KAKUMIRO — Kakumiro District has pledged 100 per cent support for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) as President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni concluded his Bunyoro sub-region tour, highlighting peace, infrastructure development and wealth creation as key achievements of his government over the last four decades.
Speaking at the rally, Kakumiro District NRM Chairperson Fred Byamukama credited President Museveni for restoring stability during periods of insecurity, including the 1986 conflict and the 2000 Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) insurgency.
“We thank you because today there is peace,” Byamukama said, noting that stability had enabled development to take root across the region.
He commended the government for constructing 655 kilometres of tarmacked roads in Bunyoro, dismissing opposition claims that the road network was built solely because of oil discoveries. He also thanked the President for Kabale International Airport and for commissioning the district administration block during the visit.
Byamukama further highlighted progress in agriculture and energy, saying Kakumiro currently has 80 irrigation schemes, with expectations of more to boost productivity. Electricity coverage in the district now stands at 66 per cent, he added.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said Kakumiro’s pledge of full support was in appreciation of being granted district status and the government’s continued investment in infrastructure. She cited the construction of the 107-kilometre Mubende–Kakumiro–Kagadi road and the inclusion of the Kakumiro–Nkooko–Kisiita road in the next development plan.
Nabbanja also thanked the President for releasing Shs3.6 billion for the construction of the district administration block, which he officially commissioned during the visit.
In a political boost for the ruling party, Nabbanja announced that Stecia Mayanja, the president of the National Peasants’ Party, had officially joined the NRM.
She noted that Ugandans were increasingly embracing the Parish Development Model (PDM), although she cautioned against corruption, saying some leaders were demanding kickbacks from beneficiaries. Nabbanja appealed for additional funding to the land fund and called for protection of local manufacturers from unfair competition posed by cheaply imported products.
She also praised the President for forest protection policies that promote value addition, revealing that 45 factories have been established under this framework, providing hundreds of jobs.
Addressing the gathering, President Museveni said his visit marked the presentation of the NRM’s achievements over the past 40 years, beginning with the restoration of peace.
“Uganda was once unstable, but the NRM has stabilized the country,” Museveni said, adding that peace laid the foundation for development.
He outlined development as the second major contribution, citing investments in roads, electricity, water, telecommunications and internet connectivity. Museveni said clean water coverage in Kakumiro now stands at 92 per cent, while electricity has reached many sub-counties.
The President announced plans to add new roads, including the Kazo–Burunga–Mpara–Hapuuyo road to Karuguuza and the Kisiita–Nkooko–Masode–Ntwetwe road extending to Kiboga, recalling that he traversed some of these routes during the war years.
In social services, Museveni said the district had registered progress in education and health, noting the existence of over 300 private schools and plans to upgrade one Health Centre IV into a district hospital. Only five sub-counties, he said, are yet to receive Health Centre IIIs.
Museveni emphasized wealth creation as the third pillar of the NRM’s agenda, tracing it back to pre- and post-war initiatives such as Bonna Bagaggawale, Entandikwa, Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model. He reiterated his advice on commercial agriculture, including the four-acre model and fish farming, citing his own fish pond as an example of profitable enterprise.
The fourth contribution, Museveni said, is job creation through industrialization and private enterprise, noting that government alone cannot employ Uganda’s growing population.
Touching on foreign relations, the President said Uganda had stood firm against external pressure, stressing that Africa’s challenge was not lack of aid but failure to fully exploit its potential.
Museveni’s Bunyoro tour ended with renewed commitments to infrastructure expansion, industrial growth and wealth creation, as NRM leaders expressed confidence that the region would remain a stronghold for the ruling party.
