NRM's Museveni pledges to set up industrial park in Yumbe
Museveni says said the government plans to create a special fund for unemployed university graduates, as well as for religious and cultural leaders.
Supporters of the NRM gather for President Yoweri Museveni's campaign rally in Yumbe district on October 16, 2025. (Credit: PPU)
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PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flagbearer, has commended the residents of Yumbe district in West Nile sub-region for their steady progress and loyalty to the NRM principles of peace, unity and prosperity.
He attributed Yumbe's growth from a population of 100,000 to over one million today to immunization and improved health services introduced under the NRM government.
Museveni said one of the greatest achievements of the NRM has been peace, which he attributes to NRM's rejection of divisive politics.
“We now have peace because we do not believe in the politics of sectarianism. We believe in valuing everyone, and that has helped us build a national party that embraces all Ugandans. That is why we win the majority when we go to elections. The politics of sectarianism is suicidal,” he said.
The President further said the politics of unity and shared interests has enabled Uganda to form strong national institutions such as the army and the Judiciary.
He also pointed out that the second pillar of the NRM is development, which includes infrastructure such as roads, electricity, hospitals and schools. However, he cautioned Ugandans against confusing development with wealth creation.
“You cannot sleep on a tarmac road. Development benefits everyone, but wealth creation benefits individual families," said Museveni, urging all Ugandans to join the money economy through government programmes like Emyooga, NAADS and the Parish Development Model (PDM).
He said the government plans to create a special fund for unemployed university graduates, as well as for religious and cultural leaders, all aimed at eradicating household poverty. He also mentioned that seedlings will continue to be distributed to farmers.
The NRM leader said wealth is the real source of jobs, explaining that factories and individual enterprises generate more employment than government offices.
“Government jobs are only 480,000, but factories established under the NRM have created 1.3 million jobs."
Museveni commended the people of Yumbe for giving government land which he said will be developed into an industrial park to create jobs for the youth.
He emphasized that the NRM’s enduring message remains peace, development and jobs.
Denis Hamson Obua, the NRM vice-chairperson for Northern Uganda, appreciated the President for his consistent guidance and transformative programmes reaching the people of Yumbe.
Yumbe has 26 sub-counties and town councils, 197 parishes and 1,159 villages. The district’s population currently stands at 945,100 according to the 2024 census.
In the last presidential election, Museveni polled 71.2% of the vote, and in 2025, the number of registered voters has risen to 122,184 across 363 polling stations.
Under PDM, Yumbe’s 197 parishes have cumulatively received 59.9 billion shillings, with over 97% disbursed to 58,334 beneficiary households. The district also has 57 Emyooga SACCOs with 16,184 members and total government support amounting to 2.01 billion shillings.
Yumbe has 143 government primary schools, 41 private primary schools, 10 government secondary schools and two private secondary schools. Six seed schools are under construction or design, which will reduce the number of sub-counties without a government secondary school from 16 to 10.
In the health sector, Yumbe has one regional referral hospital, two health centres IV and 19 health centres III, meaning 22 of its 26 sub-counties have a health facility of health centre III level and above. Major ongoing works include rehabilitation and expansion of Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital, construction of a 300-bed ward, 95 staff houses and several new maternity and outpatient units.
In the water sector, 940 of the district’s 1,159 villages have access to safe water, representing 77% coverage. The Ala-Ora piped water system under construction will extend water to more villages in Ariwa sub-county, with additional plans to expand to 64 more villages across Kochi, Bijjo, Lodonga and Lobe Town Council.
