Focus on improving household income, Museveni tells Ankole leaders

________________

President Yoweri Museveni has asked leaders in the Ankole sub-region to spearhead a wealth creation campaign with a focus on enhancing people’s household income in their communities.

The President informed leaders about his government's focus on wealth, skills, job creation, and development.

“It is not correct to concentrate on the development of roads and so on and forget wealth," the President said, adding that it is wealth and skills that will create jobs for Ugandans and later on development.

This was on February 26, 2025, as he met Ankole leaders at Bushenyi Main Stadium in Bushenyi municipality.

The meeting was part of the President’s three-day performance assessment zonal tour on wealth creation and the Parish Development Model programme in the region. The tour kicked off on Tuesday and ended on Thursday with a public rally in Rwampara East constituency in Rwampara district.

Committed to wealth creation

President reassured leaders that his government is committed to continue funding wealth creation programs aimed at helping Ugandans escape poverty.

Museveni believes the money already disbursed in the communities once it is well utilised will grow to support a bigger number of Ugandans.

“We have good roads, electricity, and a good network, but we still have people in our communities who are poor, “President stressed.

President also asked farmers in the areas to embrace the irrigation system of farming, noting this will help to increase their yields.

President said the Government will come up with a comprehensive irrigation plan for the entire country but cautioned people to stop degrading wetlands as this will affect the irrigation program.

President, instead, advised people to practice environment-friendly activities.

Supporting farmers

He said the Government will support farmers with fertilisers and also advised farmers to invest in pasture production. President said with the current food production, the government will now focus on establishing factories to absorb what Ugandans are producing.

President also re-echoed his caution against land and property fragmentation.

He also advised leaders in the region to exercise politics of development not like the past governments where politics was hinged on people’s religions and tribes.

“Is there poverty of Protestants or Catholics? Is there a disease of Islam,” the President added.

At the meeting, the President was accompanied by high-profile government leaders, including Vice-President Jesca Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa.

Renew President's mandate

Alupo expressed gratitude to President Yoweri Museveni for his clear and inspiring exposition about securing Uganda’s future through wealth creation and shared prosperity.  She appealed to people in Ankole and other parts of the country to renew the President’s mandate 2026-2031 to continue to lead the country and enable NRM to take Uganda to modernity and prosperity. 

At the meeting, Ankole leaders endorsed President Yoweri Museveni to be their sole candidate come the 2026 general election. 

NRM Secretary General Richard Tadwongo appreciated the Ankole region for its continuing voting movement system. Tatwongo reported that Ankole has been voting NRM above 80%.

Leaders commended Museveni for security and peace

Presenting their memorandum, leaders from districts of Ankole commended President Yoweri Museveni for his exemplary leadership as far as guaranteeing peace and security in the region, the country and the entire African continent.  The memorandum was presented by Basil Bataringaya, the chairperson Ankole parliamentary caucus.

In the memorandum, leaders also thanked the President for engaging Ugandans in household income as an integral part of wealth creation for social economic transformation.  The leaders also appreciated the President for supporting faith-based projects, the introduction of UPE and USE and fighting human and animal diseases, among others.

The leaders also outline four key areas of concern, including roads that need to be worked on, the need to extend electricity to some areas, the need to help water-stressed areas in the region and district without a hospital and constituencies without health centre IV. Leaders also requested the president to address the challenge facing the tea sector in the sub-region and establish more industrial hubs in the region.