Museveni Kicks Off Presidential Campaign in Teso

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential flagbearer, officially launched his 2026–2031 campaign in the Teso Sub-region, with a rally held at St. Francis Secondary School, Acumet, Kapelebyong District.

The event drew thousands of enthusiastic supporters and was graced by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni.

Focus on Road Maintenance and Accountability

In his address, President Museveni zeroed in on poor road maintenance and the misuse of government funds by some local government officials.

“On the roads, there is a small problem. I have already ordered the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Local Government to stop,” the President said. “They delay in maintaining both tarmac and murram roads. We give each district Shs 1.3 billion per year, but some local governments are not maintaining their roads.”

He revealed that investigations had uncovered cases of corruption and misuse of these funds. “It seems there is corruption in local government. Instead of maintaining the roads, they divert the money to other things,” he stated. “That Shs 1.3 billion is meant for maintaining existing murram roads, not constructing new ones.”

The President criticised shoddy road works, saying, “Some people just grade roads without doing proper drainage. When it rains, water collects on the road. You wonder whether they are making roads or swimming pools. I am going to deal with them because that money is coming. If the money is not enough, say so.”

Progress and Priorities

On infrastructure, President Museveni highlighted major road projects in Teso, including the Soroti–Moroto, Soroti–Katine–Dokolo–Lira–Kamdini, and Tirinyi–Kumi–Mbale roads. He announced plans for additional roads, such as Soroti–Amuria–Obalanga–Achanpi–Otuke–Abim, aimed at improving connectivity across the region.

He also expressed satisfaction with developments in education: “I am happy to learn there are 10 secondary schools in Kapelebyong alone. This shows how far we have come. Some schools like Sir Samuel Baker and Teso College were only O-Level in the past. This progress gives me hope,” he said.

On restocking livestock in the sub-region, the President said the government would soon roll out a democratic formula for distributing animals. “I proposed five cows per homestead. The majority supported it, and I have instructed the government to plan for it,” he revealed.

Peace, Stability, and Socio-Economic Transformation

Reflecting on Uganda’s journey under the NRM, the President said, “Maama and I are happy to present the NRM 2026–31 manifesto. We have been active in politics for 65 years. Uganda has come from wars, rebels, cattle rustling, and IDPs, but since 2007, we have secured peace and disarmed rustlers in Karamoja.”

He emphasised that the NRM’s goal remains transforming Ugandans from subsistence to commercial production through initiatives such as UPE, USE, and wealth creation programs.

“NRM is Uganda’s party. It is building Uganda and ensuring our children live better lives than we did,” he said.

Maama Janet Reaffirms Education Commitments

In her remarks, Maama Janet Museveni underscored the government’s commitment to eliminating fees in public schools. “That is why the President has said, in the coming Kisanja, all teachers in UPE and USE schools will be paid by the government. Parents will not have to contribute fees,” she said.

She called on citizens to vote for the NRM to consolidate these gains: “It is our responsibility as Ugandans above 18 to support NRM with our votes. God bless Kapelebyong, God bless Teso, and God bless Uganda.”

NRM Achievements in Kapelebyong District

According to government reports, Kapelebyong District — with a population of 143,536 — has made significant progress across multiple sectors: Infrastructure: 203 km of roads paved in the last eight years, including Tirinyi–Pallisa–Kumi, Soroti–Arapai, Katakwi–Iriri, and Kumi Town roads.

Parish Development Model (PDM): Shs 17 billion received; Shs 16.8 billion disbursed to 17,014 households (53% coverage). Emyooga: 18 SACCOs established, 11,029 members, and Shs 920 million disbursed.

Education: 41 government primary schools and 8 secondary schools are now operational; new schools are planned under UgIFT and USEEP. Health: One HCIV and five HCIIIs, with new upgrades planned in Acinga, Obalanga, and Akore. Water: 35% of villages have access to safe water, with new piped systems and valley tanks constructed under the Water for Production initiative.

The campaign is being conducted under the theme: “Protecting the Gains as We Make a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status.”

The event was attended by NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) members, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, and thousands of supporters from across Teso.