'Concentrate on household income improvement'

President Yoweri Museveni has urged members of the NRM District Executive Committee (DEC) for Ntungamo District to focus on improving household incomes rather than being distracted by issues of resource distribution.

The President made these remarks while addressing concerns raised by NRM-DEC members during a brief visit to their meeting at State House Nakasero on Wednesday. 
The meeting was chaired by First Lady Mrs. Janet Museveni.

The Ntungamo NRM DEC Status Report had raised concerns about the district's share of national resources, given its size and status.

They specifically requested more appointments of NRM cadres from Ntungamo to ministerial and RDC positions, arguing that their current representation in influential positions was insufficient.

A press release from the First Lady's office states that in response, President Museveni cautioned NRM leaders against misleading people by demanding more administrative units and positions, emphasizing instead the importance of service delivery.

"Should we reduce PDM funding and instead create more administrative units with various leaders?" he questioned. "If you want to help your area or district, concentrate on household income improvement and free education programmes, which are the main concerns of the common people," he stressed.

During the engagement, President Museveni highlighted how the PDM programme has improved household incomes nationwide without discrimination. 

"Each Parish now receives one hundred million shillings, but the concern raised about highly populated parishes receiving the same amount of money as those with smaller populations will be looked into," he explained.

Regarding infrastructure development, Museveni pointed to significant progress, citing Ntungamo District's 22 Government Secondary Schools, compared to just one Senior Secondary School (Ntare Secondary) in all of Ankole during the 1960s. 

He noted the district now has 29 Health Centre IIIs, though he acknowledged the ongoing challenge of medication theft from health facilities.

The President agreed to provide more road equipment for large districts like Ntungamo, which has an extensive road network exceeding 2,000 km. He also supported population-based scholarship allocation.

First Lady Janet Museveni, who chairs the NRM Party in Ntungamo District, commended the NRM DEC members, including the six Members of Parliament, for their efforts towards developing the region. 

"Thank you for serving our people and not shaming God who gave you that responsibility. Let us always remember that serving our country is not a favour we are doing for our people, but it is a duty that we must all be prepared to do while we have life," she emphasised.

Mrs. Museveni encouraged the Ntungamo NRM leaders to continue raising grassroots issues with her and other NRM leaders and to follow up with relevant government bodies on service delivery challenges.

Responding to a progress report from Ntungamo District NRM Mobilisers' SACCO, Mrs. Museveni promised to arrange BRAC trainers to share expertise on SACCO operations and loan management.

Ntungamo NRM District Executive Committee meeting at State House Nakasero on Wednesday.

"Bangladesh is a very poor country with a very bad climate, but they have discipline to build financial institutions like no other place I know in the world. So, I would like us to learn from something happening elsewhere, that makes poor people really grow and make money.

That's why I want to invite someone from BRAC to Ntungamo to help your SACCO work. 

You should also learn to save because the Asians know how to save more than Africans who know how to spend money but they do not have the discipline for saving, and that is why our monies never grow," she explained.

Mrs Museveni shared the inspirational story of Grameen Bank, founded by underprivileged Bangladeshi women who, through disciplined saving and support from a lecturer, accumulated enough wealth to decline a World Bank loan offer. 

"I was moved by that story, and I wanted Ugandan women to hear about this story of Grameen Bank. I have recounted this story over and over again when engaging with women's groups around the country.

It has been my prayer that before I die, I will hear the same report from the Ugandan people—saying something to all these agencies that come and walk all over us and say whatever they want about us because they are lending us their money and because they think we are unable to make money," said Mrs. Museveni.

Emphasizing the saving culture she added, "We have a duty if only for our God's sake, to say to somebody that we don't want their money anymore because we have learned how to save our own. So, it is my prayer that people in Ntungamo, my own area, will do something that will give me the pride of who we are as a people."

The NRM leaders expressed appreciation for the PDM and Emyooga programmes, along with special grants for women's empowerment and people with disabilities, noting their positive impact on household incomes.

While they welcomed the new coffee factory in Ntungamo, they emphasized the need to enhance coffee bean production quality and quantity. They also requested inclusion in the SMART AGRICULTURE program.

Other concerns raised included: tick control, low milk prices, insufficient medical equipment at health facilities—particularly the need for a generator and X-ray machine at Itojo Hospital,  support for NRM mobilizers at parish and village levels, and the need for computer equipment at NRM offices.