By Tebusweke Yusuf
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has informed leaders in the Bukedi subregion that Uganda can only achieve the desired socio-economic transformation through wealth creation.
“These things must be clear in our heads. Yes, health, education, that is service delivery, when you talk of roads and so on, that is development, but in order to achieve socio-economic transformation, we need to create wealth. This is conceptual, it’s not lack of resources, it’s lack of concept,” he said.
President Museveni who is currently on a performance assessment tour on Parish Development Model (PDM) and wealth creation in Bukedi, made the remarks on Saturday 9th November 2024 while addressing leaders from across the sub region at Butaleja District Headquarters.
According to President Museveni, the NRM government has always come up with several interventions such as the four acre-model type of farming, to help Ugandans fight poverty and create wealth.
“In the 1996 Manifesto, following the research I had done in the cattle corridor, we put up the four acre-model, but people were not listening, they were on other things. Now the people who listened to us a bit are doing very well. If you see the area of Masaka now, they are doing very well with coffee. The cattle corridor is prosperous, Masaka area and some other parts in Buganda are quite prosperous. Kalangala has also changed a lot because of palm oil as well as Bundibugyo which grows palm oil, coffee and upland rice,” the President said.
“We said that you people of four acres or less the medicine which can get you out of poverty is number one, have one acre of coffee, second acre put in fruits, third acre you put pasture for dairy cows, the fourth acre for food such as cassava, then in the backyard you put poultry for eggs and piggery. At the edge of the wetlands, you do fish farming. In Bukedi, you can as well grow cocoa,” he added, advising that people with small pieces of land should forego crops like cotton, sugarcane and maize because in order to be profitable, they need to be grown on a big scale.
On the other hand, President Museveni urged the people of Bukedi to start utilising wetlands well by shifting from rice growing in the swamps to fish farming at the edges of the wetlands.
“If you are a leader and you don’t guide the people you lead well, it’s a sin, you are going to get a problem and for me I don’t want to go to hell. That’s why I always tell you what God has shown me,” he noted.
“When you come to Bukedi, Busoga, Teso and Lango, they are the richest parts of the world. God made these areas so well. You get a swamp, maybe 200 metres wide, sometimes bigger, then you get dry land, then you get another swamp. You have got land and water, but the problem is you don’t know how to use them. You are underutilizing and mis-utilising this great resource.”
Citing an example of Limoto Wetland, President Museveni explained that due to proper fishing practices in that particular wetland, farmers can make Shs 60 million from fishponds on one acre.
“I want the Bakedi to know how to use the wetlands well and better. I would like you to do two things, number one use the wetlands better and get more money out of them and at the same time, save the wetlands, that is why the fishponds should not be in the centre but at the edges of the wetland.”
President Museveni also emphasised irrigation to increase productivity.
On the issue of PDM and Emyooga, the President revealed that the programs are doing well in the Subregion.
“I have seen the farmers I have visited, they are very happy. We are going to continue investing more money in the PDM every year, the same with Emyooga,”he said.
The Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo lauded the President for his excellent and practical approach towards securing the future of all Ugandans through wealth creation programs and shared prosperity.
“Your Excellency, I welcome you to the Bukedi sub region and thank you for the zonal tour. This zonal tour has greatly helped in awakening and mobilising the population to meaningfully participate in wealth and job creation initiatives, as demonstrated by the farmers who we visited yesterday,” the Vice President said.
“Your Excellency, the mantle of securing the future of Uganda is a great task; it needs leadership that has been tried, tested and found worthy to be trusted with responsibilities and in you, Your Excellency, the people of Uganda found a suitable choice.”
The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Robinah Nabbanja thanked President Museveni and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government for the commendable work done in empowering Ugandans through various programs like the PDM.
“The NRM government was given mandate in 2021-2026 and so far 35 percent of all our commitments have been fulfilled and 49 percent of our commitments to the people of Uganda are still ongoing and I believe by the year 2026 we shall have achieved 84 percent of the fulfilment of our NRM Manifesto,” Rt. Hon. Nabbanja said.
The Secretary General of NRM, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong also commended President Museveni for his wise leadership that has enabled him to guide the leaders on how to address the issues affecting the ordinary person.
“We thank you for the stewardship you have given to this country and for holding the party flag and the party Manifesto high,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for Kibale County-Pallisa, Hon. Richard Oseku who presented a joint Memorandum of Bukedi Subregion informed the President that the people of Bukedi acknowledge and appreciate the government interventions aimed at fighting poverty and enabling Ugandans to create wealth.
He however raised a matter of concern that some parishes in the sub region are yet to be gazetted and their residents have not benefited from the Parish Development Model initiative.
The meeting was also attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) members, District leaders, cultural and religious leaders, among others.
