By Frank Kamuntu
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday launched his Rwenzori Sub-region campaign trail in Kasese District, addressing residents at Nyakasanga Playground in Kasese Municipality. He highlighted key achievements of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) over the past 40 years, emphasizing peace, development, wealth creation, and job creation as pillars that have transformed Uganda.
Museveni said Kasese is among the clearest beneficiaries of peace due to its proximity to the conflict-prone Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Uganda is currently hosting around 700,000 Congolese refugees who cannot return home due to continued instability. He recalled that groups that once attempted to destabilize the district were defeated, insisting that Uganda’s peace “will remain like ripe bananas—you only see them but you cannot touch or eat them.”
On development, the President outlined government investments in roads and social infrastructure. He cited completed and upgraded roads including Fort Portal–Kasese (reconstructed twice), Katunguru–Ishaka, and Kikorongo–Bwera, which will soon be redone. He added that the Mityana–Kyegegwa road and several others will also receive attention. Museveni criticised leaders who prioritize salary increases over infrastructure, noting that strategic prioritization has enabled long stretches of tarmac such as Lyantonde–Kazo–Ibanda–Kamwenge. He said Kasese and Ntungamo require more road machinery since their annual road fund allocation of Shs 1 billion is insufficient.
On electricity, the President reaffirmed the government’s goal of connecting all districts and sub-counties, with only Buvuma Island remaining. He also announced plans for a new Standard Gauge Railway to Kasese and an international airport to boost tourism, following the completion of Hoima airport built for the oil sector.
Museveni praised Kasese’s progress in social services, noting 260 government primary schools, 25 secondary schools, and two hospitals, with continued expansion planned. He urged residents to embrace productive activities to translate development into household prosperity, citing the four-acre model and the success of George Matongo of Ngoma, who earns Shs 21 million monthly from dairy farming. The President warned of ongoing investigations into theft of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.
On job creation, Museveni emphasized that employment primarily comes from commercial agriculture, factories, ICT, and services, highlighting that factories alone have created 1.3 million jobs compared to 480,000 in government. He encouraged youth to use skilling centres to acquire marketable and wealth-generating skills.
Speaker of Parliament and NRM 2nd National Vice Chairperson (Female), Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, thanked the President for maintaining peace in Kasese despite its proximity to the DRC. She urged the upgrade of Kasese Airfield to an international airport and appreciated interventions along River Nyamwamba to prevent flooding. Kasese District NRM Chairperson, Mr. Mbahimba James, praised the President for restoring peace, improving social services, supporting business growth, and implementing wealth creation programs such as PDM and Emyooga, while raising challenges in Lwehingo, Kabukero, and Kyabatukura for government attention.
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