The Ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential Candidate, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has pledged to operationalise a fertiliser support scheme for tea, coffee and cotton farmers in his next term of office, as part of efforts to boost agricultural productivity and household incomes in Kanungu District.
Addressing thousands of NRM supporters at Rwere playgrounds in Kanungu during his fifth campaign trail in the Kigezi Sub-region on Wednesday, President Museveni said the NRM government plans to provide assistance grants to farmers to access fertilisers, particularly those engaged in large-scale agriculture, to make their enterprises more profitable.
Museveni, who is also the incumbent President of Uganda, outlined a broader job creation strategy anchored on intensified industrialisation and commercial agriculture.
He said existing industrial parks in Mbale, Namanve, Kapeeka and Mukono, among others, have already created over 1.3 million jobs for Ugandan’s, and more industrial parks are planned across the country.
He further pointed to vast employment opportunities in commercial agriculture, the services sector and ICT, which he said the NRM intends to expand in the coming term.
On education, Museveni reiterated his push for free universal education in all government schools, arguing that an educated population is key to wealth creation and employment.
He cited success stories of graduates from the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs who have acquired vocational skills, become self-employed and joined the wealth creation drive.
The NRM flag bearer also unveiled plans to upgrade key road infrastructure in Kanungu District, including the 149km Hamurwa–Kerere–Kanungu–Kanyantorogo–Butogota–Buhoma–Ikumba road and the 87km Ishasha–Katunguru road section.
He said these roads form part of broader economic infrastructure meant to spur development in Kanungu and the greater Kigezi Sub-region.
Museveni noted that the NRM government has already invested in economic and social infrastructure in Kanungu as part of its wider socio-economic transformation agenda and pledged more improvements in service delivery if re-elected.
He urged residents of Kanungu to guard the prevailing peace and stability in Uganda, warning against the instability seen in neighbouring DR Congo.
He also cautioned the electorate not to confuse general development with personal wealth creation, explaining that while government is responsible for public infrastructure, citizens must take charge of engaging in productive enterprises at household level.
The President re-echoed his guidance on the four-acre model for small and medium landholders and promised to expand its implementation to reach more communities in his next term.
Museveni concluded by highlighting the NRM “scorecard” of peace and security, economic and social development, wealth creation, job creation, markets and regional integration, and appealed to the people of Kanungu to entrust the NRM with another term in order to consolidate these gains.
He also called on leaders and residents to embrace prioritisation and budgeting discipline in the use of government resources to drive socio-economic transformation.
