“SEND ME PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND MY GUIDANCE SO THAT WORK CAN MOVE FASTER,” PRESIDENT MUSEVENI TELLS MITYANA AS HE CONCLUDES GREATER MUBENDE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged voters in Mityana District
to rally behind the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and elect
leaders who understand and support his approach to governance,
warning that poor leadership choices have slowed development in some
parts of the country.

Addressing a massive campaign rally at Ssaza Grounds in Mityana
today, President Museveni said the pace of development in the district
has been undermined by leaders who prioritise personal benefits over
national development goals. The rally marked the conclusion of his
campaign tour in Greater Mubende as he seeks re-election as NRM
presidential flagbearer for the 2026 general elections.

“We have always had plans to work on the road from
Kanoni–Manyi–Mityana and Ssekanyonyi up to Busunju, and we are
going to work on that road. It has been delayed because of the people
you send me to represent you,” President Museveni told cheering
supporters.

He explained that his leadership philosophy, shaped by his experience
as a guerrilla fighter, is rooted in strict prioritisation of essential sectors
such as security, infrastructure, health, and education.

According to the President, some legislators have failed to grasp this
approach, instead pushing for high administrative costs that divert
resources from development projects.

“As a guerrilla, I go by prioritisation,” he said.
Mityana District comprises five constituencies — Busujju County,
Mityana North, Mityana South, Mityana Municipality, and the District
Woman Member of Parliament. Of these, four are currently represented
by opposition legislators from the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the
Democratic Party (DP). Only Mityana North is represented by an NRM
legislator, Hon. Nsegumire Muhamadi Kibedi.

President Museveni argued that electing opposition MPs has affected
effective follow-up on government programmes, leading to delays in key
infrastructure projects.

“These people you send me only come to eat what has been done. They
disturb implementation because they want to touch everything. Please
send me people who understand my guidance so that work can move
faster,” he said.

The President recalled the state of infrastructure in Mityana and the
wider Mubende region before the NRM came to power, saying significant
progress has been made despite current challenges.

“When we came into government, the tarmac road used to stop in
Mityana, and even that road was old. We have redone it twice. Beyond
Mityana towards western Uganda, there was no tarmac at all,” President
Museveni said.

He revealed that the original road from Mityana to Mubende was
constructed with assistance from Yugoslav contractors, who were paid
partly in agricultural produce such as soya beans. The road was later
extended to Fort Portal and up to the Democratic Republic of Congo
border.

Health infrastructure gaps:
On health services, President Museveni acknowledged existing gaps in
Mityana District, noting that only one of the district’s 17 sub-counties has
a hospital. Three sub-counties have Health Centre IVs, while 14 have
Health Centre IIIs. Three sub-counties currently have no health facility at
all.
To address these gaps, he announced government plans to upgrade
Kasikombe Health Centre II to a Health Centre III in Ssekanyonyi Sub-
County. He also pledged to construct new Health Centre IIIs in Banda
and Zigoti Town Councils.

“These are the things we must prioritise. Health services are essential
for our people,” he said.

Water coverage:

On access to clean water, President Museveni commended Mityana
District for achieving relatively high coverage. According to district
statistics cited by the President, 528 out of 613 rural villages, about 86
percent, have access to a safe water source, leaving 85 villages without
coverage.

“You are doing well on clean water, but we must increase capacity for
irrigation so that farmers can get higher yields,” President Museveni
said.

To underscore the importance of irrigation, the President showcased a
video of Dr. Florence Muranga’s banana plantation in Bushenyi District,
where irrigation has enabled yields of up to 53 tonnes of matooke per
acre annually, compared to the national average of five tonnes per acre.
“This is what modern agriculture can do. That is why we want irrigation
everywhere,” he said.

President Museveni also described peace as the first and most
important contribution of the NRM to Uganda’s progress, urging
residents to safeguard stability.

“You all know what peace means. Look at what is happening in other
African countries. Here, we have peace throughout Uganda, and that is
why development is possible,” he said, warning that political indiscipline
could jeopardise the stability the country has enjoyed for decades.
Development vs Wealth creation:

The President reiterated his long-standing message distinguishing
development from wealth creation, saying the two are often confused.
“Development is for all of us. Wealth creation is personal. It is at the
household and individual level,” President Museveni said.

He explained that the government focuses on public goods such as
roads, electricity, schools, and health facilities, while citizens must
actively engage in income-generating activities to create wealth.

To illustrate, President Museveni revisited the four-acre model
introduced in the NRM’s 1996 manifesto, designed for households with
limited land. Under the model, one acre is allocated to coffee, another
one for food crops, the third one for fruits, and the fourth acre for pasture
under zero-grazing, complemented by backyard enterprises such as
poultry, piggery, and fish farming.

President Museveni commended Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Kiyemba, the
parish priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Busunju, a model farmer
who has successfully implemented the four-acre model. Fr. Kiyemba’s
farm serves as a demonstration site for other farmers in the area.
“He fits directly in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who preached, healed
the sick, fed the hungry, and also worked with his hands as a carpenter,”
the President said.

“We in the NRM don’t just talk. We support you in creating wealth. I want
all of us to get out of poverty,” he added.

Jobs:

On employment, President Museveni dismissed claims that jobs are
primarily found in government, noting that public service employs only
about 480,000 people in a country of over 50 million.

“Jobs are in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, artisanship,
services, and ICT,” he said.

He cited Johnson Basangwa, a large-scale poultry farmer whose
enterprise employs more than 300 workers and earns an estimated
Shs20 million per day from egg sales.

“That wealth has produced jobs. That is the difference between politics
and economics,” President Museveni said.

He also highlighted industrial parks such as Namanve, which hosts more
than 273 factories employing over 24,000 workers, and the Sino-Uganda
Mbale Industrial Park, which employs about 12,000 people.

At the same rally, NRM First National Vice Chairperson Alhajji Moses
Kigongo thanked residents for their continued support but cautioned
party members to maintain discipline during the campaign period.

“We need many votes from Mityana, but we must be disciplined. This
peace we enjoy was ushered in by the NRM,” Alhajji Kigongo said.

The NRM Vice Chairperson for the Central region, Hon. Haruna
Kyeyune Kasolo, and the NRM Chairperson for Mityana District, Mr.
Kintu John, also addressed the gathering, which was attended by
several Cabinet ministers, MPs, NRM Secretariat officials, and party flag
bearers at various levels.

After concluding his Greater Mubende tour, the NRM candidate is
scheduled to continue his campaign trail in Greater Masaka on
Thursday, with rallies planned in Lyantonde and Rakai districts as he
seeks a fresh five-year mandate.