SEMBABULE: PRESIDENT MUSEVENI PLEDGES MAJOR ROAD UPGRADES AS HE CONCLUDES GREATER MASAKA CAMPAIGN TRAIL

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, also the National Resistance
Movement (NRM) Presidential flagbearer for 2026 general elections, has
pledged major investments in road infrastructure and electricity for
Sembabule District as he concluded his campaign trail in the Greater
Masaka sub-region.

President Museveni made the commitments on Tuesday, 23 rd December
2025, while addressing a massive campaign rally in Sembabule.

The rally drew thousands of supporters despite heavy
Focusing on economic infrastructure, President Museveni highlighted
the progress already registered in the district, particularly in road
construction, which he said had transformed Sembabule from a once-
remote area into a connected production zone.

“When you come to the issue of roads, Sembabule was very far. But the
NRM extended the tarmac road from
Mpigi–Kibibi–Gombe–Kayenje–Mpenja–Kanoni–Kabulasoke–Maddu up
to Sembabule, and through to Villa Maria, connecting to Masaka,” he
said.

The President assured residents that government plans include
upgrading the Sembabule–Mateete–Mbiriizi road, drawing loud applause
from supporters.

He also announced ongoing works on the historic Lusalira– Kasambya–
Kabamba– Nkongi–Makoore–Rubejere–Ntuusi–Sembabule road, which
he said he once used during the guerrilla war against the Obote regime.
“They have started working on it. Later, we also want the road from
Ntuusi to Nyabitanga and Rushere worked on, and another road from
Mateete to Kyabakuza. All these are part of our road plans,” he assured
supporters.

Turning to peace — one of the key pillars of the NRM’s 2026–2031
manifesto, Gen. Museveni said Uganda had been ungovernable before
the NRM came to power, largely due to sectarian politics based on
religion and ethnicity.

“We abandoned that politics and said everyone is important according to
what they do, not what they are. That approach enabled us to build a
national party and strong national institutions, including a strong army
and judiciary, which have kept Uganda peaceful for the last 40 years.”
On water, President Museveni noted that the government would tap into
the fresh water from River Katonga to solve the challenge of saline water
in some parts of Sembabule.

On social infrastructure, the President said Sembabule has 187
government primary schools but expressed concern over gaps in
equitable distribution across the district’s 65 parishes.
“You need equal distribution of government schools as per our policy,”
he noted.

He praised the district for having 10 government secondary schools and
outlined plans to strengthen the health sector.

Currently, the district has two Health Centre IVs and eight Health Centre
IIIs.
President Museveni announced plans to upgrade several Health Centre
IIs to Health Centre IIIs, including facilities in Kasaalu, Mutima, Burongo,
Mitete and Kabundi, and to construct new Health Centre IIIs in
Nyabitanga and Katwe sub-counties.

However, President Museveni emphasized that while peace and
infrastructure are essential, they do not automatically lift individuals out
of poverty.

“When we realized that people sleep in their homes and not on roads,
we understood that development alone is not enough. That is why we
added wealth creation,” he said.

Large screens at the rally displayed videos of successful farmers who
had adopted NRM-recommended production models. One such example
was George Matongo, a livestock farmer from Nakaseke District who
produces over 900 litres of milk daily and earns approximately Shs29
million per month despite having no formal education and living far from
a tarmac road.

President Museveni reiterated the four-acre model introduced in the
NRM’s 1996 manifesto, encouraging households to allocate land to
coffee, food crops, fruits, and pasture, while using backyards for poultry,
piggery or fish farming.

He cited MPs and private farmers, including Hon. Fred Byamukama and
Joseph Ijala, whose small-scale but intensive farming enterprises
generate hundreds of millions of shillings annually.

“But here in Ssembabule, you find someone with a huge chunk of land
not utilising it well,” he said, urging residents to abandon free-range
grazing and embrace commercial dairy farming and irrigation.
President Museveni called on residents to actively monitor Parish
Development Model (PDM) funds to ensure accountability.

“This PDM welcomes everyone above 18 years. You elect your own
parish SACCO leaders. Stop lamenting — the system is in your hands,”
he said.

On employment, President Museveni dismissed the idea that
government jobs could absorb Uganda’s growing population, noting that
public service employs only about 480,000 people out of a population
nearing 50 million.

“Jobs must come from agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT,” he
said, citing large poultry farms and industrial parks such as Namanve
and Sino-Mbale as examples of private-sector-led job creation.

On the other hand, the President thanked the people of Sembabule for
braving the rain to attend the rally and listen to his message. He praised
their resilience and commitment, describing them as the “grandchildren
of freedom fighters” who had demonstrated unwavering support despite
the harsh weather.

“When the rain came, you stayed,” President Museveni said, noting that
the same spirit had been displayed by NRM supporters in Kassanda,
Kyankwanzi, and Bukomansimbi, where crowds also endured
downpours to follow his campaign message.

The rally was also addressed by the NRM First National Vice
Chairperson Alhajji Moses Kigongo, Central Region Vice Chairperson,
Hon. Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo, and Sembabule District NRM
Chairperson, Gen. Phinehas Katirima, among other party leaders.