President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called upon opposition politicians to stop spreading negative messages and discouraging their supporters from government programs. According to President Museveni, such groups are the reason many Ugandans still languish in poverty.
“Whether you are in opposition, it’s dangerous to discourage your supporters from embracing government programs and participating in wealth creation. In the 1960s, I was a member of the opposition in the Democratic Party, but I was already preaching wealth creation in the cattle corridor,” H.E. Museveni said.
The President, who was accompanied by the First Lady Janet Museveni and their two daughters, Natasha Museveni Karugire and Patience Rwabogo, made the remarks at Mwera village in Kakindu subcounty, Mityana district. He had gone to hand over a fully furnished house and car to Ms. Anna Maria Mukaluyinda Nakampi of Kijaguzo Parish, Semuto in Nakaseke District, in appreciation for her support during the five-year war that brought the National Resistance Army, led by President Museveni, into power.
Although she was not a soldier, Ms. Nakampi is among the civilians who participated closely with the armed freedom fighters during the struggles. Museveni informed the gathering that while at Kijaguzo Parish, they received assistance in terms of housing, feeding, and reconnaissance, directing them to hidden routes, among others.
“I want to thank Sister Nakampi because she’s the reason I have come here. She helped us in the war. She was not a soldier, but together with Fr. Sseguya, they allowed us to use their houses and looked after our girls and some other people. I therefore thank Sister Nakampi,” President Museveni stated.
He appealed to the people of Mityana to stop listening to those diverting them from embracing government programs aimed at alleviating poverty. “We have sent you money from the national budget to assist you in getting out of poverty, and there are people who have benefited. It is not my money earned from selling my cows; it’s your money, and those discouraging you should know that,” H.E. Museveni explained, adding that every year, the government sends shs.100 million, which, if used properly, might increase to shs.200 million.
He encouraged the people to stick to his wealth creation messages, especially the four sectors (Commercial Agriculture, Industries/Manufacturing, ICT, and Services) and the seven activities of wealth creation under the four acres model, beginning with commercial agriculture, which was in their 1996 manifesto. The model encourages diversification, with one acre dedicated to coffee cultivation, another to fruit trees, the third to staple crops for household consumption, and the fourth to pasture for livestock. He added that, in the backyard, a farmer can rear poultry and pigs.
According to the President, these are among the ways through which jobs are created. “When I come here, I want to raise a few points because sometimes you spend time with people who don’t help you,” the President articulated, while encouraging the people to differentiate between development (roads, electricity, schools, and hospitals) that benefits all citizens and wealth that benefits individuals or families.
“On that note, when the NRM came to power, we started with the Kampala-Mityana Road, which meant that it would benefit many of you. We also worked on the road from Kampala-Busunju-Kiboga to Hoima. And now I can see that electricity is also closer to you—all that is development. But also, you might be near a tarmac road but remain poor. Wealth and poverty are for you as a person. If you don’t use the development in your area to bring about wealth creation activities and enough food in your home, you will remain poor,” President Museveni expressed.
He called on residents to use the power given to them to elect leaders who will monitor the programs that the government sends to them. “That is in your hands to follow up through the leaders you elected. Here, you elected the opposition who rigged elections—I also know about that,” he said.
On the issue of landlords chasing squatters from land, the President mentioned that the issue was resolved in the Constituent Assembly, stating that nobody should ever evict a Kibanja person and that the ceiling should be fixed by the government. “What landlords are doing (chasing bibanja holders) is illegal. I will discuss with the caucus of the NRM to resolve some issues, but there should be nobody chasing people from the land. With the economy growing, we are going to allocate more money to the land fund,” the President assured.
At the same function, he gave shs.10 million to Kakindu Catholic Parish and promised to send them 10 cows. He also promised to send shs.20 million to each of the ghetto structures and boda-boda SACCOs and shs.10 million to the women’s SACCO group.
On his part, the NRM National Vice Chairperson Alhaji Moses Kigongo thanked the people of Mityana for supporting the NRM since 1986. He expressed gratitude to President Museveni for his powerful gesture of remembering his friends like Ms. Ann Maria Nakampi. “I did not expect this. Ms. Nakampi was just a sister in the convent, just praying for us. Thank you, Mr. President, for that good spirit. Our religious leaders preach to us to always have a good heart, and I have seen it now. This is how we should all behave as Ugandans. There’s no reason to spread hatred against each other,” Alhaji Kigongo said.
For her part, Ann Maria Nakampi expressed gratitude to President Museveni for constructing a house for her where she will spend the rest of her life. “I thank you for not forgetting your people. I will continue doing my work of praying for you as I have been doing since we met, as I do my church work. Thank you very much. Who am I?” Sister Nakampi said while thanking Gen. Nalweyiso for looking after her very well. She encouraged young people to develop a good work ethic and engage in income-generating activities. “Let’s learn to work. One who doesn’t work becomes a problem not only to him/herself but also to the nation. I started working while still young, and I’m still digging up to now. I grow coffee and earn a lot of money. If you have not worked, where will you get the money from?” she stated.
The Minister for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Ms. Judith Nabakooba, highlighted some of the successful government programs in the district, including the Parish Development Model, indicating that the number of people joining the money economy has increased up to 73% in the district. “This is the only government that cares for the common person and supports them in wealth creation. I have traveled to other countries, but they only focus on social services and not on empowering their people in wealth creation. We thank you for those programs,” Minister Nabakooba said.
She, however, mentioned some of the roads that need to be worked on, including the Zigoti-Kakindu road, Zigoti-Kabasanda-Kakindu road, Mityana-Manyi-Kanoni road, Kapeeka-Kituuma-Nakwaya road, Busunju road, and Myanzi-Kassanda-Kiboga road.
The NRM Vice Chairman for Buganda Region, Godfrey Kiwanda Ssuubi, also addressed the region while assuring President Museveni of continued support. He thanked the President for working together with Buganda Kingdom to spread the gospel about coffee in the region.
The ceremony was attended by, among others, Ministers Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo (ICT), Alice Kaboyo (Luwero Triangle), Sam Mayanja (Lands), Members of Parliament Dr. Michael Bukenya (Bukuya), Dr. Kefa Kiwanuka (Kiboga), Christine Sendwawula (Kyankwanzi), former leaders, and religious leaders.
