Kumi — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who also serves as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flag bearer, has praised the people of Teso Sub-region for their steadfast support for government efforts to restore and sustain peace in Uganda.
Speaking to thousands of supporters at Wiggins Secondary School playground in Kumi Town on Wednesday, President Museveni commended the people of Teso for standing shoulder to shoulder with the NRM and the army during the difficult years of insurgency.
“I salute the people of Teso because they worked with the army to bring peace in this part of the world,” President Museveni said. “When I camped at Nyero Rocks, I told the people to build a full primary school there. That’s how, working together, we brought peace. Of course, NRM brought peace because of our correct politics and ideology.”
The President emphasised that peace has been the cornerstone of Uganda’s transformation, paving the way for massive investment in infrastructure such as roads, electricity, communication, and clean water systems.
“After peace came development—the electricity, the telephones, the railway, and the water systems. That is all part of economic infrastructure,” he noted.
Roads, Electricity and Water Projects
President Museveni highlighted key infrastructure projects completed in the Teso region, including the repair and tarmacking of the Tororo–Soroti, Soroti–Katakwi–Moroto, and Tirinyi–Pallisa–Kamonkoli–Kumi roads.
He revealed that the government has already secured funds for the Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Kagwara–Bugondo road project, with procurement of a contractor underway.
“The money is there; we are just looking for a company to execute the work,” he assured.
On electrification, the President said that most sub-counties in Kumi District, including South and North Divisions, Nyero, Atutur, and Oboma, have already been connected to the national grid, while plans are underway to extend power to the remaining 10 sub-counties.
He also called for closer supervision of water projects, noting that Kumi’s access to safe water remains below neighbouring districts. “Out of 325 rural villages in Kumi, 153 have access to safe water through boreholes, representing 47 percent. This means 53 percent still lack access. Leaders need to find out why the coverage here is lower than in Ngora, where it’s up to 90 percent,” he said.
Museveni announced that the government will construct the Lake Kyoga Multipurpose Gravity Flow Scheme, a major water project that will serve Serere, Ngora, Kumi, and Bukedea districts.
“This project will be easy to implement because Teso is flat. We pumped water from River Kagera up to Mbarara, which is about 35 miles through hilly terrain, so this will be even easier,” he explained.
Expanding Education and Health Services
The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving education and health infrastructure in Kumi. He said the district currently has 75 government primary schools, but out of 140 parishes, only 48 have at least one government school. “We plan to have one primary school per parish and one secondary school per sub-county. Those who don’t have will get them,” he assured.
In the health sector, President Museveni revealed that of Kumi’s 18 sub-counties, only one has a hospital, one has a Health Centre IV, and six have Health Centre IIIs. Government, he said, will upgrade several facilities and build new ones in underserved sub-counties such as Kanapa, Mukongoro, and Kanyum.
He further highlighted ongoing achievements, including the Kumi Municipality Piped Water Supply serving 39,000 people, Nyero Town Council Water System serving 14,400 residents, Ongino Water Project benefiting 9,000 people, and Mukongoro Water Scheme reaching 11,600 residents.
“Future plans include expanding the Nyero water project, constructing new systems in Kanyum and Atutur, and developing small-scale irrigation projects like the Totolim Irrigation Scheme,” he added.
Empowering Citizens Through Skilling and PDM
President Museveni lauded the success stories of beneficiaries from the government’s Presidential Skilling Hubs, such as Ms Bena Apolot, a graduate of the Soroti centre who started a hairdressing business with UGX 300,000 and has since grown it into a thriving enterprise.
“Such examples show that development and peace must translate into wealth for every household. That’s why we introduced programs like the Parish Development Model—to ensure no Ugandan is left behind,” he said.
Strengthening NRM Structures
During the event, the President handed over NRM flags to aspiring Members of Parliament, LC V chairperson, councillors, and other party candidates in Kumi District, officially endorsing them for the forthcoming 2026 elections.
Ms Christine Apolot, the NRM spokesperson for Kumi District, thanked the President for his unwavering leadership and commitment to peace and development. “We warmly welcome you to Kumi, one of your homes. We appreciate your excellent leadership and your role in restoring peace after the difficult years of insurgency and cattle rustling,” Ms Apolot said.
She appealed for additional support in education, health, and infrastructure. “We request the construction of primary schools in the 70 parishes without one, secondary schools in seven sub-counties, and expansion of our hospitals to cater for the growing population. We also need better road equipment and more security personnel,” she added.
The rally was attended by members of the NRM Central Executive Committee, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, and thousands of enthusiastic supporters from across Teso.
