As the evening sun cast long shadows over Omoro District, a lively crowd gathered to hear President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni speak, not just about roads or electricity, but about the promise of oil and the fight against poverty. Then came his sharp metaphor that drew laughter and reflection in equal measure.
“I asked the people: Do you sleep on the tarmac road at night? Of course not,” he told the rally. “When you go home after this rally, poverty will be waiting for you. It will say, ‘Afwoyo binu, welcome back, we are still here.”
That punchline set the tone for a speech that blended humor with hard truth. The President’s message was clear: Uganda’s development projects, roads, electricity and hospitals, serve everyone, but escaping poverty remains a personal battle.
Speaking as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flagbearer on his campaign trail, Museveni assured residents that revenues from Uganda’s oil production, expected to begin flowing next year, will be used to accelerate infrastructure development across the country.
“Once we get our oil, these roads and other projects will be much easier to implement,” he said, emphasizing that the government will channel the funds into roads, power generation, railways, water systems, and telecommunications sectors that form the backbone of economic transformation.
Museveni reminded Ugandans that oil discovery itself was a product of determination and divine timing. “The British were here from 1920 to 1956, and they gave up. But when we came, we found it and now it will start flowing next year,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
He attributed Uganda’s steady progress to peace, unity, and the NRM’s consistent leadership. “We judge people by their fruits, not by tribe, religion, or gender. That is why Uganda today enjoys political unity from north to south and from east to west,” he said.
Museveni cautioned citizens against dividing focus or expecting instant results. He argued that real progress comes through prioritization. “When you focus, you achieve. But when you touch everything at once, you achieve little,” he noted.
In northern Uganda, the President highlighted several completed and ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Karuma, Gulu, Nimule, then the Karuma, Pader, and Gulu, Kitgum, Musingo roads. He also pledged to upgrade the Gulu, Awere, Corner-Kal road, which he recalled using in earlier years.
Beyond infrastructure, Museveni emphasized education, health, and wealth creation as the pillars of sustainable prosperity. He urged the people of Amuru and the wider Acholi region to take advantage of peace to build personal wealth and reduce dependency on government support.
“Our people should not be diverted by government projects,” he said. “The roads and hospitals are for all of us, but poverty is personal, and wealth is personal. Listen to the NRM message on wealth creation.”
As the rally ended, the President’s words lingered in the evening air, a call for discipline, unity, and personal effort in turning Uganda’s new oil wealth into a shared legacy of progress.
