SIRONKO: PRESIDENT MUSEVENI KICKS-OFF CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN BUGISU, HIGHLIGHTS KEY NRM ACHIEVEMENTS

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, also the Presidential flag bearer for
the National Resistance Movement (NRM), today began his campaign
trail in the Bugisu sub-region, starting with a grand rally in Sironko
District.

Before crossing to Bugisu, he concluded his campaign trail in Teso sub-
region, ending with Bukedea district.

The campaign is running under the theme: “Protecting the Gains, As We
Make a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status”.

Addressing thousands of supporters, President Museveni thanked the
people of Sironko for their continued backing of the NRM and urged
them to support all party flag bearers.

“Peace was not easy to achieve, the NRM worked tirelessly for many
years, guided by our ideology and a commitment to avoid sectarianism.
All the development you see in Sironko today has been brought by the
NRM,” President Museveni said.

He highlighted key infrastructure projects completed under the NRM
government, including roads linking Mbale to Kapchorwa and Karamoja,
as well as the Bumbobi-Lwakhakha road.

President Museveni also announced plans to work on the
Namagumba–Budadiri–Nalugugu road.

On water access, President Museveni reported that out of 1,543 rural
villages in Sironko, 1,374 (89%) now have safe water. A total of 24
additional piped water supply and sanitation systems are operational
across the district.

These include; Mutufu Town Board WSS (6,694 residents), Buteza
WSS (5,400 residents), Pato WSS (4,680 residents), Buwalasi GFS
(13,683 residents), Buginyanya WSS (16,330 residents), among others.

Plans are underway to expand coverage to the remaining 169 villages
without access to safe water and to construct the flagship Nasumati
Piped Water Supply and Sanitation System.

On Education, President Museveni said that Sironko District has 224
parishes, of which 98 have at least one government primary school,
while 126 still lack schools.

There are currently 111 government primary schools serving 98,962
pupils, and 12 government secondary schools with 10,660 students.
The President pledged that each parish will eventually have a
government primary school, and every sub-county will host a secondary
school, noting that plans are also underway to construct three new
secondary seed schools through the Uganda Secondary Education
Expansion Project (USEEP).

On health, President Museveni noted that in Sironko’s 42 sub-counties,
2 have Health Centre IV facilities, 18 have Health Centre III facilities,
while 22 sub-counties currently lack health facilities of HCIII or above.
The government plans to upgrade several HCII facilities to HCIII,
including Bubbeza, Buyaya, Kyesha, Bugusege, and Nampanga.

Additional HCIIIs are planned for Buhungu, Bukyabo, Bumalimba, and
other sub-counties, alongside measures to eradicate malaria, improve
immunization coverage, and equip health units with necessary
diagnostic tools.

President Museveni highlighted government initiatives that have boosted
agricultural productivity, particularly in coffee, bananas, and milk.

He emphasized that the NRM, through initiatives such as research and
development at Kawanda Agricultural Research Center, has modernized
coffee production in Uganda, improving quality and productivity.

As a result, coffee prices have risen, influenced by the global market
forces, countering claims that the achievements were brought by certain
individuals.

Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga:
Under the PDM, Sironko’s 224 parishes have received a cumulative Shs.
68.99 billion, with 98.63% disbursed to 66,809 households. The district
also has 36 Emyooga SACCOs with 18,821 members, who have
received Shs. 1.54 billion in support.

The President pledged continued investment in education, healthcare,
water, roads, and agricultural development.

He also emphasized skills development through the Presidential
Industrial Hubs, noting that the Bugisu region hub in Mbale has already
trained 1,167 youth in trades such as welding, carpentry, tailoring,
hairdressing, and bakery.

The President also handed over the NRM flags to aspiring Members of
Parliament, LC V chairperson, councillors, and other party candidates in

Sironko District, formally endorsing their participation in the upcoming
elections.

NRM leaders, including Eastern Region Vice Chairman Hon. Calvin
Echodu and Sironko District NRM Chairperson Mr. Lumolo Mafabi,
welcomed the President, highlighting the party’s successes in the 2021
elections and the need to upgrade the district hospital.

The event was attended by NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC)
members, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, as well
as thousands of supporters.