Museveni assures Kole of new restocking approach and wealth creation
The President assured residents that the government would implement restocking in northern Uganda carefully to avoid past challenges and conflicts.
NRM supporters welcoming President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at Aculbanya Secondary School playground today. (PPU photos)
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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who is also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential flagbearer for the 2026 general elections, has today (January 08) returned to the Lango Sub-region, beginning his first campaign rally of the day in Kole District.
While addressing thousands of supporters at Aculbanya Secondary School playground, President Museveni assured the residents of Kole of the government's commitment to wealth creation, cattle compensation in the areas of Lango, Acholi and Teso, as well as sustainable use of natural resources.
President Museveni explained why he had earlier missed a campaign engagement in the sub-region, saying he had been held up by crucial cabinet discussions on cattle restocking.
“I had to rush back to cabinet to harmonise the position on restocking after our people in Teso, Lango and Acholi agreed to shift from a legalistic approach to using the Parish Development Model (PDM),” the President said.
“Cabinet resolved that instead of giving cows directly, we provide money, and that money is now available on the accounts.”
The President thanked the people of Kole for turning up in big numbers and said he was accompanied by leaders from Kampala to present the key principles of the NRM Manifesto 2026–2031, which he described as being built on seven pillars that have laid Uganda’s foundation.
He reminded the gathering that Uganda’s past instability was largely caused by identity politics, noting that the NRM has since restored unity and redirected the country towards prosperity.
According to President Museveni, development alone is not enough without deliberate wealth creation at the household level.
He traced this philosophy back to the 1960s, when he and his colleagues emphasised that Ugandans should work not only “for the stomach, but also for the pocket.”
He highlighted the NRM’s long-standing promotion of the four-acre model, especially for families with limited land, recommending coffee, fruits, pasture for dairy cattle, and food crops or enterprises such as poultry and fish farming.
Turning to Lango’s natural resources, the President described the region as a goldmine, particularly its wetlands, which he urged residents to use sustainably.
“You should not destroy the wetlands,” he said, adding that fish farming on the periphery of wetlands, combined with irrigation, can generate high incomes and lift families out of poverty.
He cited practical examples, including his own experience, to demonstrate how proper water use can multiply agricultural yields.
President Museveni stressed that government programmes since 1997, including Entandikwa, were designed to support Ugandans without capital or access to bank loans, so that no household is left without a source of wealth.
He also pointed to national progress in production, noting the growth in livestock and crop output over the years as evidence that Uganda’s economy is steadily expanding.
The President assured residents that the government would implement restocking in northern Uganda carefully to avoid past challenges and conflicts. He further said he had received the memorandum from the district leadership and pledged to address the issues raised.
President Museveni concluded by calling on the people of Kole and the wider Lango Sub-region to continue supporting the NRM so as to preserve the gains already made and build even further.
On her part, the Speaker of Parliament and NRM Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), Anita Annet Among, credited President Museveni for restoring peace and driving development in northern Uganda, saying the region has witnessed a remarkable transformation from years of insecurity.
Among recalled her childhood experiences in Lira, saying the insecurity that once plagued the region was unbearable. She noted that the current peace and stability being celebrated across the country are the foundation of development.
“We are today celebrating peace and security in this country and the development that has come because of it,” Among said.
She pointed to major infrastructure improvements, particularly road construction, saying routes such as Tororo–Mbale–Soroti–Kole–Kamdini, which never existed in the past, are now a reality due to government commitment.
Among also highlighted the Atyak–Gulu road, noting that it connects northern Uganda to South Sudan, boosting trade and regional integration. She explained that the government prioritised the road partly to support AFCON-related infrastructure, adding that funds for the project had already been provided under the AFCON budget.
Turning to local priorities, Among said the people of Kole had appealed for the upgrading of Aboke Health Centre IV to a district hospital to improve access to health services.
She further reminded the President of an earlier pledge to establish a technical school in the area, saying such an institution would equip young people with practical skills and reduce unemployment.
Among noted that Kole is largely an agricultural district, with farmers growing coffee, sunflower, soya and other crops, but said production is affected by prolonged dry seasons. She said the community is requesting irrigation support to enable year-round farming.
She also thanked President Museveni for promoting politics based on ideology rather than identity, saying this has encouraged inclusivity and national unity.
Among acknowledged support from members of the opposition, particularly UPC supporters, whom she said backed the President out of conviction rather than political pressure.
The NRM Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda, Hon. Hamson Obua, called on voters in Kole and the wider Lango Sub-region to support President Museveni in the 2026 general elections, saying a vote for the ruling party is key to sustaining peace and development.
Obua said supporting President Museveni and the NRM was crucial to maintaining peace, which he described as the “center of gravity” of Uganda’s development.
“A vote for President Museveni is a vote for peace, and peace is the foundation upon which all development stands,” he said.
He added that the stability enjoyed in the country has enabled the government to implement key development programmes, particularly in the Lango Sub-region.
According to Obua, voting for President Museveni would also safeguard the development gains already achieved in Lango, noting that continued NRM leadership is essential for sustained socio-economic transformation.
Boniface Okot, the aspirant Member of Parliament for Kole South, who presented the memorandum on behalf of the people of Kole commended government wealth-creation programmes for improving household incomes in the district, while calling for increased investment in fisheries to expand economic opportunities.
Okot said the district warmly welcomed government interventions and appreciated the impact they were already having on local communities.
According to Okot, Kole District has 11 sub-counties and town councils, 52 parishes and 586 villages, with a population of 294,301, as per the 2024 population census.
He noted that under the Parish Development Model, Kole has cumulatively received Shs18.56 billion, out of which sh15.98 billion, representing 86.08 percent, and has already been disbursed to 16,176 households.
On Emyooga, Okot said the district has 36 SACCOs, which have received sh1.57 billion in government seed capital.
He added that members have mobilised savings amounting to Shs273.4 million, reflecting growing confidence in community-led financial initiatives.
Okot reported that Kole District has 61 government and 35 private primary schools, alongside 7 government and 54 private secondary schools. All government secondary schools offer Universal Secondary Education (USE) and Universal Post-O Level Education and Training, with a combined enrollment of 4,720 learners.
However, he pointed out that education infrastructure gaps still exist. Out of 52 parishes, only 31 host at least one government primary school, leaving 21 parishes without one.
At the secondary level, Okot said only 6 of the 11 sub-counties have a government secondary school, leaving five without one.
He added that the district is currently benefiting from the construction of two seed secondary schools, which will reduce the number of sub-counties without a government secondary school to three once the projects are completed.
On health service delivery, Okot said 10 out of 11 sub-counties have Health Centre IIIs, while Kole North Constituency has a Health Centre IV staffed with three doctors and an ambulance.
He noted that Kole South, although without a HCIV, also has an ambulance to support emergency referrals.
Okot further stated that 80 percent of villages in the district have access to safe water, with 473 out of 586 villages covered, leaving 113 villages still underserved.
He also noted that Kole District is connected to the national electricity grid, and that the government plans to extend power to the sub-counties of Alito, Aboke, Akalo and Balla in the next term.
The event was attended by NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) members, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, as well as thousands of supporters.