The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gomba, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni has taken his campaign to Gomba District, an area widely considered a political stronghold of National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) intensified efforts to consolidate support and enforce party discipline ahead of the elections.
Addressing a rally attended by crowds of people and senior NRM leaders, Museveni said the NRM’s first and biggest achievement has been maintaining peace, noting that Uganda remains stable despite being surrounded by several conflict-affected countries.
“Uganda is stable, yet we are surrounded by many unstable countries in Africa. No one will ever disturb our peace, and whoever tries will regret it badly,” Museveni said.
He listed development as the second pillar of NRM’s record, expressing concern that some leaders elected by the people do not adequately support government programmes.
The President announced plans to rehabilitate and upgrade several roads in the region, including the Kifampa–Bugomora–Kyamulibwa–Villa Maria road and the Kanoni–Maanyi–Mityana–Ssekanyonyi–Busunju road. He also pledged to extend electricity to all sub-counties that are still off the national grid.
Museveni urged residents to focus on wealth creation at household level, arguing that infrastructure alone cannot eliminate poverty if families remain unproductive. He revisited the four-acre agricultural model introduced in the 1990s, which integrates coffee, fruits, pasture, food crops, piggery, poultry and fish farming.
“Roads and electricity are important, but how will they help you if your household is still poor?” Museveni asked, encouraging farmers to adopt zero-grazing practices, which he said are more productive than free-range grazing.
He also emphasized the Parish Development Model (PDM), reminding residents that each parish receives Shs100 million annually. Museveni warned against mismanagement of the funds, saying government would pursue anyone found stealing public money.
“If the money is being stolen, we shall go for the thieves. What is important is that the government sends this money every year,” he said, adding that all Ugandans aged 18 and above are eligible to join parish-level SACCOs and benefit from the programme.
NRM Vice Chairperson Alhaji Moses Kigongo used his address to warn party supporters against backing so-called “NRM-leaning” candidates, insisting that loyalty to the Movement must be complete. He likened the NRM to a bus that requires full support from top to bottom.
“You cannot say you support the bus and yet vote against it. Anyone who supports the Movement must support it from top to bottom,” Kigongo said.
He cautioned that divided support weakens the party and amounts to betrayal, urging voters to back President Museveni and all official NRM flag bearers.
Speaker of Parliament and NRM Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), Anita Annet Among, thanked residents for turning up in large numbers, describing the rally as evidence of growing NRM support in an area traditionally associated with the opposition.
“I am very happy to be here, in the home area of Bobi Wine. The fact that you have come in big numbers shows that you love the NRM,” Among said.
She called on NRM supporters in Gomba to stop internal wrangles and rally behind party flag bearers, warning that fighting among themselves undermines service delivery.
Among also presented several community demands to the President, including the completion of key road links such as Masaka–Villa Maria, Villa Maria–Kalungu–Kabulasoke, and Maddu–Kabamba.
She reminded Museveni of a pledge to establish a regional referral hospital for the cattle corridor and said residents were requesting an irrigation scheme and a piped water system. Among further noted that following the closure of Kabulasoke Primary Teachers’ College (PTC), residents were promised a university and were still waiting for it.
Earlier, NRM Vice Chairperson for Buganda Region Haruna Kasolo thanked the leadership for respecting Electoral Commission rules and raised concerns over land issues in Gomba. He commended government for ruling that forest land be returned to local communities.
The Gomba rally highlighted NRM’s dual strategy of penetrating opposition-leaning areas while reinforcing internal unity and discipline, as the ruling party seeks to strengthen its footing ahead of the polls.
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SOURCE: NRM MEDIA
