Under the scorching Pader sun, yellow clad supporters gathered at Pajule Primary School, their chants rising in rhythm with the beating drums. When President Yoweri Museveni took the podium, his message was clear and deliberate: Uganda’s development must stand on solid foundations before all else.
While addressing a campaign rally in Pader District, the President urged leaders to focus on building essential infrastructure, roads, electricity, water, education and health, before turning attention to other government programmes. He said these are the pillars on which the country’s economic transformation depends.
“Before we talk about other things, let’s first ensure that we have the essentials, defense, health, roads, and education. Once we strengthen these, other programmes can follow,” Museveni said.
He reminded leaders that prioritization is a principle of success, drawing lessons from his own life during the liberation struggles of the 1970s and 1980s. “When I was in exile fighting Amin, I had to prioritize the revolution and forget about my family. If you want to achieve anything meaningful, you must prioritize,” he said.
Museveni noted that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government has significantly improved infrastructure in northern Uganda, particularly in Pader District. He said out of 871 villages, 770 have boreholes, giving about 90% of residents access to safe water. He also highlighted the country’s rapid growth in communication, from only 23,000 telephone lines in 1986 to over 18 million mobile connections today.
However, the President expressed concern about poor maintenance of some roads, urging local authorities to ensure drainage systems remain open to prevent flooding. He also praised the progress in education, noting that Pader now has nine government secondary schools, six of which offer A-Level, a major leap from the 1960s when the Acholi sub-region had only a handful of secondary schools.
Turning to household income, Museveni challenged Ugandans to take personal responsibility for wealth creation instead of waiting for government programmes. He cited examples of successful farmers who have embraced commercial agriculture and efficient land use to improve their livelihoods.
“I met a man who produces 900 litres of milk per day. Even though the price is low, he earns about one million shillings a month, that’s 250 million a year. He has built a modern house and educated his children. That is how families can become prosperous,” he said.
The President explained that the four-acre model, which he has promoted across the country, enables smallholder farmers to earn a stable income from limited land. Under the model, one acre is for cash crops like coffee, another for fruits, one for pasture and dairy cows, and one for food crops or fish ponds. Museveni said a well-managed household can earn between 70 to 100 million shillings annually.
“This approach supports both income and food security. It’s how families can move out of poverty,” he emphasized.
He also advised Ugandans to utilize available resources wisely, through solar energy, livestock farming and small-scale enterprises so they can build wealth even before government support arrives.
“By the time government support reaches you, you should have already done something for yourself. Use your land well even four acres can make you rich,” Museveni said.
Museveni commended farmers in Amuru and Pader who are reaping benefits from the Parish Development Model (PDM), citing ventures in coffee growing, banana farming, livestock rearing, and fish farming. He pledged continued government support to ensure every household becomes productive and self-reliant.
“When people are busy farming, producing and earning, poverty will disappear from Uganda,” he said.