President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has launched his Rwenzori Sub-region campaign trail with a major rally at Nyakasanga Playground in Kasese Municipality, unveiling ambitious plans to transform the sub-region into a tourism and economic hub.
The event marked the beginning of an intensive campaign push through the Rwenzori corridor, a region historically significant to the National Resistance Movement because of its unique combination of cross-border security challenges, natural resource wealth and strong electoral influence.
The President reaffirmed that the National Resistance Movement’s forty-year legacy rests on four pillars that have reshaped Uganda: peace, development, wealth creation and job creation.
He told the gathering that Kasese stands among the most accurate witnesses of peace due to its proximity to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He explained that Uganda is currently hosting over 700,000 Congolese refugees who “cannot return to their country due to continued instability.”
Museveni reminded residents that groups which attempted to destabilize the district in the past were defeated and declared that peace in Uganda “will remain like ripe bananas—you only see them but you cannot touch or eat them.”
Addressing development concerns, the President highlighted the government’s extensive infrastructure investments in the Rwenzori region.
He cited the completion of major roads, including the Fort Portal–Kasese road, which he noted has been reconstructed twice, as well as the Katunguru–Ishaka and Kikorongo–Bwera roads that are scheduled for further upgrades.
He added that the Mityana–Kyegegwa road and other national routes are part of ongoing government planning.
Museveni criticized leaders who prioritize salary increments over infrastructure, arguing that disciplined prioritization is what allowed government to deliver major road networks such as the Lyantonde–Kazo–Ibanda–Kamwenge corridor.
He said that districts like Kasese and Ntungamo need additional road machinery because the annual road fund allocation of one billion shillings is insufficient. He assured residents that government will supply more equipment.
On electricity access, the President reaffirmed the government’s target of connecting every district and sub-county to the national grid.
He noted that apart from Buvuma Island, all districts are connected and that the next phase is achieving complete sub-county coverage.
Museveni announced that the government has begun repairing the old railway line from Malaba but revealed that Kasese will instead receive a new Standard Gauge Railway.
He added that following the Hoima Airport project built to support oil sector operations, government will construct another international airport in Kasese to boost tourism and regional trade.
The President said Kasese is performing well in social services, citing the presence of 260 government primary schools and 25 government secondary schools providing Universal Secondary Education and Universal Post-O-Level Education and Training.
He noted that the district also has two hospitals and that government will continue upgrading health infrastructure across the sub-region.
On wealth creation, Museveni reminded residents that national development does not automatically translate into household prosperity.
He emphasized the importance of adopting productive economic activities and re-emphasized the four-acre model introduced in the 1996 NRM Manifesto.
He encouraged residents to plant coffee, fruits, pasture and food crops while keeping poultry or pigs and practicing fish farming where possible.
He cited the example of George Matongo of Ngoma, who earns twenty-one million shillings monthly from dairy farming despite living in an area without tarmac roads or electricity.
Museveni noted that thirty percent of Ugandans remain outside the money economy and urged residents to help mobilize them into productive work.
He warned that he had received reports of individuals stealing Parish Development Model funds and vowed to investigate and arrest anyone involved in the misuse of money meant to help poor households.
Speaking on job creation, the President stressed that employment mainly comes from commercial agriculture, services, ICT and factories rather than government.
He revealed that factories have created about 1.3 million jobs while government employment stands at about 480,000.
He encouraged the youth to use skilling centres to acquire employable and wealth-generating skills.
Speaker of Parliament and NRM Second National Vice Chairperson Female, Anita Annet Among, thanked the President for maintaining peace in Kasese despite the political instability in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
She appealed for the upgrade of Kasese Airfield into an international airport and appreciated government interventions along River Nyamwamba, which has historically caused flooding and displacement.
Kasese District NRM Chairperson Mbahimba James praised the President for restoring peace and catalyzing development in the region.
He pointed to improvements in schools, hospitals, business activity, population growth and access to safe water.
He thanked the government for wealth creation initiatives such as Emyooga and the Parish Development Model, saying they have significantly improved local household incomes.
He also presented challenges faced by communities in Lwehingo, Kabukero and Kyabatukura and requested government intervention.
