Museveni tells Rukungiri NRM remains tested anchor of stability

Ugandaelections2026

Museveni tells Rukungiri NRM remains tested anchor of stability

Speaking to thousands of supporters, Museveni told residents of the Kigezi region that they understand the value of security more than most Ugandans because of their past experiences with instability spilling across borders.

President Museveni welcomed by enthusiastic NRM supporters at the campaign rally in Rukungiri. (PPU)

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____________________President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni used his campaign rally in Rukungiri on Wednesday to reaffirm his long-standing message that the National Resistance Movement remains, in his words, the only political force with a proven record of steering Uganda out of turmoil and into sustained peace and development.Speaking to thousands of supporters, he told residents of the Kigezi region that they understand the value of security more than most Ugandans because of their past experiences with instability spilling across borders.President welcomed by Rukungiri leaders at the campaign rally in Rukungiri. (PPU)President Museveni addressing supporters at the campaign rally in Rukungiri. Communities in areas such as Kanungu and Kihihi once endured constant fear due to insecurity from the DR Congo border, a situation the President said justified NRM’s insistence on safeguarding national stability.“We are a tested force. We have walked Uganda through every challenge and delivered stability,” Museveni said, according to a release from the Presidential Press Unit. He stressed repeatedly that peace is the foundation upon which all other national achievements depend.Museveni explained that the NRM’s approach to national development is based on prioritising essential needs and working within available resources. He said that government spending begins with security before extending to roads, electricity, schools and health facilities.As evidence of progress, he pointed to completed projects such as the Ntungamo to Rukungiri to Kihihi to Ishasha to Kanungu Road. He also announced new projects, including the Muhanga to Kisiizi to Rwamucucu to Kebisoni Road and the Kabwohe to Kitagata to Kabira to Rukungiri Road.President Museveni.The President said NRM has made large strides in rural electrification, telling supporters that areas which once lacked power, such as Bushenyi, Rwashamaire, Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro, are now fully connected.“The government is now working to ensure every sub-county is connected so that no household or enterprise is left behind,” he said.Museveni also spoke about the resilience of the Bakiga people, saying their ability to overcome geographical hardship has long been recognised. He promised further investment in irrigation systems that can lift water uphill to support year-round farming, which he said will reduce the cycle of seasonal poverty that many households face.He reminded residents that while infrastructure provides a foundation, personal effort remains essential for prosperity. He urged households to take advantage of government initiatives, including Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation, Emyooga and the Parish Development Model.“Poverty is personal, and so is wealth. These opportunities are not for the rich; they are for ordinary people,” he said.The President referenced national employment figures to illustrate his message, noting that government jobs stand at only 480,000 compared to a population of 50 million, while industrial parks already employ 1.3 million people.He said families should therefore focus on generating income through productive enterprises rather than waiting for public sector positions. “Therefore, let us focus on household income and wealth and transform our lives,” he noted.During the rally, Museveni handed over NRM flags to aspiring Members of Parliament, LC5 chairpersons, councillors and other candidates from Rukungiri District, formally endorsing their participation in the coming elections. The rally also saw the President welcome several converts from the opposition, including long-time FDC members who crossed to the ruling party.A testimony of transformation was given by Immaculate Aturinda from Kebisoni, whose experience reflects the impact of government skilling programmes. She told the gathering that after dropping out of school in Senior Three and working as a house girl, she enrolled at the Kigezi Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub. There she received free training, food, medical care and materials to study tailoring. She now owns a sewing business in Kebisoni and employs two young people, earning about sh300,000 a month, income she said restored her independence and dignity.Former Prime Minister and NRM stalwart Amama Mbabazi praised the district’s loyalty to the ruling party. Speaking at the rally, he said, “We came here to ask you for your votes. Rukungiri has always stood firm with the NRM.”Mbabazi added that the region continues to demonstrate its appreciation for what he described as tangible results delivered by the government.Security minister and NRM district chairman for Rukungiri, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, also addressed supporters. He said gains registered in the district are visible across all sectors, including roads, schools, water, health and household incomes. “Rukungiri has gained a lot, and these gains must be protected,” he said.Muhwezi presented an extensive fact sheet detailing achievements in both Rukungiri district and Rukungiri Municipality. Together, the two areas have 16 sub-counties and town councils, 105 parishes and 831 villages. He said the Parish Development Model has recorded strong uptake. Rukungiri district’s 93 parishes received sh23.16 billion, and sh23.20 billion has already been disbursed to 23,611 households. Rukungiri Municipality’s 12 parishes received sh4.92 billion, and sh4.93 billion has reached 4,951 households. Out of 87,193 households in the district and municipality, 28,562 households, equivalent to 32.7 percent, have benefited from the Parish Development Model so far.According to Muhwezi, the district and municipality together have 54 Emyooga SACCOs with a combined membership of 22,334 people. The government has invested sh2.56 billion into these groups to support enterprise growth.Rukungiri’s education sector, Muhwezi said, has registered some of the fastest improvements in the region. The district has 178 government primary schools and 181 private primary schools. It also has 30 government secondary schools and 29 private secondary schools. Twenty-eight of the 30 government secondary schools offer USE and UPOLET.Out of the 105 parishes, 83 already have a government primary school, although 22 still do not have one. At secondary level, Rukungiri district has 25 government secondary schools that provide USE and UPOLET to 16,577 learners. Rukungiri Municipality has five government secondary schools, three of which offer USE to 1,298 learners. Work is ongoing to construct two new Seed Secondary Schools, and once finished, only one sub-county in the district will lack a government secondary school.In the health sector, Muhwezi said that out of the 16 sub-counties, four have health centre IVs and 13 have health centre IIIs, leaving only one sub-county without any government health facility. Planned interventions include upgrading Rwerere Health Centre II to health centre III, expanding immunisation programmes, strengthening malaria eradication efforts, deploying ICT tools to monitor medicines and health worker attendance and building staff houses as well as equipping all health units.Access to safe water in Rukungiri now stands at 85 percent, with 709 out of 831 villages having a functional safe water source. Completed water projects include six protected springs, completed designs for the Omukatooma and Kashenyi piped systems, construction of the Kateramo Piped Water System which serves 1,200 residents, rehabilitation of the Kashenyi system, a public latrine at Nangara Primary School and installation of a small piped system in Burombe. Forty-five boreholes have been rehabilitated.Muhwezi further said piped water systems are operational in major town councils, including Rukungiri Municipality, Kebisoni, Buyanja and Bikurungu, as well as several Rural Growth Centres such as Nyakagyeme, Nyarushanje, Kisiizi, Bwanga Kiyenje and Kabuga. Ongoing works include the expansion of piped water systems in the three town councils and the construction of the Kikarara to Garuka Piped Water System.Additional completed water and irrigation projects include the Rwakabengo communal valley tank with a capacity of 5,000 cubic metres serving 1,539 livestock, the Garuka Solar Irrigation Scheme, which covers 15 acres and produces 8.4 tonnes of tomatoes annually earning farmers about sh13.2 million, and the Rwengyero Solar Irrigation Scheme, which covers six acres and produces 4.8 tonnes of bananas and coffee annually worth sh10 million.He said Rukungiri is now fully connected to the national electricity grid, which has increased household and business access to reliable power across the district.