The Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, has called upon the people of Acholi Sub-region to vote overwhelmingly for President Museveni in the 2026 general elections, saying the region owes its peace and development to his leadership.
“I’m sure the people of Acholi will give President Museveni over 80 percent or more. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t vote for him. He has done everything you asked him to do in the region,” Hajji Kakande said.
He made the remarks while officiating at the opening of a three-day capacity building workshop for RDCs, RCCs, Deputy RDCs/RCCs, Assistant RDCs/RCCs, RISOs and DISOs from the Acholi sub-region at Bomah Hotel in Gulu City.
Acholi’s Transformation Credited to Museveni
According to Hajji Kakande, the Acholi sub-region has experienced major transformation under President Museveni, shifting from a war-torn area to one that is peaceful and steadily developing.
“We must thank President Museveni for that. He has developed the area through different projects and programs. Past leaders here started senseless wars that led to the killing of so many people, but the President made sure that he stopped the wars and brought peace. I’m happy to hear that most people in Acholi support President Museveni and the NRM,” he said.
He added that the President had agreed to extend the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) IV, emphasizing that this time the funds would be used more transparently and responsibly.
Call for Mobilization Ahead of 2026 Polls
Hajji Kakande urged RDCs and commissioners in the region to mobilize communities and ensure a strong voter turnout in favor of President Museveni and the NRM.
“We should translate the big numbers during President Museveni’s recent campaign rallies into votes. You should ensure that people turn up in big numbers on the voting day and they vote for President Museveni and the NRM government,” he said.
Praise for Gen. Salim Saleh and OWC
He commended Gen. Salim Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), for transforming the Acholi sub-region through various interventions, particularly the introduction of coffee farming.
“I’m happy that many people in this region have benefited from his interventions. He also introduced coffee in the region and many farmers have embraced it. Over Shs60 billion was earmarked for coffee seedlings to be distributed in this region. I want you leaders to go to the people and inform them about the project,” he noted.
Hajji Kakande highlighted coffee as a lucrative crop, comparing Uganda’s potential to that of Vietnam, which he said recovered from war through massive coffee production.
“Coffee worldwide is a lucrative crop which gives a lot of money to the people. When you go to Vietnam, after the war with the USA it was bad off and so poor, but leaders bought coffee seedlings and distributed them to its people, and now they are very far ahead,” he said.
He further revealed that Uganda’s coffee output had grown from 2 million bags to 9 million bags under President Museveni’s guidance.
Government Development Efforts
Hajji Kakande emphasized that the NRM government has not abandoned Acholi, pointing to the roads, schools, and electricity projects implemented across the region. However, he urged individuals to take personal responsibility for wealth creation.
“In terms of making money, it’s your personal effort to make that money. That’s why we encourage you the RDCs and the security people here to keep sensitizing our people on how to make money, and I’m sure in 10 years to come, Acholi will be a very different and more developed place,” he said.
Workshop Objectives
The Head of the RDC Secretariat, Maj. Martha Asiimwe, explained that the workshop was aimed at equipping RDCs, RCCs, deputies, and assistants with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their duties effectively.
She said it focuses on enhancing leadership development, teamwork, and performance, and ensuring that commissioners deliver on the intent of the Commander-in-Chief.
“To encourage creativity, nurture new ideas and approaches as you interact with other stakeholders in order for you to stay competitive. As Chairpersons of the District Security Committee and DIC/CIC, we take you through security management and geo-political emerging threats,” Maj. Asiimwe said.
Commendation from Regional Leaders
Ms. Alice Apio Akello, Regional Commissioner in charge of RDCs in Northern Uganda, thanked the Office of the President for organizing the training. She praised the commissioners for their commitment, describing them as dedicated foot soldiers representing the President in their respective areas.
“I also commend them for the good mobilisation, and this is why we saw big crowds during President Museveni’s campaign rallies in the sub-region. We should now find ways of translating these big crowds into votes,” she said.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Mr. Felix Olumu, Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Economic Monitoring at the Office of the President, presented a paper on the monitoring and evaluation of service delivery in local governments.
He said monitoring involves tracking progress of local government projects, comparing achievements with planned targets, and explaining why certain results are or aren’t achieved.
“Monitoring helps us understand and explain what is happening in the project area and why expected results, such as transformation of households from subsistence to a money economy, are or are not being achieved,” he explained.
He noted that monitoring’s main purpose is to steer projects toward their objectives and identify challenges early.
The workshop was also attended by Col. Emmy Katabazi, former Deputy Director General of ISO; Lt. Col. Kibrai Ambako, Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Mobilization under the RDC Secretariat; and technical officers from the Office of the President.
