Gulu, 30 December 2025 — Alliance for National Transformation presidential candidate Maj Gen (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu has pledged to back missionary-founded health centres and to create a dedicated market traders fund aimed at empowering women, youth and farmers across Uganda.
Speaking at a campaign rally at Lacor market in Bardege-Layibi division, Gulu district, Muntu said his administration would partner with hospitals established by religious missions to relieve pressure on government facilities and improve service delivery. “We will support all health centres started by missionaries to decongest government facilities and provide better services,” he told the crowd.
Muntu cited St Mary’s Lacor Hospital as an example of the long-standing contribution missionary hospitals have made to the country’s health system. He also named Ruharo Missionary Hospital, Mengo Hospital, Rubaga Hospital and Kibuli Hospital as institutions that could benefit from formalised partnerships with government, particularly in boosting infrastructure and staffing.
Market traders fund to boost local businesses
On the economic front, Muntu outlined a plan to establish a special fund for market traders, with a clear focus on employing women and youth. The fund would provide affordable loans at a standard interest rate of 12% annually, together with business training and support for agro-businesses. Muntu contrasted this with commercial banks where unsecured loan rates typically range from 16% to 20%.
“Markets are a lifeline to farmers who earn a living from their produce,” he said, addressing vendors at Olayolong market. He warned that limited market access, low prices and exploitation by middlemen are persistent challenges for smallholder farmers. The fund is designed to strengthen value chains, improve market infrastructure and boost the bargaining power of producers through cooperative unions.
The proposal aims to tackle multiple problems at once: ease congestion in urban health facilities by strengthening mission hospitals, and stimulate rural economies by ensuring farmers can sell produce at fair prices and secure working capital. Muntu said the measures would be complemented by investments in market infrastructure and training to add value locally.
Local reaction was largely positive. Lawrence Bongomin, a resident of Lacor, recalled how the Comboni Catholic Missionary established Lacor Hospital in 1959 and praised its service to the community. Traders at the rally welcomed the promise of accessible credit and training, saying such support could stabilise incomes and create jobs.
Economic inclusion was a recurring theme. Muntu emphasised that women, who constitute a slight majority of the population according to Uganda’s 2024 census, and young people must be prioritised if poverty is to be reduced. The market traders fund, he argued, would be a practical mechanism to expand entrepreneurship and job creation among marginalised groups.
Analysts say the measures, if implemented, could improve healthcare access in underserved areas and inject liquidity into local markets. Success will depend on the mechanics of the fund, oversight arrangements and the capacity of missionary hospitals to scale services in partnership with the state. For voters in Gulu, the twin pledges offered a concrete outline of how health and livelihoods might be addressed together.
Key Takeaways:
- Presidential candidate Gregory Muntu pledges a market traders fund to provide affordable loans and training, prioritising women and youth.
- Muntu promises to support missionary-founded health centres to ease congestion at government hospitals and expand rural healthcare access.
- Plans include investment in market infrastructure, value chains and cooperative unions to improve farmers’ incomes and reduce middlemen.
