Decades of neglect in Teso will end in my presidency, Nandal tells Ngora residents

TESO - With days to the 2026 General Election, James Nathan Nandala Mafabi has told residents of Ngora district that once elected president of Uganda, he will end what he is calling years of neglect of Teso region.

Accompanied by his wife Flora Nandala and his party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag-bearers in the district, Nandala made four stopovers as he moved through the area before addressing a large rally at Ngora town council.

He was warmly received by local party leaders and residents, many of whom lined the roads to welcome his convoy as it passed through rural trading centres.

Speaking against the backdrop of alleged water scarcity, failing civil services and limited markets for agricultural produce, Nandala on January 8, 2026, told supporters that Teso’s decline was neither accidental nor irreversible.

He said the region, once among the country’s most prosperous, had been pushed backwards by poor policy choices and a failure by government to invest in local economies.

 “Teso was one of the richest regions in this country. It had cotton, it had cows, it had everything. Today, when you come here, there is almost nothing. Cattle were taken, lives were lost, cotton collapsed not because it has no value, but because government refused to support farmers and markets,” Nandala said, recalling a time when the region supported vibrant co-operatives and agro-processing industries.

The FDC presidential hopeful promised to prioritise agriculture-led industrialisation, anchored in small and medium-scale processing facilities located closer to farmers.

Nandala criticised what he called the unfair concentration of large factories far from production zones, arguing that this model locks out ordinary farmers.

“You cannot build one huge factory far away and expect everyone to transport produce there. We want smaller industries near the people cotton ginneries here, processing facilities here so value is added where production happens,” he said.

He singled out fruit farming as a missed opportunity, pledging to establish a fruit-processing factory to absorb locally grown oranges and mangoes, which now cost shillings 20,000 a sack.

He said it was unacceptable that Uganda continued to import fruits from neighbouring countries while Teso’s produce went to waste, despite being organic and of high quality.

Nandala also promised to tackle water scarcity and expand irrigation, saying farmers could no longer rely solely on rain-fed agriculture in the face of changing weather patterns.

He linked poor access to clean water to broader failures in service delivery, including health and education, which he said would be addressed through decentralised funding and accountability.

Nandala said an FDC government would fully compensate affected families based on real economic value, not symbolic handouts.

“If someone lost 100 cows, you cannot come with five cows today. Compensation must reflect what those cows would be worth now. If lives were lost, the opportunity cost of that life must be recognised. Teso has been taken back more than 40 years, yet it should be far ahead,” he said.

The presidential candidate was throwing barbs at the recently government-announced rollout of a shillings 80 billion cattle restocking programme targeting households in the regions of Lango, Acholi and Teso.

The move is expected to be a turning point for communities battered by conflict and broken promises. The development follows Cabinet approving a new approach on December 15, 2025, replacing prolonged compensation with direct household restocking.

Under the programme, each beneficiary household will receive shillings five million, equivalent to the value of five cows. The money is expected to be sent directly to mobile money accounts, eliminating bank charges and long-distance travel.

Okello Peter, 62, a farmer from Kapir sub-county, said the loss of cattle during past insurgencies pushed his family into lasting poverty.

“When our cows were taken, everything ended from our riches, food and respect. Up to now, we have never recovered. If the government can truly compensate us with cows, even five, that is life coming back. It means milk, income, and dignity again,” Okello said.

Protect your votes 

Nandala urged his supporters to remain vigilant on polling day and to lawfully protect their vote.

He said the law allows voters to remain within a defined 20 metre distance of polling stations after voting and accused authorities of previously issuing illegal guidance.

“Your vote is your power. Do not abandon it. Stay within the law and protect it,” he told supporters.

Ariet Eunice from Ngora Town Council, said many families are trapped in subsistence living with little chance to improve their incomes.

“We are poor because we have nothing to fall back on. No cattle, no irrigation, and bad roads make it hard to sell what we grow. Sometimes you harvest, but by the time you reach the market, the produce is spoiled or buyers cheat you because transport is expensive,” she said.

She welcomed promises on water and roads, saying they would reduce the daily burden on women.

“We walk long distances for water. If water comes closer, women can work, children can study, and life can improve,” Ariet said.