Key Takeaways:
- Museveni launched his Greater Mpigi campaign stressing the need to back the NRM to guarantee continued Uganda development.
- Government cites infrastructure gains: roads, electricity and 82% village access to safe water in Butambala.
- Plans include new roads, a Presidential Zonal Industrial Skilling Hub and expanded water projects to boost jobs and incomes.
- Parish Development Model and Emyooga highlighted as drivers of local wealth creation and enterprise.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni opened his campaign in Greater Mpigi with a robust appeal for voters to support the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its development agenda. Speaking in Butambala District, the President urged communities to choose experience and continuity to secure ongoing infrastructure, jobs and services.
Uganda development gains highlighted in Mpigi
Museveni told the crowd that the NRM’s record on development is visible and measurable. He cited recent district improvements including major road works, full electrification of sub-counties and access to safe water in 82 percent of villages in Butambala. “Don’t take decisions by gambling which you will later regret. Vote the NRM to be sure because our track record on development is known and seen,” he said.
The President set out projects planned for the near future, naming the Mitala-Maria and Bulo-Kanoni roads among priority investments, alongside additional water initiatives. He added that the government will establish a Presidential Zonal Industrial Skilling Hub in Greater Mpigi to train young people in practical trades and prepare them for work in factories, services and agriculture.
Museveni also addressed common misconceptions about employment. He emphasised that while the public sector provides about 480,000 jobs for Uganda’s population, private industry is already a far larger employer. He cited Mbale Industrial Park, which now hosts more than 75 factories and has created thousands of jobs, and noted that new factories across the country have generated an estimated 1.3 million jobs.
To illustrate household impact, Museveni referred to beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model and Emyooga. He told the story of Rashidah Namubiru from Butambala who used PDM funds to expand livestock and income. He also highlighted Sarah Nagayi, a trainee from Kayunga who graduated from the Kayunga Presidential Skilling Hub in hairdressing, secured employment and now runs a salon employing others.
The President used his own farming example to promote commercial agriculture as a source of wealth. He described a model farm divided into plots for coffee, bananas, pasture and fish, saying the enterprise yields significant income after costs.
Political mobilisation formed a clear part of the address. Museveni called for the election of ideologically aligned leaders to support government interventions, and he formally handed NRM flags to candidates standing in Butambala. First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Maama Janet Museveni urged residents to translate today’s rally enthusiasm into votes on polling day and to aim for turnout of 70 percent or more.
Local leaders underlined the district’s progress. Butambala NRM Chairperson Herbert Mugarura listed social services and economic gains: 68 government primary schools, 12 secondary schools, one hospital and six Health Centre IIIs, and a rising proportion of the population with access to electricity and water. He said the district has disbursed significant PDM funds and supported Emyooga SACCOs to expand small businesses.
Speakers also repeated calls for upgraded health facilities, including proposals to elevate Gombe Hospital to a regional referral centre. The rally attracted NRM Central Executive Committee members, MPs and community leaders who emphasised unity, stability and continued development as priorities for the coming election period.
By combining promises of further infrastructure, training and enterprise support with examples of beneficiaries, the campaign stop in Greater Mpigi presented a message focused on tangible delivery and wealth creation as the pathway to jobs and long-term growth.
