President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged improved health services and wider electricity access in Kiryandongo District as he rallied thousands of supporters at Karagalya grounds on Wednesday, reaffirming the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) 40-year legacy of peace, development, and wealth creation.
Museveni said the NRM’s first and most significant contribution has been peace. He attributed the country’s stability to the government’s insistence on non-discrimination based on tribe, religion, or identity, a principle he said has strengthened national institutions.
On development, the President pointed to continued investments in roads, schools, and infrastructure across Uganda. He acknowledged concerns raised by residents about gaps in the health sector and promised upgrades for Kigumba, Kiryandongo, and Panyadoli hospitals.
He expressed dissatisfaction that parts of Kiryandongo remain without electricity despite hosting major installations such as Karuma power station. He directed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to ensure full distribution of electricity so that the district benefits from its strategic location.
Turning to wealth creation, Museveni stressed that national development must translate into higher household incomes. He urged residents with small landholdings to adopt the four-acre model introduced in the 1996 Manifesto. He encouraged those with larger land to venture into tea, cotton, or ranching, adding that programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga are designed to uplift struggling households.
The President warned local officials against tampering with PDM funds, saying, “We shall deal with anyone reducing PDM money. That money is for the poor.”
Museveni noted that job creation depends on four sectors, commercial agriculture, industry, services, and ICT and cited poultry farmer Johnson Basangwa of Kamuli, who employs 300 workers, as an example of enterprise-driven employment. He urged the youth in urban centres to make use of skilling hubs offering training in trades such as welding, bakery, hairdressing, and other vocational skills.
Prime Minister Nabbanja praised the President for the peace that she said has enabled development across the Bunyoro Sub-region.
Kiryandongo District NRM Chairperson, Linos Ngopek, described the district as cosmopolitan and united by the stability ushered in by the NRM government. He thanked the President for establishing Karuma power station within the district but noted that many residents still lack electricity. He requested a modern market for Bweyale and the upgrade of Kiryandongo Hospital to a highway referral facility.
