President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to intensify wealth creation and industrial development initiatives in Gulu District and Gulu City, promising a new wave of socioeconomic transformation under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government’s next term.
Addressing a large crowd of supporters at Kaunda Stadium in Gulu City, the NRM presidential candidate laid out a comprehensive plan designed to accelerate individual and household prosperity through targeted programs in industrialization, trade expansion, service sector growth, and agricultural modernization.
Museveni emphasized that Uganda’s journey to middle-income status requires empowering ordinary citizens to generate sustainable household income.
He said this goal would be achieved by deepening ongoing programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and the industrialization agenda being championed by the government.
He introduced what he described as a “renewed focus” on the Four-Acre Model—a practical blueprint for smallholder farmers that has already transformed rural livelihoods across Uganda.
The model encourages farmers to adopt seven key income-generating enterprises, including poultry, coffee growing, fruit farming, dairy production, zero-grazing cattle rearing, piggery, and fish farming along wetland edges.
The President noted that these ventures have proven successful for many Ugandans who embraced the government’s call to become economically productive.
He pointed out that participants in the PDM and private individuals applying the same approach are steadily building wealth and improving their quality of life.
Museveni further revealed that his government would prioritize fish farming as both a profitable venture and a sustainable conservation method for Uganda’s wetlands.
Sharing a personal example, he said his own fish ponds generate approximately UGX 100 million per pond annually, demonstrating the viability of aquaculture as a business.
He announced plans to replicate similar fish farming projects across the wetlands of Gulu and the greater Acholi sub-region, explaining that such ventures would enhance food security, create employment, and reduce environmental degradation.
“I want our people to understand that wetlands are not for destruction, but for production,” Museveni said. “If we use them wisely, we can earn money, protect the environment, and create jobs at the same time.”
The NRM flag bearer also urged voters in Gulu and the broader northern region to assess the government based on its record of peace, stability, and development.
He reminded residents that the NRM had restored calm to a region once devastated by decades of insurgency, paving the way for progress in education, health, infrastructure, and local governance.
Museveni highlighted that while the government has invested heavily in public goods such as roads, power lines, and schools, individual citizens must take responsibility for their own economic advancement.
“The government’s role is to provide the foundation—security, infrastructure, and support programs,” he said. “But wealth creation starts with individuals who make good use of these opportunities.”
He called on the people of Gulu to embrace entrepreneurship, agribusiness, and cooperative ventures, noting that the government is strengthening market linkages to help farmers and small-scale producers sell their products profitably.
Museveni also encouraged residents to take advantage of the East African Community (EAC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as platforms for expanding their businesses beyond national borders.
“One of the pillars in our NRM manifesto is to promote regional and continental trade,” he said. “Uganda must produce for both local consumption and export. The African market is growing, and our people must be part of that transformation.”
Beyond economic empowerment, the President reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding peace and security—pillars he described as the bedrock of Uganda’s development story.
He assured the people of Gulu that his administration would continue to uphold strategic security cooperation within Africa to ensure regional stability and prosperity.
“Without peace, there can be no development,” Museveni asserted. “We must continue protecting our borders, building African unity, and ensuring that our people live and work in safety.”
As the campaign rally came to a close, Museveni reaffirmed his belief that the NRM’s vision of industrial growth, agricultural transformation, and regional trade integration offers a practical roadmap for sustained prosperity.
With Gulu’s emerging industrial zones, improved infrastructure, and youthful population, the President said the region is poised to become a hub for agro-industrial investment and innovation under his next term.
He concluded his address with a message of confidence and continuity, declaring that the NRM remains committed to empowering every Ugandan to participate in building a modern, self-sustaining, and globally competitive economy.
