Gomba District — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Sunday attended a thanksgiving ceremony for Mr. Kissakyamukama Yiga and his family in Degeya Village, Maddu Sub-County, Gomba District, where he reaffirmed his commitment to fighting poverty through practical wealth creation strategies.
Addressing hundreds of residents and dignitaries, the President reflected on his decades-long campaign to uplift Ugandans from poverty, tracing his efforts back to the 1960s in the Ankole region.
“I began my war on poverty by telling our people to stop nomadic pastoralism and embrace zero-grazing and dairy farming. They listened, and many of them are now well-off,” President Museveni said.
He revisited the four-acre model first proposed in the 1996 NRM manifesto, encouraging smallholder farmers to diversify their land use: one acre for coffee, one for fruits, one for pasture, and one for food crops. In the backyard, he recommended adding poultry, piggery (for non-Muslims), and fish farming for those near wetlands.
“If you do these seven activities, you cannot remain poor,” he said.
The President praised Mr Kissakyamukama, recently appointed Presidential Assistant on Service Delivery, for his resilience and transformation. “He came from deep poverty, built a good house for his mother, got educated, and is no longer laughed at. I’m proud of him,” Museveni said, commending Kissakyamukama for fighting corruption and standing for the truth.
Mr. Kissakyamukama and his family expressed gratitude by donating four Ankole cows to the President. “Thank you for taking me from grass to grace,” he told Museveni, adding that the President had treated his mother and transformed their family’s future.
He also raised concerns about inefficiency and alleged corruption in district leadership, citing nepotism as a barrier to service delivery.
In response, President Museveni pledged to empower local communities economically. He committed to donating 1,000 goats to youth groups to promote livestock farming, providing tractors to enhance agricultural mechanisation, and injecting Shs 100 million into women’s SACCOs in Gomba District.
On the sensitive issue of forest land ownership, Museveni said he would engage relevant government bodies to issue leases to long-term occupants while urging the public to avoid fresh encroachments. He encouraged residents to plant avocado and other trees to contribute to environmental conservation.
Hon. Sylvia Nayebare, Woman MP for Gomba District, lauded the President’s efforts in transforming rural lives through education and empowerment. “Even children from humble families studying under UPE are now successful because of your vision,” she said.
President Museveni concluded his visit by reiterating his desire to see every Ugandan rise out of poverty. “When I bought land in Kisozi in 1990, I found people in extreme poverty. I built schools, gave out coffee seedlings, and encouraged them to shift from poverty to wealth. I never wanted to live among poor people — I want transformation for all Ugandans,” he emphasised.
