Ngora — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the people of Ngora District and the wider Teso Sub-region to continue supporting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to sustain Uganda’s hard-won peace, stability, and economic transformation.
Addressing thousands of supporters in Ngora on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, as part of his campaign trail across the Teso sub-region, President Museveni—also the NRM presidential flag bearer in the 2026 elections—said the NRM has consistently demonstrated its ability to uplift Ugandans through deliberate investment in peace, infrastructure, and wealth creation.
“Politics is not about the words of politicians just talking. The politics of NRM is about solving people’s problems by showing them the way and assisting them in every possible way,” President Museveni said.
He cited government programs such as Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, the Women and Youth Funds, and the Parish Development Model (PDM) as evidence of the NRM’s commitment to empowering citizens.
“All these programs are meant for you to get out of poverty. If you support NRM, we shall continue,” he said. “On PDM, we shall add another 15 million shillings onto the 100 million shillings cash per parish. We shall also create funds for fishermen, religious leaders, cultural institutions, and unemployed graduates.”
Peace and Development
The President reminded the people of Ngora of the difficult years of insecurity before the NRM restored peace, recalling the battles he commanded in the late 1980s and early 1990s against rebel groups around Nyero Rocks, Kongoro, and Kanyu.
“You people of Ngora and Kumi are witnesses to what was happening here. Those were difficult times, but together we managed to get peace. It was the NRM, together with the people, that brought this peace,” said Gen. Museveni.
He stressed that peace remains the foundation of all development, enabling Ugandans to focus on education and productivity.
Museveni also pointed to massive improvements in infrastructure as a pillar of NRM’s transformation agenda. He said the Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Kagwara road had already been secured and was awaiting a contractor, while other key road projects had opened up connectivity to Soroti, Lango, and Karamoja.
On energy and water access, the President revealed that almost all sub-counties in Ngora are now connected to the national electricity grid, while 90 percent of the district’s 146 villages have access to safe water. He highlighted ongoing and planned projects, including solar-powered water systems and the Lake Kyoga Multi-purpose Gravity Flow Scheme, which will serve several districts in the region.
“We are going to pump water from Lake Kyoga to supply all these areas. It will be easy because the land is flat,” he explained.
Education and Health Priorities
President Museveni reaffirmed his government’s commitment to free education, lamenting the continued charging of school fees in public institutions. “We started free education in 1996, and it should remain free. Charging fees in government schools is betrayal,” he said.
Ngora currently has 59 government primary schools, six government secondary schools, and an ongoing construction project for a new Seed Secondary School. Museveni said the goal is to ensure every parish has a primary school and every sub-county a secondary school.
He also cited the Presidential Skilling Hubs, such as the one in Soroti, where youth are trained in practical skills like metal fabrication, tailoring, and carpentry. “These youths are now earning money by producing what we used to import,” the President noted.
On healthcare, Museveni announced plans to upgrade several facilities and build new ones to ensure every sub-county has at least a Health Centre III. Ongoing works include upgrades at Opot, Atoot, and Mukura, and new health centres in Agirigiroi, Morukakise, and Ngora sub-counties.
“Expanding access to health and education is part of our social contract to ensure every Ugandan lives a dignified life,” Museveni said.
Wealth Creation and Success Stories
The President urged residents to distinguish between collective development and personal wealth creation, encouraging every household to engage in income-generating activities in sectors such as commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT.
He shared the success story of Joseph Ijala, a farmer from Serere District earning millions daily through poultry and dairy farming.
“When I visited him, he was earning three million shillings a day. Now he earns 6.8 million shillings a day—that’s over two billion shillings a year. Wealth is possible even deep in the village,” he said.
Museveni praised the performance of the Parish Development Model in Ngora, where Shs 22.4 billion has been disbursed to nearly 70 percent of households. Under Emyooga, Ngora has received Shs 1.68 billion to support 36 SACCOs with over 7,500 members.
Cattle Compensation
Addressing the long-standing issue of cattle loss in Teso, Lango, and Acholi, President Museveni announced a new compensation plan.
“We have now adopted a uniform compensation strategy—each affected household will receive five cows. This will ensure fairness and efficiency,” he said.
Leaders Laud NRM’s Progress
Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, who welcomed the President to Ngora, hailed the district’s peace and development, thanking him for allocating Shs 1 billion for road rehabilitation. She also praised the upcoming Standard Gauge Railway project passing through Ngora for its potential to boost trade.
Mr Calvin Echodu, the NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Region, lauded Ngora’s leadership for establishing one of the first district NRM offices in Teso, calling it a sign of strong grassroots support.
District NRM Chairperson Hon. Okello John Michael thanked the President for programs like PDM and Emyooga, while requesting more investment in technical education, a district hospital, and additional tarmac roads.
Political Outlook
Ngora District, with a population of 213,777, has seen its voter register grow from 72,976 in 2021 to 85,696 in 2025, a sign of strong mobilisation ahead of the 2026 elections. In the last polls, Museveni won with 57.1 percent of the vote.
The rally drew thousands of enthusiastic supporters, joined by ministers, Members of Parliament, and NRM Central Executive Committee members from across the Teso Sub-region.
“We have brought peace, we have built roads, schools, hospitals, and we have created programs for wealth. All we ask is your continued support to complete the mission,” President Museveni concluded to loud applause.