📸 Museveni rallies Ngora to back NRM for continued wealth creation, devt

NGORA - Presidential candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has rallied the people of Ngora district and Teso sub-region to continue supporting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to sustain the country’s peace, stability, and economic transformation programmes.

He was addressing a large gathering of supporters in Ngora on his vote-hunting trail across Teso on Tuesday (November 4).

"The politics of NRM is about solving people’s problems by showing them the way and assisting them in every possible way,” he said.

NRM presidential flagbearer President Yoweri Museveni addressing his supporters during a campaign rally at BKC Demo Primary School grounds in Ngora district on Tuesday, November 4. (Credit: PPU)

NRM supporters welcome President Yoweri Museveni as he arrived for his mega rally at BKC Demo Primary School grounds in Ngora district. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

The NRM is banking on "protecting the gains" achieved in, for instance, empowerment programmes aimed at lifting Ugandans out of poverty, such as Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, Women Fund, Youth Fund, and the Parish Development Model (PDM).

“All these programmes are meant for you to get out of poverty. If you support NRM, we shall continue,” said the President.

Museveni is eyeing a seventh consecutive term in office, with seven other contestants also in the presidential race.

Jubilant NRM supporters as their party's presidential flagbearer arrived at BKC Demo Primary School grounds in Ngora district on Tuesday for a mega rally. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

In Ngora, the NRM candidate spoke of his government's plan if given another mandate.

“On PDM, we shall add another 15 million shillings onto the 100 million shillings cash per parish. We shall create a fund for fishermen, another for religious leaders, cultural institutions, and for university graduates who have failed to get jobs after two years or more."

He said the "difficult times" faced by Teso in the late 1980s and early 1990s are now a thing of the past.

Museveni told the Ngora electorate that said peace remains the cornerstone of development and the reason Ugandans can now engage in productive work and education.

“You people of Ngora and Kumi are witnesses to what was happening here. Those were difficult times, but together we managed to get peace. That’s why we no longer have internally displaced people’s camps. It was the NRM, together with the people, that brought this peace."

He said peace remains the cornerstone of development and the reason Ugandans can now engage in productive work and education.

He said Teso has seen substantial progress in both economic and social infrastructure, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve the road network linking Ngora to neighboring districts.

The Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Kagwara Road has already been secured and awaits a contractor to commence construction, added Museveni.

“Our former battleground is now a place of development. The tarmac roads now reach up to Kumi, Soroti, Lango, and even Karamoja."

He thanked local leaders for supporting government programmes that ensure efficient implementation of infrastructure projects across Teso.

Kampala central mayor Salim Uhuru (L) is among the NRM bigwigs who grace the rally at BKC Demo Primary School grounds in Ngora district on Tuesday. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejjoba)

On energy, candidate Museveni reported that Ngora is now connected to the national electricity grid, with nearly all sub-counties receiving power supply.

On water access, he said Ngora's 131 villages out of 146 (representing 90%) have access to safe water, adding that the remaining 15 villages would soon be connected through new water projects.

Major achievements include the Gawa Small-Scale Irrigation Project in Kobwin sub-county covering 12 acres, rehabilitation of seven boreholes and 11 water sources, and the construction of four piped water systems powered by solar energy in Mukura sub-county.

NRM presidential flagbearer President Yoweri Museveni (C) with Opposition FDC supporters who defected to NRM during a campaign rally at BKC Demo Primary School grounds in Ngora district on Tuesday. (All Photos by Eddie Ssejoba)

Ongoing projects include the construction of a solar-powered water supply system in Olilim village, Mukura sub-county, while planned works will include the Mukura town council piped water supply system and the ambitious Lake Kyoga Multi-purpose Gravity Flow Scheme, which will serve Ngora, Serere, Kumi, and Bukedea districts.

“We are going to pump water from Lake Kyoga to supply all these areas. It will be easy because the land is flat,” said Museveni.

Education

Museveni emphasised that the NRM government remains committed to providing free education for all children, a programme that began in 1996. He decried the continued charging of school fees in government-aided institutions, calling it a betrayal of the spirit of Universal Primary and Secondary Education.

Ngora currently has 59 government primary schools, 56 private primary schools, six government secondary schools, and 26 private secondary schools. 

The district has 73 parishes, of which 48 host at least one government primary school, while 25 parishes still lack one.

The President said the government’s target is to ensure every parish has a government primary school and every sub-county a secondary school. Construction of a seed secondary school in Ngora is ongoing.

Traditional institutions like Ngora High School and Ngora School for the Deaf will also undergo rehabilitation under the education infrastructure development plan.

Museveni cited his presidential skilling hubs, including one in Soroti, which skill youth in practical trades such as furniture making, metal fabrication, and textile production.

“These youths are now earning money by producing what we used to import."

On the health sector, the President said that of the 11 sub-counties in Ngora, one currently hosts a Health Centre IV, while six have Health Centre IIIs, leaving five sub-counties without any public health facility.

He announced ongoing and planned projects to close that gap, including upgrading Opot HCII in Opot sub-county to HCIII, upgrading Atoot HCII to HCIII, and the construction of new HCIIIs in Agirigiroi, Morukakise, and Ngora sub-counties.

President Yoweri Museveni (C) with Ngora district MP and LC5 flagbearers after presenting them with party flags during a campaign rally at BKC Demo Primary School.

Ongoing works include fencing Mukura HCIII, building an immunization shade, and constructing a twin staff house to support medical personnel.

Museveni said expanding access to health and education is part of the NRM’s social contract to ensure every Ugandan lives a dignified life.

However, he reminded the people of Ngora to distinguish between development (which benefits all citizens collectively) and wealth creation (which is personal and household-based).

“The school and health centre are for all of us, but what is private and personal is either wealth or poverty. You must engage in income-generating activities to chase poverty from your homes."

He spoke of a one Joseph Ijala from Serere district, who ventured into commercial poultry and dairy farming.

“When I visited him, he was earning three million shillings a day from eggs and selling 300 litres of milk daily.

“Now he earns six million shillings from eggs and 800,000 shillings from milk - that is 6.8 million shillings a day, or over two billion shillings a year. This man is deep inside Serere, not near a tarmac road, but wealth is there,” said Museveni.

Cattle restocking, compensation

Addressing the long-standing issue of cattle loss during insurgencies in Teso, Lango, and Acholi, the President said the government has finalised a new uniform compensation strategy.

“When we got peace, we started restocking, but along the way, some lawyers went to court and caused confusion. We spent 159 billion shillings, but the money didn’t reach the ground."

The new plan will compensate each affected household with five cows as a flat rate to ensure fairness and efficiency.

“We are therefore adopting that plan for the area of Teso, Lango, and Acholi. In addition to the other measures, they will continue, but we shall also add on this one. So, it is time for all of you to get out of poverty."

The NRM Second National Vice-Chairperson and Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, welcomed described Ngora as one of the most peaceful districts in the Teso.

She commended the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) route from Tororo to Gulu that passes through Ngora, saying it will boost trade and connectivity for local communities.

The NRM Vice-Chairperson for Eastern region, Calvin Echodu, hailed the district’s leadership for being the first in Teso to establish an NRM office, calling it a symbol of the party’s grassroots strength.

Ngora district NRM supporters listening to their party's presidential flagbearer, President Yoweri Museveni, during a campaign rally at BKC Demo Primary School grounds in Ngora district on Tuesday. (Credit: PPU)

Ngora district NRM chairperson, John Michael Okello said the development programmes like PDM and Emyooga are transforming livelihoods.

He also relayed community requests for a technical school, a district hospital, and additional tarmacked roads.