model farms for seed multiplication and commercial farming,” he said.
But district leaders, in a memorandum they presented before him, cited infrastructural developments such establishment of industrial parks, road tarmacking, and construction of more schools and upgrading of health centres, among others, that they said needed urgent attention.
Mr Museveni also encouraged locals in Terego and Yumbe to embrace fish farming through the establishment of fish ponds, and to grow coffee and bananas.
The promises
He promised to construct industrial parks that will create jobs. Already, more than 200 acres of land have been secured by the district for the construction of the industrial park.
Responding to unfulfilled pledges of supporting the families of former rebels, the late Col Nasur Ezaruku and Gen Ali Bamuze, and the construction of a secondary school, Mr Museveni asked the State House team to capture details for a possible follow-up.
According to statistics from the Electoral Commission, in 2021, of the 113,855 registered voters, Mr Museveni won with 50,686 (71.24 percent). Meanwhile, the runner-up, Robert Kyagulanyi, garnered 16,890 (23.74 per cent) votes.