President Museveni rallies rural communities to safeguard peace, tackle crime
President said Uganda’s current peace is a product of deliberate efforts, particularly the formation of a strong national army in the 1980s.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni addressing residents at St Cornelius Playground in Kalagala village, Buikwe district on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (PPU photos)
By Admin .
Journalists @New Vision
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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged communities to strengthen coordination with the police in safeguarding Uganda’s longstanding peace and combating rural criminality.
Addressing residents at St Cornelius Playground in Kalagala village, Buikwe district, the President said Uganda’s current peace is a product of deliberate efforts, particularly the formation of a strong national army in the 1980s.
“We built for you a strong army in the 1980s that has protected this country,” he said.
He expressed concern over rising petty crimes in rural areas, including livestock and crop theft, which he warned undermine efforts toward wealth creation.
Citing the Masaka killings as a turning point, he highlighted the value of community-police coordination.
He recounted how a delayed police response, after a woman in Masaka phoned her husband instead of local police, led to five deaths. In contrast, he praised a successful intervention near Lukaya where a nurse’s timely call helped police foil a criminal attack.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni arriving at St Cornelius Playground in Kalagala village, Buikwe district.
“To fix this, I directed that every household must have the contact of the sub-county police. That number should be toll-free,” he said.
“When there is coordination, we can act immediately.”
Museveni emphasised the importance of preserving crime scenes and allowing trained police dogs and forensic tools like CCTV and digital number plates to aid investigations.
“From now on, there will be no more police bonds for these thugs,” he declared.
Devt hand-in-hand with wealth creation
While acknowledging national development projects such as roads and electricity, the President underscored the need for household-level wealth creation.
He warned that without deliberate income-generating activities, even modern infrastructure would not lift communities out of poverty.
“This road from Mukono–Kisoga–Nkokonjeru, the electricity, and the schools are for all of us. But that is development. Wealth is different, it is personal,” Museveni said.
He encouraged intensive land use for smallholder farmers.
“If you have four acres, do seven things,” he said, recommending a mix of coffee, fruit, pasture, food crops, poultry, piggery, and fish farming.
On PDM and land justice
The President reiterated that the Parish Development Model (PDM) is a revolving fund, not a handout.
“This PDM is your bank… Those who have received the money must ensure it is put to good use and repaid after two years so that others can also benefit,” he said, warning against misuse or default.
Turning to land rights, Museveni condemned the illegal eviction of bibanja holders, saying it was a colonial legacy Uganda must shed.
“This land belongs to the people,” he said.
“We shall make sure that bibanja holders pay ground rent through the sub-county office. Landlords who reject these payments will no longer have room to manipulate or threaten tenants.”
Support for local development
He announced financial support of sh30 million each to youth and women SACCOs in Buikwe.
Diana Mutasingwa, minister of state in the Office of the Vice President and Buikwe Woman MP, thanked Museveni for supporting Buikwe’s development, including the Sugarcane Act and a sh10bn allocation for the district headquarters.
She also mentioned sh1.3bn for irrigation and a budget for the Lugazi–Kiyindi–Buikwe road.
She appealed for renewed focus on the fishing community around Lake Victoria, calling for protection of their livelihoods.
The event was attended by several leaders, including Government Chief Whip Denis Hamson Obua, Buganda NRM vice chairperson Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, micro-finance state minister Haruna Kasolo, and State House comptroller Jane Barekye.