President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has promised that the government is going to give special consideration to Acholi under the new format of the cattle compensation program, which will soon be rolled out across the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions.
The program seeks to redress the historical loss of livestock and wealth suffered by families during the insurgencies that ravaged Northern Uganda for decades.
Addressing thousands of supporters today during a campaign rally at Opit Primary School playgrounds in Omoro Town Council, Omoro District, President Museveni, who is also the NRM presidential candidate, said the government had reviewed the previous cattle compensation framework and agreed to adopt a fairer and more transparent approach that guarantees inclusivity for all affected households.
“When the delegation of Acholi came, they said Acholi suffered the most and longest period during the insurgencies, and therefore, in addition to the 5 cows per household, we should also deal with the genuine claimants who lost so much,” President Museveni said.
“I’m therefore glad we have agreed on the minimum of five cows in the whole area, and the Cabinet will also study the idea of variation for the Acholi area,” H.E. Museveni said.
The President explained that while the government had already spent Shs. 159 billion on compensation claims across the three regions, many of the beneficiaries were questionable, and the process lacked transparency.
“The cattle in this area were destroyed by wars, and we tried to restock, but some other players opened up a case in the courts of law against the government. Because I never like wars, I decided to discuss with them, and they started getting money from the government to pay their clients. Up to 159 billion shillings was spent in that exercise,” he said.
“But where is this money going? I started checking and discovered theft and other irregularities in the payment model. The majority of the homesteads were left out.”
President Museveni revealed that after consultations with leaders from Teso, Acholi, and Lango, it was agreed that every homestead should receive five cows under a harmonized model to ensure equitable distribution.
According to government statistics, 4,836 claimants in the Acholi sub-region have so far been compensated, including 583 claimants in Omoro District who received Shs. 5.6 billion.
NRM’s record on peace and development:
The President used the rally to highlight the NRM’s legacy of peace and stability, describing it as the foundation upon which Uganda’s progress has been built. He urged the people of Acholi to continue supporting him and all NRM flag bearers to consolidate these gains.
“The NRM has been able to maintain peace in Uganda for the first time in a long period, and the reason we were able to do so was because of the good politics,” he said.
President Museveni cited two major pillars of the NRM’s achievements: peace and development. Under development, he emphasized both economic infrastructure, such as roads, electricity, telecommunication, and water supply, and social infrastructure like schools and health facilities.
“We have already done tarmac roads in Acholi in three directions, which include the road from Karuma to Pakwach, Karuma to Gulu up to Nimule, and the road from Olwiyo–Gulu–Kitgum–Musingo,” he said.
“These are roads that never existed before. The road from Gulu to Awere to Kona Kilak will also be done. I know it very well because I used it many years ago. Other roads we are going to do are the road from Kitgum to Palabek to Atiak,” H.E Museveni added.
The President also reflected on Uganda’s oil discovery, attributing it to divine timing and NRM leadership.
“God did not allow the British to discover our petroleum. They were here for 68 years and gave up in 1956 despite clear signs. When we came, we discovered it, and it’s going to start flowing next year,” President Museveni declared.
“Once we get our oil, these roads and other projects will be much easier to implement, but we must continue prioritizing rather than touching everything at once.”
On education and health, President Museveni expressed satisfaction with the government’s investments in Omoro District, where there are eight government secondary schools, compared to the early 1960s when such facilities were extremely scarce.
“In 1961, when I was at Ntare school, and there were very many boys from Acholi coming to study at Ntare because at that time there were only 6 schools with A-level,” President Museveni said, while mentioning schools like Kisubu, Buddo, and Ntare school for the boys, and for the girls, were Namagunga, Nabbingo, and Gayaza.
He added that at that time, all the other famous schools like Nyakasura, Sir Samuel Baker, Teso College, Busoga College Mwiri, were all O-level schools.
“Now to hear that in Omoro there are eight secondary schools with A-level. I’m very happy to see the progress, and we are continuing to see the rest. That’s the second contribution of the National Resistance Movement,” he said.
Omoro District currently has 67 government primary schools, 81 private primary schools, 8 government secondary schools, and 11 private secondary schools.
President Museveni also noted that the new secondary school in Lakwana Sub-County has been completed, reducing the number of sub-counties without government secondary schools from eight to seven.
However, he cautioned that while infrastructure is important, true progress comes when households generate wealth.
“Do you sleep on the tarmac road at night or in school? You sleep in your home, and you need money, wealth in your home to live a good life,” he said. “That’s why we emphasize that all Ugandans must get involved in wealth creation.”
President Museveni reiterated that development without household wealth leads to dependency. He traced Uganda’s economic empowerment journey through government programs like Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, and now the Parish Development Model (PDM).
He said PDM was specifically designed to help those at the bottom of the economic pyramid, citing a success story from Omoro.
“Anena, one of the PDM beneficiaries, received one million shillings, planted groundnuts, harvested 35 bags, and earned over two million shillings. She bought goats, which are multiplying, and even purchased a sewing machine worth 900,000 shillings. She now rents a room for 40,000 a month and is earning daily,” President Museveni said.
“This program is not for the rich people like Otema or Museveni but for those who need to start. The rich can go to UDB Bank, but the beginners need PDM.”
He warned against corruption and misuse of the PDM funds, stressing the government’s commitment to close monitoring.
“Please follow it up; nobody should steal or play around with it. We are adding another 15 million shillings for local leaders at the parish, bringing the total to 115 million shillings per parish. We also want to start a fund for religious and cultural leaders according to their parishes or Muslim districts,” he announced.
According to official figures, Omoro District’s 65 parishes have cumulatively received Shs. 19.96 billion in PDM funds, of which 99.77% has been disbursed to 19,920 beneficiary households. With 46,805 households in total, 26,885 households are yet to benefit, including those already in the money economy.
Additionally, both constituencies in Omoro have 28 Emyooga SACCOs with 7,993 members. The government has disbursed Shs. 1.3 billion, with member savings totaling Shs. 48.7 million.
President Museveni also emphasized the importance of vocational training and artisanship as pathways for job creation.
He cited testimonies from graduates of the Gulu Industrial Skilling Hub, including Ivan from Palenga, who studied welding and metal fabrication and now operates his own workshop at Palenga Trading Centre.
“These young people had lost hope because their families couldn’t afford school fees. But now, they are making products like shoes, which we used to import from China, India, and Italy,” President Museveni said.
“This is why, in the coming government, we must stop charging school fees in government schools,” he said.
He criticized the commercialization of education and revealed plans to recruit more teachers to strengthen free education.
“Some teachers are using the excuse that we don’t have enough teachers, and yet, we can plan better. We should spend our money on classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and teachers’ houses rather than expensive boarding sections. Education should be accessible and affordable for all,” he said.
The President also noted that real job creation comes from commercial agriculture, artisanship, and industrialization, not just government employment.
“Government jobs are very few. Only 480,000 people are employed by the government out of a population of 46 million Ugandans,” he said.
As a model example, President Museveni cited Hon. Fred Byamukama, the Minister of State for Transport, who practices the four-acre model in Kakumiro District.
“Byamukama grows coffee, bananas, fruits, and keeps poultry. From eggs alone, he earns 55 million shillings per month—about 600 million shillings annually—and employs 26 people. That’s how wealth creation produces jobs,” the President said.
The Government Chief Whip and NRM Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, welcomed President Museveni to Omoro and praised his leadership for restoring peace and advancing development in Acholi.
“Your Excellency, the people of Omoro are here to thank you for restoring peace, championing development, and introducing wealth creation. Omoro District is ready to compete with other districts in ensuring that they lead in voting for you and all NRM flag bearers,” Hon. Obua said.
The NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, who represented the party’s Secretary General, lauded Omoro for what he described as one of the largest turnouts during President Museveni’s northern Uganda campaign tour.
Omoro’s voting profile:
Omoro District, with 15 sub-counties/town councils, 65 parishes, and 458 villages, has a population of 207,339 people according to the 2024 Census. In the 2021 presidential elections, the district had 72,216 registered voters, of whom 37,002 (51.2%) turned out to vote.
President Museveni garnered 20,902 votes (60.7%), while NUP’s candidate received 7,169 votes (20.8%), and other candidates shared 6,374 votes.
Ahead of the 2026 elections, the number of registered voters in Omoro has risen to 86,550, spread across 220 polling stations, up from 158 in 2021—an increase of 14,334 new voters.
President Museveni’s rally in Omoro marked his third campaign stop in the Acholi sub-region, as part of his ongoing campaign trail across Northern Uganda.
