Napak — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni braved a heavy downpour on Thursday as he addressed his final campaign rally in Karamoja, passionately urging citizens to uphold peace, embrace wealth creation, and consolidate the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) achievements in the region.
The rally, held at Matany Grounds in Napak District, attracted thousands of supporters who cheered as the visibly soaked but undeterred President declared, “I’ve been a cattle keeper since the age of four, and I don’t fear the rain. In Ntungamo, when you abandon the cows to seek shelter, they’ll destroy people’s gardens — and that becomes a crime.”
Reflecting on Karamoja’s painful past, President Museveni revisited the challenges of insecurity and cattle rustling, commending the community for supporting the disarmament campaign that restored peace.
“Some argued we should let you keep guns to defend yourselves from rustlers, but I said no — that’s suicide. You have now seen the results,” he said. “Women and youth played a big role in bringing peace, and I thank you all.”
Education, Health, and Skilling
Highlighting the government’s investment in education, the NRM Presidential candidate noted that Napak District now has 30 government primary schools, 44 private primary schools, three government secondary schools, and one private secondary school.
Construction of five new secondary schools is underway, which will leave only six sub-counties without a government secondary school once completed.
He reaffirmed the government’s plan to ensure one government secondary school per sub-county and one technical school per district, but expressed disappointment at individuals undermining free education by charging unauthorised fees.
“Some school managers have turned everything into money,” he said. “They are blocking children from studying. That’s why I started Presidential Skilling Hubs—including one here in Napak—where youth train for free in practical skills like shoemaking, carpentry, and tailoring.”
On health, President Museveni revealed that out of Napak’s 14 sub-counties, only five currently have Health Centre IIIs. He announced plans to upgrade facilities such as Nabawal, Ngoleriet, Lokiteded, and Morulinga to HCIII level, with Iriiri Health Centre III being upgraded to HCIV.
“In the next term, every sub-county will have a health centre III, and Napak will have its own hospital,” he pledged.
Wealth Creation and Jobs
Turning to household incomes, the President emphasised the distinction between development and wealth, urging families to adopt the NRM’s four-acre model for commercial farming.
“There’s a tarmac road in Matany. But do you sleep on the tarmac? No, you sleep in your house, and the poverty you left there welcomes you back. Development is ours, but wealth and poverty are yours,” he said.
He cited success stories such as George Matongo of Nakaseke, who earns UGX 250 million annually from milk sales, and Korea Dick of Abim, who earns UGX 12 million from mango farming.
On employment, President Museveni reiterated that jobs come from wealth, not just government offices, citing examples of successful small-scale commercial farmers like Hon. Fred Byamukama of Kakumiro, who employs 26 people from his four-acre farm. “We have only 480,000 government jobs, but factories and farms have created over 1.3 million jobs. Wealth creation is the true source of employment,” he emphasised.
Infrastructure, Water, and Regional Progress
The President commended the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, for her past work in Karamoja, particularly in water provision and food security. “When Maama Janet was Minister for Karamoja, she built water dams and improved food production. At one point, Karamoja even sent food to Mbale,” he recalled.
He announced a new plan to expand individualized irrigation systems for commercial farmers to strengthen resilience against drought. “Continue supporting the NRM so we can consolidate what we’ve achieved and do even more,” he urged.
Community Voices and Development Milestones
Taking the podium, Maama Janet thanked the people of Napak for their loyalty to NRM: “All Ugandans have a duty to protect peace and unity so that development continues. Vote for President Museveni and all NRM leaders so we can build and transform Uganda. Arakara noi!”
The NRM Vice Chairman for Karamoja, Hon. Lokii John Baptist, congratulated the President on completing his regional campaigns, saying Napak was ready to deliver nearly 100% support.
Presenting the district’s progress report, NRM Chairman for Napak, Mr Mark Longole, highlighted visible transformation in education, health, and security. He reported that UGX 17.83 billion under the Parish Development Model (PDM) had been disbursed to 17,867 beneficiaries across 57 SACCOs — covering 42.8% of households.
Napak has also benefited from Emyooga, the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), the Women Entrepreneurship Programme, and SAGE for the elderly. The district’s 34 Emyooga SACCOs with 9,195 members have so far received UGX 1.16 billion.
Mr Longole also thanked the government for integrating 2,114 former warriors after disarmament and presented key requests, including: Creation of Iriiri District from Napak; Construction of a district hospital; Restocking households affected by disarmament; Strengthening youth SACCOs with UGX 2.5 billion as a revolving fund; and Extending electricity and resolving the land dispute between Napak and Teso.
Political Strength and Voter Growth
Napak remains one of NRM’s strongest support bases. In the 2021 Presidential Elections, President Museveni secured 32,490 votes (94.1%) out of 56,678 registered voters. The district’s voter roll has since grown to 62,688 in 2025, with 181 polling stations, up from 145 in 2021 — reflecting expansion and strong mobilisation.
Several senior government officials attended the rally, including Hon. Peter Lokeris (Minister for Karamoja Affairs), Hon. Florence Nambozo (State Minister for Karamoja), Hon. Balam Barugahara (State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs), and Hon. Akello Rose Lilly (Minister of State for Ethics & Integrity), alongside Members of Parliament, district leaders, and security chiefs.