Museveni tips Wakiso communities on household wealth creation

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“If you are living in Kampala and you don't want to work in a factory, produce something else that you can sell. The workers in the factories buy milk, meat, food, and other products.

You can either work in the factory or supply the factories. That is why we have been sending you money all these years and cautioning you not to be diverted by what they call tarmac roads.

These developments are for all of us, but individual wealth creation is your responsibility,” President Museveni said while addressing hundreds at Wampewo Community Playground in Wakiso District on Monday, July 7, 2025.

A release from the Presidential Press Unit states that he also called on Wakiso and Kampala communities not to be misled by the visible signs of development, such as roads, electricity, schools, and factories, but instead focus on individual efforts toward wealth creation.

While acknowledging the significant infrastructural improvements in Wakiso the President emphasised that true transformation begins at the household level.

According to a release from the Presidential Press Unit states that he also reiterated that the more important aspect is ensuring that citizens utilise available resources to create wealth.

President Museveni arrives at the rally venue.

The rally at Wampewo marked the beginning of President Museveni’s wealth creation and Parish Development Model (PDM) four-day assessment tour in Wakiso District.

The district has a population of 3,411,177 people, according to the 2024 Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Population Census.

The population is spread across four municipalities, such as Entebbe, Nansana, Kira, and Makindye-Ssabagabo, as well as Wakiso Rural.

Before the rally, President Museveni visited Kagoma Skilling Metal Fabricators in Nansana Municipality, where he interacted with carpenters and metal fabricators in Kawanda.

He also met with a Parish Development Model beneficiary, Isaac Luzze, who is involved in piggery and poultry farming in Gombe Division.

The visits aimed to inspire local communities by showcasing successful stories of individuals engaged in productive ventures.

Reflecting on Uganda’s transformation since 1986, President Museveni noted that the country has transitioned from a time of severe material shortages, including paraffin, salt, sugar, and clothing, to one where local factories now produce these necessities.

He cited the case of new developments in the area.

“I was driving to and from the Kampala-Migadde stretch.

This is an area which used to be covered with farms, banana plantations, and forests. Now, it’s filled with factories and shopping centres. That didn’t just happen by accident,” he stated.

The President revealed that factories in Uganda have created 1.2 million jobs, compared to 480,000 jobs in the public sector.

“The number of factory jobs is now three times higher, and they are growing,” he noted.

The agricultural sector, he added, has created 3.6 million jobs, while the services sector, including transport and hospitality, has generated 5 million jobs.

President Museveni said the Government is now focused on ensuring that the workers in the factories are paid well after addressing the cost of doing business to enable the factories to accumulate profits.

He also gave updates on the Transport and Energy sectors.

“We are working on the railway lines from Kenya and Tanzania to lower transport costs. Electricity prices have already been reduced for factories.

Once these costs go down, we shall compel factories to pay their workers better salaries,” President Museveni stated.

At the same event, the President took a swipe at the opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), accusing them of neglecting their constituents’ needs.

According to Museveni, many opposition MPs were more focused on their salaries than on serving the people who elected them.

“When elections come, chase away these opposition people. They are betrayers who don’t care about you.

You're praising Gen. Ddamulira and Major Kuteesa, but ask yourself, for Gen. Ddamulira to come and look for you, what were your MPs doing?

They’re just receiving salaries but not following up on your issues. Why are you electing them?”, Museveni lectured to the mammoth gathering.

According to the PPU release, he emphasised the need to elect leaders who genuinely represent and advocate for the people.

He used a proverb in Luganda language to emphasise his statement.

“The Baganda have a saying that ‘Omuggo oguli ku muliraano tegugoba ngo’ (The stick next door cannot help you chase a leopard that has invaded you.

I’m in the government supporting you, but I cannot be everywhere. You need representatives who care about your community,” the President added.

Expressing frustration over the slow response to youth-related issues, blaming it on misinformation and political diversion.

Museveni urged the youths to take advantage of government programs designed to support them, especially under the Parish Development Model, which aims to transition households from subsistence to market-oriented production

“We have created the structures, but they are not being used effectively,” he stated.

PDM team Wakiso team reported that the district has received sh30.7 billion, which has been disbursed to 31,952 households across eight constituencies, 27 sub-counties, 147 parishes, and 363 villages.

Despite these efforts, the President, however, complained about the lack of follow-up by local leaders and communities.

“Apart from roads, we have been putting money into wealth creation at the sub-county level since 1996.

We started with NAADS, then Operation Wealth Creation, and now the PDM.

But the problem is that people are not following up on these programs,” said Museveni.

Fact file

Wakiso District is Uganda's most densely populated district with over 3.4 million residents, according to the 2024 Census.

Wakiso district spans four bustling municipalities: Entebbe, Nansana, Kira, and Makindye-Ssabagabo, alongside vast rural communities.

With sh30.7 billion already disbursed to 31,952 households under the PDM, the district represents an opportunity for the government’s flagship wealth creation initiative.