In Lango, NRM's Museveni promises wealth creation, infrastructure and social transformation

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Presidential flagbearer for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) in the 2026 general elections, concluded his second day of campaigning in the Lango sub-region with twin rallies in Amolatar and Dokolo districts.

Addressing thousands of supporters at Dokolo Technical School grounds on Wednesday (October 1), Museveni urged Ugandans to renew their trust in him and the NRM government, citing areas of achievements and outlining new pledges aimed at propelling the country into middle-income status.

The rally, attended by senior government officials, party leaders, and defectors from opposition parties, marked a high-energy continuation of his regional campaign trail under the theme: “Protecting the gains as we make a qualitative leap into a high middle-income status.”

The NRM leader’s central message in Dokolo revolved around wealth creation and household incomes, which he described as the “medicine for Uganda’s prosperity”. He lamented that despite economic progress, many Ugandans still engage in subsistence farming, working merely for survival.

“The problem we have had since 2013 is that 68% of the people in Uganda were working only to eat, for the stomach. If you only work for the stomach, where do you get money to buy clothes and do other things for yourself?” he asked, further calling for all households to embrace commercial agriculture and other income-generating activities. 

Using practical examples, Museveni highlighted success stories from Lango, including a farmer named Okello from Amolatar who earns substantially from commercial agriculture, and a woman named Apio who transformed her life after investing the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds in maize and livestock.

“These are testimonies of how small support, when properly utilized, can change families forever,” he said.

The NRM presidential frontrunner devoted a significant portion of his address to the PDM, a flagship programme that allocates 100 million shillings to each parish annually to support household wealth creation. He emphasized that unlike commercial bank loans with high interest rates, PDM funds are meant to give Ugandans time to grow enterprises before repayment.

“PDM money is payable after two years because we want you to plant, harvest, and get money to pay back."

The President further announced a proposed increment of 15 million shillings per parish in the next term, specifically earmarked for local leaders, who had previously not directly benefited from the scheme.

The President also cautioned against mismanagement of PDM resources. “Don’t let anyone play around with this PDM money. If anybody tries to, expose them and we arrest them."

He urged the people of Lango to adopt the four-acre farming model, an initiative from the 1996 NRM manifesto in which one acre is planted with coffee, another with fruits, one for pasture to support dairy farming, and one for food crops. Additional small ventures such as poultry, piggery, and fish farming on the periphery of wetlands could further boost incomes.

“Even if you don’t have a tarmac road in your village, you can still be rich. Wealth begins at the homestead. That is what I want to emphasize here,” said the NRM national chairman, further advising communities to use wetlands responsibly by prioritizing irrigation and fish farming over destructive rice cultivation.

Turning to education, Museveni hailed NRM’s expansion of schools across Uganda, from primary to secondary, and pledged further investment in human capital development. “When I was at Ntare School in 1961, we had boys from Lango because in the whole of Uganda there were only six A-Level schools - Kisubi, Buddo, Ntare for boys, then Namagunga, Gayaza and Nabbingo. Now you check how many schools you have in Lango."

On health services, Museveni acknowledged challenges such as drug theft in health centers, which he said could be tackled through community vigilance. “If I get my people of God to monitor, we can stop drug theft. We must work together to end this problem."

The President cited the country’s infrastructure gains as one of the NRM’s enduring legacies. He recalled that when NRM took power in 1986, electricity only reached Lira. Today, he said, it extends to all major centres in the region.

The growth of telecommunication also stood out in his speech. He recounted a 1979 mission to Iraq with the late Akena Pajok, where they were shocked to learn Iraq had 800,000 telephones compared to Uganda’s 40,000 at the time.

“In 1986, we had 23,000 telephones. Today, we have 28 million. All of you now have telephones in your pockets,” he said, linking connectivity to economic empowerment.

On roads, the President pledged to work on the Lango–Namasale Road to reduce travel time to Kampala, as well as upgrade the Lira–Barlege Road.

He tied job creation to wealth generation, arguing that when households engage in commercial farming and enterprise, they not only improve their own welfare, but also create jobs for others. He cited examples like Joseph Ijara from Serere district, who reportedly makes one billion shillings annually with 800 million shillings in profits while employing numerous Ugandans.

“Therefore, my recommendation is for all families to join the money economy using the PDM, then we shall add on some interventions."

Museveni also addressed the long-standing issue of cattle compensation in northern Uganda, a grievance dating back to the insurgencies. He appreciated the people of Lango for welcoming his proposal of five cows per affected household and acknowledged receipt of reports of affirmation from Teso and Lango sub-regions, who are supporting it.

“Therefore, I have directed the government and the technical team to see how to implement it. We may not do it in one year, but we shall cover everybody with time. Please support the NRM again. NRM are not talkers, they are doers," he said.

“Even this corruption we can fight it. For example, the stealing of drugs in the health centers, we can manage it in the 2,000 health centers across the country if I were to get my people of God who will check for me the stealing of those drugs. Let's think about it. How can we stop the stealing of drugs? Let's discuss it."

At the Dokolo rally, Museveni, in his capacity as NRM national chairman, handed party flags to parliamentary flagbearers from the district and welcomed several defectors from opposition parties. Local leaders assured him of overwhelming support in the region. 

Geoffrey Opio Ekong, the NRM chairperson for Dokolo, boldly promised to deliver up to 100% of the votes for Museveni in 2026. “Our target is to give you 85% or even 100% of the votes. It is possible in Dokolo."

The rally also featured endorsements from prominent leaders, such as Anita Among, Speaker of Parliament and NRM vice-chairperson for women, who praised the government for establishing a good road network in the Lango districts.

Denis Hamson Obua, Government Chief Whip and Ajuri County MP, highlighted the region’s three fundamental gains under the NRM: peace, development, and wealth creation. He cited infrastructure projects such as Akii-bua Stadium, Lira University, and the ongoing Lira–Kamdini road upgrade.

NRM secretary general Richard Todwong rallied supporters to protect the party’s gains, while other dignitaries, including health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, youth state minister Balaam Barugahara, and several cultural leaders, attended in solidarity.

Having energized supporters in Amolatar and Dokolo, Museveni’s next stop in the Lango campaign trail is Otuke and Alebtong districts on Thursday, where he is expected to continue reinforcing the NRM’s message of stability, development, and wealth creation.

By the end of the week, he is expected to have traversed all nine districts and Lira City in the Lango sub-region, cementing his campaign foundation in northern Uganda.