Museveni tours model farm in Kanungu

By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe and Caleb Bahikaho

THE instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo will not spill over into Uganda, the President said yesterday.

The fighting groups in Congo, he said, had no capacity to destabilise Uganda.

Addressing a rally at Ntungamo Primary School in Kayonza sub-county in Kanungu district, near the Congo border, Museveni said: “They will continue fighting among themselves but they cannot cross into Uganda because we cannot allow them. That is the benefit of voting for a strong government.”

The President is on a four-day poverty eradication drive in the district.

“UPDF is very strong and has a strong leadership. Nobody will destabilise this area. It is now up to you to work hard and improve household income.”

Museveni’s comments came amid reports that the Congolese authorities had closed Bunagana border, thereby affecting cross-border business.

The 2nd Division spokesperson, Capt. Tabaro Kiconco, said business had come to a standstill because Ugandans could not cross to Congo.

“We have not received any official communication from the Congolese government,” he said.

The shutdown of the border followed a clash between the Congo government forces and Gen. Laurent Nkunda’s rebels in North Kivu province.

The border had been under the rebels’ control but fighting was still going on. Bunagana is a major supply route to Congo from Kisoro side.

Ugandan LRA rebels are also holed up in Garamba Forest.

Addressing another rally at Kambuga SS, Museveni, who is on a four-day tour, dismissed claims by Forum for Democratic Change leader, Kizza Besigye, that his government would collapse before 2011.

“This is not possible because the NRM is becoming stronger,” he said. “The Ugandan people have been electing a strong government since 1996.”

Turning to education, Museveni said he had signed the law which makes the charging of extra fees in universal primary education (UPE) schools a crime. He said UPE was “100% free”.

“If anybody charges any money, report and we shall deal with them by sending them to Luzira Prison.”

On poverty, the President urged residents to take to commercial farming. He visited the farm of Johnson Kazigaba of Ruhandagazi parish which has 10,000 trees of coffee, grows bananas, rears pigs, goats and chicken. He earns about sh22m annually.

Museveni also visited Emmanuel Garubanda, a coffee farmer, whose plantation of 10,000 trees gives him sh24m annually.

He called on residents to undertake multiple income-generating activities such as dairy farming, banana, apple, oranges and grapes production. He urged the National Agricultural Advisory Services officials to help the farmers achieve this.

Museveni said even if the Government provided infrastructure it would be useless if people did not start economic projects.

Reacting to the demand for a tarmac road from Rukungiri to Ishasha, the President said the money for the project was ready.

“But my question is would you put a mat on tarmac and sleep there?” he asked. “It is good to walk on a murram road other than walking on tarmac road when you are barefoot.”

Museveni said a road in itself would not guarantee wealth. He cited Kazigaba and Garubanda, who he said had used their land to become rich before the road is tarmacked. “Copy them and have something to give you an income before demanding the road and hospitals.”

Museveni also visited Annet Kinanga, who has a 25-acre tea plantation in Omukishanda, Kayonza sub-county. Tea-growing is the main economic activity here. The President advised the farmer to practice mixed cropping and grow fruits in tea plantations. Museveni donated a pick-up truck to help the farmer transport tea to the factory.

Kinanga said she gets sh27m from the tea each year. She spends about 15m on labour and other costs and nets sh9m every year.

He later visited Bwindi Winery in Butogota trading centre where Teddy Gasana is making wine from grapes, pineapples and passion fruits.

Museveni said sh120b was available to fund six families per parish to have model farms in the fight against poverty.

“We have 5,000 parishes which means 30,000 families will benefit from the project and other people will copy from them,” he said.

Museveni urged residents to join savings cooperatives from which they can borrow money to start commercial projects.

Many speakers including Dr. Chris Baryomunsi urged Museveni to stand for a fourth term in 2011.

“As a football team, you cannot put on katebe (reserve) a person who is scoring. Our president is still scoring and we still need him on the pitch,” Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East) said as Museveni smiled.

He shook the hands of the speakers who called on him to stand again but he did not respond.

In Nyamirama sub-county; the FDC parish chairman for Nyarurambi parish, Paul Kiiza, and a mobiliser John Mahinga said they had defected to the NRM.