Museveni plans Kidepo International Airport during campaign rally in Moroto

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, also the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flag bearer, on Monday, October 27, 2025, unveiled ambitious development plans for Karamoja, including the construction of an international airport in Kidepo, comparable in scale to Entebbe.

The announcement came during his public campaign rally held at Naitakwae Boma Grounds in Moroto District, where he highlighted the strides made in peace, infrastructure, and social services across the region.

The President was in the company of the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni.

President Museveni and First Lady welcomed to the campaign rally by Speaker Among and other district leaders. (PPU)

“We are going to build an international airport in Kidepo as big as Entebbe,” President Museveni said.

“It is going to be built by private investors who will also construct hotels there. Why? Because our wild animals are like sports, people come to the stadium to watch football, to enjoy and relax, and they pay. That is what will happen in Kidepo. Rich people will come from all over the world with money to relax. This is part of economic infrastructure,” he said.

The President reflected on the region’s journey from hardship to progress.

“First of all, when I used to come to Karamoja, I would speak to small gatherings of 10 people. That was because the population was small. In 1980, Karamoja had 190,000 people. Today, it is more than 1.5 million. This growth is because of peace, health, and immunisation. I can see all these young NRM supporters, they are alive because immunisation has prevented diseases like measles,” he said.

President Museveni credited peace in the region to the NRM’s politics of unity, which avoided sectarianism.

“NRM was able to bring peace because of our politics of unity. That has helped us not only to build the national political party but also to develop the region,” he added.

The President outlined significant infrastructure milestones in Moroto.

“Electricity now stretches from Soroti to Karenga, roads are being upgraded and tarmacked, including the Moroto-Kaabong road, and piped water coverage is increasing across villages,” he highlighted.

“I was informed that the road between Moroto and Kotido is impassable. Even if it’s murram, it should be passable with proper maintenance. I have spoken to the Ministry of Works about this issue.”

On water development, President Museveni said that water is one of the key factors that he identified in Karamoja sub-region, noting that he is happy with the progress and the ongoing and planned projects.

These include; Desilting of Kobebe Earth Dam is ongoing, Nadipal Valley Tank (20 million litres) was completed in Nadunget Sub-county in December 2023, Nakonyen Valley Dam (1.5 billion litres capacity) in Tapac Sub-county is set for completion in November 2025, Lokisile Dam desilting will take place this financial year, and construction of Naberu Dam (1.2 billion litres) is scheduled to start in November 2025 with 11 valley tanks and two wind-powered water systems already operational, while a solar irrigation system is under construction.

“Water is critical for production, and we are expanding access not just for households but for agriculture, livestock in the region,” he said.

President Museveni also touched on social infrastructure, including schools and health facilities, noting that Moroto District has 16 government primary schools and three secondary schools, with plans to establish a government primary school per parish and a secondary school per sub-county.

He mentioned that the region also has one general referral hospital and five Health Centre IIIs, with further upgrades and new facilities underway.

On wealth creation, the President reiterated the “Four-Acre Model” to transform households from subsistence to prosperity.

“One acre for coffee, one for fruits, one for food crops, and one for pasture and livestock. Even backyard spaces can support poultry, piggery, or fish farming. This model is not just theory, it is the key to transforming households from subsistence to prosperity,” he said.

On her part, the First Lady urged citizens to support the NRM and the President in the upcoming elections.

“I do not doubt at all that Karamoja will vote for the Movement and the President. But I want to remind you, nobody should stay at home without voting for the President and the NRM. God bless Karamoja,” she said.

President and First Lady poses for a photo with NUP defectors who crossed over to NRM. (PPU)

Earlier, President Museveni made a stopover to inspect the progress of Yaobai International Holding Cement Uganda–SMC Ltd, the largest cement factory in Karamoja Sub-region.

(PPU)

(PPU)

Once fully operational, this factory will produce approximately 12,000 tonnes of clinker per day from both production lines.

“This will greatly contribute to our construction industry and create employment opportunities for our people,” he assured.

NRM impact in Moroto:

Moroto District and Municipality, which comprises four constituencies, 11 sub-counties and town councils, 45 parishes, and 244 villages, are witnessing gradual development, according to recent government reports. The district has a total population of 103,639, based on the 2024 census.

The Parish Development Model (PDM) has reached thousands of households in the district. In 37 rural parishes, 10,650 households have received a total of sh10.65 billion, accounting for 91.83% of the allocated funds. Meanwhile, Moroto Municipality’s four parishes have disbursed sh1.03 billion to 1,049 beneficiary households.

Economic empowerment through Emyooga SACCOs has also grown, with 70 SACCOs supporting 15,551 members. A total of sh2.91 billion has so far been disbursed to these grassroots savings and credit groups.

The district’s education sector serves 21 government primary schools enrolling 16,522 pupils and five government secondary schools with 2,570 students. Plans are underway to expand facilities to ensure every parish and sub-county has access to quality schooling.

Healthcare infrastructure includes one regional referral hospital and five Health Centre IIIs. Additional health facilities are planned, and ongoing upgrades aim to expand access to essential medical services across the district.

Access to safe water remains a priority. Out of 233 rural villages, 133, or 57%, currently have piped water, leaving 100 villages still without safe water. The government has committed to ongoing water development projects to improve coverage in the remaining areas.

The campaign is running under the theme: “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status”.

The event was graced by NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) members, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, as well as thousands of supporters.