Museveni Pins Kasese’s Future on Commercial Agriculture, Tourism and Manufacturing

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the people of Kasese to focus on creating wealth through commercial agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, saying these sectors remain the backbone of jobs and sustainable incomes in the district.

Addressing his first rally of the day at Kisinga Town Council headquarters in Bukonzo County, President Museveni, who is the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flagbearer for the 2026 general elections, President Museveni said Kasese’s development potential is clear and achievable if communities specialise and take advantage of existing government programmes.

“The future of Kasese is very clear in my head. The wealth and jobs must come from three key sectors: commercial agriculture, services like tourism, including wildlife and mountaineering, and manufacturing.”

He explained that for these sectors to thrive, people must embrace skills and specialisation, locally known as emyooga, including carpentry, crafts and ceramics, alongside modern farming.

“That is why we introduced Emyooga across the country and set up presidential skilling zonal hubs,” he said, adding that skills development remains one of the NRM’s core pillars for economic transformation.

President Museveni said Uganda’s economy has expanded significantly under the NRM leadership, citing increased production of coffee, bananas, livestock, maize and sugar.

“Uganda is much richer now than before. Production has increased, but there are still some people outside the money economy. That is the challenge we must solve,” he said.

In Kasese, the President highlighted government support to farmers, noting that the district has received 1.7 million coffee seedlings, 77,000 mango seedlings, 400,000 orange seedlings and 639,000 apple seedlings.

“Apples are even more valuable than mangoes,” President Museveni said, urging residents to take farming seriously as a pathway out of poverty.

He cautioned against the belief that government alone can provide jobs for everyone, saying public sector employment is limited and unsustainable as the sole solution.

“Government jobs are few, and the population is big. It is not good for a country to employ everyone. We need sectors that create wealth and jobs,” he said.

On infrastructure, President Museveni acknowledged Kasese’s size and terrain, promising additional road equipment to improve murram roads across the district.

He also pledged to address long-standing community concerns, including pensions for affected people in the Rwenzururu sub-region and land for the resettlement of the Banyabindi.

The President further revealed plans to develop a historical memorial site in Katebwa, an area linked to past conflicts. “Those are places of history. We shall look into making them proper memorial sites,” he said.

President Museveni called on voters to continue backing the NRM in the 2026–2031 period, saying the party’s message is anchored in tangible results rather than promises. “What we are telling you is not stories. It is what has been done and what you can see. Support NRM so that we can consolidate what we have achieved and move forward.”

On his part, Eng. Jonard Asiimwe, the NRM Vice Chairperson for Western Uganda, thanked residents for turning up in large numbers and praised their support for the ruling party.

“The people of Bukonzo deeply appreciate your return, Your Excellency. This is the second time you are coming back here, and it shows commitment to our concerns,” Eng. Asiimwe said.

Eng. Asiimwe also renewed calls for the establishment of an industrial park in Kasese, citing the district’s vast electricity potential. “Kasese has over 20,000 megawatts of power. An industrial park here would create jobs and directly benefit our young people,” he noted.

Kasese District NRM Chairperson, Mr James Mbahimba, said residents of Bukonzo were encouraged by the President’s visit and optimistic about the future.

“The people here are happy to receive the President. They believe that when government programmes are implemented fully, household incomes will improve,” Mr Mbahimba said.

He commended government efforts to recognise traditional institutions, including support extended to the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu, and acknowledged progress on pension matters for former public servants.

Mr Mbahimba also thanked the Ministry of Health for strengthening health services in the district, citing continued support from health officials and medical facilities serving hard-to-reach communities.

Kasese District, with a population of 853,831 according to the 2024 census, continues to benefit from key government programmes targeting poverty reduction, skills development and service delivery.

Under the Parish Development Model (PDM), over Shs77.3 billion has been allocated to 215 parishes, with more than 67,000 households already benefiting. The Emyooga programme has also supported 60 SACCOs with over Shs2.7 billion, boosting small businesses across the district.

In education, Kasese has 260 government primary schools and 25 government secondary schools, all offering Universal Secondary Education. Skills development has been strengthened through the Rwenzori Presidential Industrial Hub in Kasese, which has so far trained more than 1,100 youths in practical trades including welding, carpentry, tailoring and bakery.

The government has also embarked on an ambitious plan to upgrade several Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IIIs and construct new facilities in underserved sub-counties, thus improving access to healthcare.

Water access has also expanded through completed and ongoing gravity flow schemes, solar-powered systems and borehole rehabilitation, serving tens of thousands of residents in both rural and urban areas.

In agriculture, the Mubuku II Irrigation Scheme now supports over 700 farmers, generating billions of shillings in annual income, while valley tanks and solar-powered irrigation systems are boosting livestock and crop production.

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