Just beyond the cordon of security officers, a young boda boda rider switched off his engine and leaned against his motorcycle, eyes fixed on the swelling crowd at Busaana Town Council Playground in Kayunga district. He had parked there before, during past rallies and past promises but this time he listened more closely. Fuel prices, school fees, land disputes, and the battered road he rides every day sat heavily on his mind as applause rolled across the field. His quiet anxiety mirrored a wider unease in Kayunga, where fears of land loss, shrinking livelihoods, and an uncertain future have become part of daily conversation.
That shared concern set the tone as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, addressed residents during the launch of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) campaign in the district. Moving beyond campaign slogans, Museveni delivered a blunt message meant to reassure tenants and warn abusers of the law, land grabbing is illegal, and the Constitution stands with lawful occupants.
Addressing the rally, Museveni cautioned land grabbers against misleading communities and attempting unlawful evictions. He reminded wananchi that land matters were conclusively addressed during the Constituent Assembly and that tenants’ rights remain firmly protected.
“You have no right to evict sitting tenants from land,” Museveni said, stressing that ignorance of the law often fuels land conflicts. He urged NRM leaders to take responsibility for educating communities and resolving disputes peacefully.
The President also warned residents against buying land already occupied by tenants, describing such transactions as deceptive. Selling land without resolving tenancy issues, he said, amounts to selling “hot air.” He revealed that government has already compensated some landlords and will continue doing so to ensure security of tenure for lawful occupants.
Museveni linked land security to broader economic transformation, urging residents to embrace the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a pathway to household income growth. Under the programme, he explained, each parish receives Shs100 million annually, totaling Shs500 million over five years, to support agriculture and other income-generating activities.
“Government programmes must be supervised by the people themselves,” Museveni said. “Medicines in health centres and PDM funds belong to wananchi and must be protected.”
He expressed concern over the theft of drugs from public health facilities, warning that pilferage undermines service delivery and denies communities essential care.
On concerns raised by the Bakuku community regarding access to passports, Museveni clarified that citizenship by birth, registration, or naturalisation is a constitutional right. He said no eligible Ugandan should be denied services because of unnecessary bureaucracy.
Turning to jobs and production, Museveni emphasised commercial agriculture, irrigation, skills training, and industrialisation as key drivers of employment. He encouraged Kayunga residents to identify land for an industrial park, saying it would accelerate job creation and stimulate local economic growth.
Reaffirming constitutional safeguards, Museveni said all land tenure systems are protected and tenants are shielded from illegal evictions. He reminded voters that ultimate power rests with the people through the ballot and urged them to elect leaders who can monitor implementation and take responsibility.
First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, thanked residents for turning up in large numbers and urged families to fully participate in the elections.
“Don’t forget your grandmother at home, she has a vote too,” she said. “Each one of us has a vote. Together, we are building a great homeland for ourselves and our children.”
Alhaji Moses Kigongo, the First National Vice Chairperson, followed with a call for unity and discipline. He urged residents to vote NRM from top to bottom and cautioned against provocation.
“Only tick the bus symbol,” Kigongo said. “After voting, your neighbor will remain your neighbor. Be disciplined, and remember, unity is key.”
He warned party leaders against misusing security forces. “Do not use our soldiers to fight your wars,” Kigongo said. “Even the soldiers used will be prosecuted along with those who misuse them.”
As the rally drew to a close, the message from the podium was consistent: peace, accountability, and economic transformation must go hand in hand. For the boda boda rider and thousands like him, the promises now carry a familiar test, not in words spoken on the campaign trail, but in how firmly land is protected, resources are guarded, and opportunity is delivered beyond the applause.
