President Museveni Hailed for Steering Uganda’s Socio-Economic Transformation
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and Presidential flag bearer, has received resounding praise from residents and leaders across Terego and Yumbe Districts for his steady leadership and unmatched role in driving Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
The two districts, located in the West Nile sub-region, have emerged as living testaments to the NRM’s development agenda characterized by peace, infrastructural expansion, social progress, and inclusive wealth creation programs such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.
Terego: A Fast-Growing District Under Steady Leadership
In Terego District, leaders hailed President Museveni for transforming Uganda from a conflict-prone nation into one of stability and opportunity. Speaking during a presidential campaign rally at Leju Stadium, which the President officially opened, the NRM Chairperson for Terego District and Minister of State for Urban Development, Hon. Obiga Kania, described Terego as “the fastest-growing district in Uganda in terms of infrastructure and service delivery.”
“Your Excellency, we welcome you to Terego and congratulate you upon your nomination as NRM National Chairman and Presidential flag bearer,” Hon. Kania said.
“In just four years, with your support, we have constructed administrative blocks, office blocks, and even this magnificent stadium. The Presidential Initiative programs have fueled this progress.”
According to district records, Terego’s 42 parishes have so far received Shs 12.9 billion under the Parish Development Model, benefiting 13,004 households. The district’s 34 Emyooga SACCOs with 19,553 members have received Shs 1.2 billion in government funding.
Terego now boasts 73 government primary schools, 8 government secondary schools, and a growing health network comprising one Health Centre IV and five Health Centre IIIs. Access to safe water stands at 72%, and the district is fully connected to the national electricity grid.
Hon. Kania appealed to government to upgrade Omugo Health Centre IV to a General Hospital and to consider establishing new health facilities in Obofia and Bileafe Sub-counties.
Museveni: Peace, Development, and Wealth Creation Are the Pillars of Progress
In his address, President Museveni commended the people of Terego for their unwavering support and reiterated the NRM’s mission to consolidate peace, deepen development, and eradicate poverty.
“Politics is like medicine,” he said. “A leader must correctly diagnose a country’s problems before prescribing solutions. In the past, some thought our challenges were tribal or religious. But we saw clearly that Uganda needed unity, peace, and production.”
The President outlined three pillars underpinning Uganda’s progress:
- Peace: achieved for the first time in 500 years through NRM’s ideology of unity.
- Development: anchored on economic and social infrastructure, roads, power, education, and healthcare.
- Wealth creation: through programs such as PDM, Emyooga, and Skilling Hubs that empower households to join the money economy.
He cited major road projects transforming the West Nile region including Karuma–Koboko, Atiak–Moyo–Yumbe–Koboko, and Nebbi–Zombo–Arua with plans to expand Manibe–Yumbe and Terego–Moyo roads.
“We are extending Karuma power all the way to Koboko,” he said. “In the past, my helicopter could land anywhere because there were no power lines, now, I must be careful not to hit them. That is progress.”
The President also emphasized universal education, pledging to eliminate all illegal school charges and to add 50,000 new teachers to strengthen Uganda’s education system.
“Development is for everyone, but wealth belongs to households,” he reminded the crowd. “The more wealth you create, the more taxes and jobs we generate. That is how a country grows.”
He further revealed plans to establish a Graduate Fund to support university graduates who remain unemployed for more than two years, saying:
“A graduate who has not got a job for two years should be able to access funding. We shall create a Graduate Fund to support them.”
Yumbe: From Uncertainty to Opportunity
Continuing his campaign trail, President Museveni addressed another massive rally in Yumbe District, where he praised residents for their steady progress and loyalty to the NRM’s principles of peace, unity, and prosperity.
He recalled that when Yumbe was granted district status, it had barely 100,000 residents, a figure many thought unsustainable. Today, its population has surpassed one million, which the President attributed to immunization, better healthcare, and improved livelihoods under NRM’s leadership.
“Peace has been our greatest achievement,” he said. “For the first time in 500 years, Uganda is free of chaos and division. This is because we rejected the politics of sectarianism and embraced national unity.”
The President reiterated that while development brings shared benefits such as roads, electricity, and hospitals, wealth creation is a personal responsibility that every Ugandan must pursue.
“You cannot sleep on a tarmac road,” he said. “Development benefits everyone, but wealth creation benefits individual families. The NRM message is simple; join the money economy.”
Under PDM, Yumbe’s 197 parishes have so far received Shs 59.9 billion, benefiting 58,334 households, while 57 Emyooga SACCOs with 16,184 members have received Shs 2.01 billion.
The district now boasts 143 government primary schools, 10 government secondary schools, and two private secondary schools, with six new seed schools under construction to bridge remaining gaps.
In the health sector, Yumbe has one Regional Referral Hospital, two HCIVs, and 19 HCIIIs, ensuring that 22 of the 26 sub-counties have at least an HCIII or higher. Ongoing projects include the rehabilitation and expansion of Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital, featuring a 300-bed ward, 95 staff houses, and new maternity and outpatient units.
In the water sector, 940 out of 1,159 villages representing 77% coverage now have access to safe water. The ongoing Ala-Ora piped water system will further extend supply across Ariwa Sub-County and 64 more villages in Kochi, Bijjo, Lodonga, and Lobe Town Council.
President Museveni also announced plans to develop an industrial park in Yumbe, following the district’s donation of land to government.
“I am very glad for the land you have given. We shall develop it into an industrial park like Namanve and Mbale to create jobs for your people,” he said.
A United Region, a Shared Vision
Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, NRM Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda, lauded the President for turning Uganda into a model of stability and progress.
“Your Excellency, Terego is the last-born district granted by you. You have turned Uganda from a refugee-producing country into the number one refugee-hosting nation. You are a record-breaker,” he said. “For us, voting for you is not a choice, it is an obligation.”
He reaffirmed the Northern Region’s unwavering support for the NRM’s transformative agenda, adding:
“Terego will support you. West Nile will support you. Northern Uganda will support you.”
Protecting the Gains, Advancing the Future
Both rallies were held under the campaign theme: “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”
From Leju Stadium in Terego to Yumbe’s industrial park promise, President Museveni’s message resonated with clarity, peace is the foundation, development the framework, and wealth creation the driver of Uganda’s transformation.
As Uganda marches toward middle-income status, the stories of Terego and Yumbe stand as proof that with unity, strategic investment, and visionary leadership, rural districts can become engines of national prosperity.
