'Peace is not something to joke around with'

By Vision Reporter

President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned that electing leaders is not just fashionable and that the prevailing peace in the country is not something to joke around with, adding that by electing NRM, the people have given government power to repair and build the economy.

The President said that the process would have grown even much faster but for some people in parliament who delay programmes.

“The economy has expanded 13 times from 1986 to date. It would have grown much faster but I have a problem with people in parliament who delay programmes. Bujagali was delayed by almost 15 years. Now they are delaying Amuru sugar project.

 When people were putting pressure on me to bring electricity, the problem was not wires but the supply was little in Jinja. Fortunately Bujagali is finished, the wires are here and there is enough electricity. Elect leaders who will support the NRM. When electing leaders, it is not just fashionable, in the bible it says what you sow is what you reap. If you sow confusion, you reap confusion,” he said.

Museveni was addressing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) District Delegates’ Conference at Chemwania Primary School in Kween District ahead of the forthcoming elections of the Kween District Chairperson due on 29th November.

Kween district LC V seat fell vacant on 31st August 2011, after the High Court in Kampala nullified the elections of Lawrence Mangusho Cherop as the district LC V chairman on the ground of lack of requisite academic qualifications and failure to comply with the electoral laws.

Museveni said the value of the national economy has expanded 13 times since 1986 and is currently at US$20 billion compared to US$3.7 billion in 1971 which later shrank to US$ 1.5 billion by 1986, an equivalent of 88%, adding that because of this, Sebei region alone now has 13 Government aided and 11 privately-run Secondary Schools, compared to only 3 secondary schools in 1986 while the number of primary school pupils has grown to 79,000 from 17,000 in 1986.

 He revealed that the Government plans to have a technical institute in every district in the country.

He also said because of government constant efforts to improve service delivery, over 182 people who were in the habit of stealing government medical drugs were arrested and would face criminal charges in courts of law, adding that Government drugs are now branded and stamped in such a manner that they can no longer be stolen. He added that the biggest success the Government has registered in the health sector is the immunization programme with ten vaccines against deadly diseases now available.

He commended the people of Sebei Sub-Region for continuously supporting NRM and thanked them for making a good political investment. He called on them to vote for the NRM flag bearer, Mr. Kapchemeiko Paul Machinjach, during the up-coming elections for Kween LC5 Chairperson. 

Regarding electricity, Museveni said the Government extended the power line to Kween district since there is sufficient electricity on the national grid. He added that electricity would be extended to the high altitude sports training centre and that a company has been contracted to build a dam on Suam and Sipi Rivers that would generate more electricity.

On eradication of poverty, the President emphasized the need to promote household income. He advised wananchi with an average of 4 acres of land, to allocate one to wheat production, another to Arabica coffee, the third one to Irish potatoes cultivation and the fourth to elephant grass growing for the benefit of rearing cattle.

Kween District NRM Chairman, Mr. Lawrence Mangusho, on behalf of the people of the area, congratulated President Museveni for his victory during the 2011 general elections. He observed that security in the area had improved since the launching of the new district. He saluted President Museveni and the NRM Government for the provision of electricity as well as the road construction equipment.