NGORA: PRESIDENT MUSEVENI RALLIES NGORA TO BACK NRM FOR CONTINUED WEALTH CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called upon the people of Ngora
District and Teso Sub-region to continue supporting the National
Resistance Movement (NRM) to sustain the country’s peace, stability,
and economic transformation programs.

President Museveni, who is also the NRM presidential flag bearer in the
2026 general elections, made the appeal on Tuesday 4th, November,
2025, while addressing thousands of supporters in Ngora District on his
vote-hunting trail across the Teso sub-region.

He said the NRM government has over the years proved its capacity to
move Ugandans out of poverty through consistent investment in peace,
infrastructure, and wealth creation initiatives that empower citizens to
create income and build prosperity.

“Politics is not about the words of politicians just talking. The politics of
NRM is about solving people’s problems by showing them the way and
assisting them in every possible way,” President Museveni said.

The President said the NRM has, since its inception, emphasized
practical solutions to poverty through programs such as Entandikwa,
NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, Women Fund,
Youth Fund, and the Parish Development Model (PDM) the latest in a
chain of government-backed livelihood programs targeting the
grassroots.

President Museveni assured the people that as long as Ugandans keep
supporting the NRM, such empowerment programs would not only
continue but also expand.

“All these programs are meant for you to get out of poverty. If you
support NRM, we shall continue,” he said.

“On PDM, we shall add another 15 million shillings onto the Shs100
million cash per parish. We shall create a fund for fishermen, another for
religious leaders, cultural institutions, and for university graduates who
have failed to get jobs after two years or more,” H.E. Museveni
emphasized.

Peace: NRM’s first contribution

Reflecting on the historical background of the Teso region, President
Museveni reminded the people of Ngora of the dark days of rebellion
and insecurity that once characterized their lives before NRM restored
peace.

He narrated that during the insurgencies of the late 1980s and early
1990s, he had his military camp near the Nyero Rocks and commanded
decisive battles against rebels in areas such as Kongoro and Kanyu,
leading to the defeat of Alice Lakwena’s Holy Spirit Movement.

“You people of Ngora and Kumi are witnesses to what was happening
here. Those were difficult times, but together we managed to get peace.
That’s why we no longer have internally displaced people’s camps.

It was the NRM, together with the people, that brought this peace,” Gen.
Museveni said, adding that peace remains the cornerstone of
development and the reason Ugandans can now engage in productive
work and education.

President Museveni cited major improvements in infrastructure as the
second pillar of NRM’s contribution to Uganda’s transformation, noting
that the region has seen substantial progress in both economic and
social infrastructure.

He highlighted ongoing efforts to improve the road network linking Ngora
to neighboring districts, saying the Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Kagwara road
has already been secured and awaits a contractor to commence
construction.

“Our former battleground is now a place of development. The tarmac
roads now reach up to Kumi, Soroti, Lango, and even Karamoja,”
President Museveni noted.

He thanked local leaders for supporting government programs that
ensure efficient implementation of infrastructure projects across Teso.

On energy, candidate Museveni reported that Ngora District is now
connected to the national electricity grid, with nearly all sub-counties
receiving power supply.

On water access, the President noted that out of 146 villages in Ngora
District, 131 villages (representing 90%) have access to safe water. He
said the remaining 15 villages would soon be connected through new
water projects.

Major achievements include the Gawa Small-Scale Irrigation Project in
Kobwin Sub-County covering 12 acres, rehabilitation of 7 boreholes and
11 water sources, and the construction of 4 piped water systems
powered by solar energy in Mukura Sub-County.

Ongoing projects include the construction of a solar-powered water
supply system in Olilim Village, Mukura Sub-County, while planned
works will include the Mukura Town Council piped water supply system
and the ambitious Lake Kyoga Multi-purpose Gravity Flow Scheme,
which will serve Ngora, Serere, Kumi, and Bukedea districts.

“We are going to pump water from Lake Kyoga to supply all these areas.
It will be easy because the land is flat,” H.E. Museveni explained.

Expanding Education Access:

President Museveni emphasized that the NRM government remains
committed to providing free education for all children, a program that
began in 1996. He decried the continued charging of school fees in
government-aided institutions, calling it a betrayal of the spirit of
Universal Primary and Secondary Education.

Ngora District currently has 59 government primary schools, 56 private
primary schools, 6 government secondary schools, and 26 private
secondary schools. The district has 73 parishes, of which 48 host at
least one government primary school, while 25 parishes still lack one.

The President said the government’s target is to ensure every parish has
a government primary school and every sub-county a secondary school.
Construction of a Seed Secondary School in Ngora is ongoing, and upon
completion, the number of sub-counties without a government
secondary school will reduce from six to five.

Traditional institutions like Ngora High School and Ngora School for the
Deaf will also undergo rehabilitation under the education infrastructure
development plan.

He also cited his Presidential Skilling Hubs, including one in Soroti,
which skill youth in practical trades such as furniture making, metal
fabrication, and textile production.

“These youths are now earning money by producing what we used to
import,” he noted.

Turning to the health sector, President Museveni said that of the 11 sub-
counties in Ngora, one currently hosts a Health Centre IV, while six have
Health Centre IIIs, leaving five sub-counties without any public health
facility.

He announced ongoing and planned projects to close that gap, including
upgrading Opot HCII in Opot Sub-County to HCIII, upgrading Atoot HCII
to HCIII, and the construction of new HCIIIs in Agirigiroi, Morukakise,
and Ngora sub-counties.

Ongoing works include fencing Mukura HCIII, building an immunization
shade, and constructing a twin staff house to support medical personnel.
President Museveni said expanding access to health and education is
part of the NRM’s social contract to ensure every Ugandan lives a
dignified life.

However, the President reminded the people of Ngora to distinguish
between development (which benefits all citizens collectively) and wealth
creation (which is personal and household-based).

“The school and health centre are for all of us, but what is private and
personal is either wealth or poverty. You must engage in income-
generating activities to chase poverty from your homes,” H.E. Museveni
explained.

He emphasized the four key wealth-creation sectors, commercial
agriculture, manufacturing/artisanship, services (transport, etc.), and
ICT, urging every Ugandan to actively participate in at least one of them.

President Museveni showcased a success story of Joseph Ijala from
Serere District, who ventured into commercial poultry and dairy farming.
“When I visited him, he was earning three million shillings a day from
eggs and selling 300 litres of milk daily,” he said.

“Now he earns six million shillings from eggs and Shs800,000 from milk –
that is 6.8 million shillings a day, or over two billion shillings a year. This
man is deep inside Serere, not near a tarmac road, but wealth is there,”
President Museveni said.

He commended the performance of the Parish Development Model in
Ngora District, which has 73 parishes and has so far received Shs 22.4
billion. Out of this, Shs 22.395 billion (99.93%) has already been
disbursed to 22,395 beneficiary households, covering 69.3% of all
households in the district. Those yet to benefit total 9,926 households
(30.7%), including some already engaged in the money economy.

Under the Emyooga program, Ngora has 36 SACCOs with 7,509
members, and the government has disbursed Shs 1.68 billion to support
them.

Cattle Restocking and Compensation:

Addressing the long-standing issue of cattle loss during insurgencies in
Teso, Lango, and Acholi, President Museveni said the government has
finalized a new uniform compensation strategy.

“When we got peace, we started restocking, but along the way, some
lawyers went to court and caused confusion. We spent Shs 159 billion,
but the money didn’t reach the ground,” President Museveni revealed.

He said the new plan will compensate each affected household with five
cows as a flat rate to ensure fairness and efficiency.

“We are therefore adopting that plan for the area of Teso, Lango, and
Acholi. In addition to the other measures, they will continue, but we shall
also add on this one. So, it is time for all of you to get out of poverty,”
President Museveni said.

The NRM Second National Vice Chairperson and Speaker of Parliament,
Rt.Hon. Anita Annet Among welcomed President Museveni to Ngora,
describing it as one of the most peaceful districts in the Teso Sub-region.

She thanked the President for allocating Shs 1 billion for road
rehabilitation in Ngora, which she said has been properly utilized.

Rt. Hon. Among also commended the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
route from Tororo to Gulu that passes through Ngora, saying it will boost
trade and connectivity for local communities.

The NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Region, Mr. Calvin Echodu
hailed the district’s leadership for being the first in Teso to establish an
NRM office, calling it a symbol of the party’s grassroots strength.

Ngora District NRM Chairperson, Hon. Okello John Michael commended
President Museveni for maintaining peace and spearheading
development programs like PDM and Emyooga, which he said are
transforming livelihoods.

He also relayed community requests for a
technical school, a district hospital, and additional tarmacked roads.

Ngora’s Political Outlook:

According to the 2024 census, Ngora District has a population of
213,777 people, spread across 11 sub-counties/town councils, 73
parishes, and 146 villages.

In the 2021 presidential elections, Ngora had 72,976 registered voters,
of whom 44,943 (60.6%) turned up to vote. President Museveni polled
24,662 votes (57.1%), while Patrick Oboi Amuriat (FDC) got 14,618
(33.8%), NUP’s candidate 2,237 (5.2%), and others shared 1,657
(3.9%).

By 2025, Ngora’s voter register has grown to 85,696, with 200 polling
stations, up from 121 in 2021, reflecting significant voter mobilization
ahead of the 2026 general elections.

The rally, which drew thousands of enthusiastic supporters, was
attended by several senior government officials, NRM Central Executive
Committee members, ministers, and Members of Parliament from across
the Teso Sub-region.