Focus on livelihood transformation, Museveni tells Wakiso leaders

WAKISO - President Yoweri Museveni has urged Wakiso district leaders to get deeply organised at the grassroots and focus on practical measures to transform people’s livelihoods.

The President made the call on July 10, 2025, while addressing leaders at the Wakiso district headquarters on the fourth day of his Parish Development Model (PDM) assessment tour in the district.

President Museveni urged leaders to actively engage with local structures, starting at the parish level, to ensure no family is left behind.

He stressed that every leader should know the exact number of residents in their parish, noting that accurate data makes it easier to coordinate with the government to deliver targeted services.

“Leaders are like doctors — before treating people, you must first diagnose the problems affecting them,” the President advised.

He shared personal anecdotes, recalling how in the 1960s he prioritised wealth over development by acquiring land in Rwakitura for commercial farming instead of waiting for tarmac roads and electricity.

He explained that the infrastructure eventually caught up, but the wealth he built came first through commercial agriculture.

The President outlined five pillars he urged leaders to focus on: Peace, development, wealth creation, jobs and services.

He emphasised that creating wealth, particularly through commercial agriculture, manufacturing, and service industries, naturally leads to jobs, especially for young people.

The President stressed that every leader should know the exact number of residents in their parish, noting that accurate data makes it easier to coordinate with the government to deliver targeted services.

“If there is no wealth, there are no jobs,” he warned, encouraging leaders to ask themselves how many families in their areas are engaged in commercial agriculture.

President Museveni further reiterated his call to fight corruption in government service delivery and urged leaders to explore markets for local products, which he promised to discuss further.

Growing support for NRM

NRM director for mobilisation Rosemary Seninde, representing party secretary general, reported growing support for the NRM since thE 2021 general election.

Speaking on behalf of district leaders, former NRM chairperson flag-bearer for Wakiso District Moses Mayanja, delivered a detailed and data-driven progress report capturing both achievements and remaining gaps in the district’s transformation journey.

Mayanja further noted the visible success of the Emyooga programme, launched to accelerate wealth creation and financial inclusion. Since 2021, the district has formed 467 digitised Emyooga samples which collectively received over 10.2 billion shillings in seed capital.

These groups have mobilised 2.7 billion shillings in member revenues and disbursed 11.3 billion shillings in loans to micro-entrepreneurs, especially benefiting women and youth who are expanding small businesses, adding value to products, and reaching wider markets.

Despite this progress, Mayanja pointed out that Wakiso’s rapidly growing population, now estimated at around 4.1 million, creates pressure on existing programmes.

He explained that out of approximately 333,000 eligible households under the Parish Development Model, only about 2,262 have benefited so far, prompting leaders to propose that the government increase the PDM allocation per parish beyond the current 3.1 billion shillings to ensure broader coverage.