National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential candidate, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has rallied residents of Kitgum and surrounding districts to invest in commercial farming as a means of improving household incomes.
Museveni made the remarks while meeting NRM leaders from Lamwo, Agago, Pader and Kitgum districts on Tuesday.
Museveni said the area which was once a war zone has been greatly transformed.
He expressed his happiness towards the development that has been achieved in Acholi sub-region since 1986 when the National Resistance Army/ Movement took power.
He commended the people of Acholi for developing the region, recollecting that Kitgum has changed tremendously as new buildings, hotels, tarmac roads, shops and other infrastructure have sprung up.
“When I first came to Kitgum in 1979, there was only one small hotel called Hilltop which was government-owned plus some corrugated iron-roofed buildings belonging to Asians. Today I am happy to see a modern Kitgum Town with nice hotels belonging to private individuals, and modern shops built by locals,” Museveni said as he went on to narrate the history of turbulence occasioned by the past regimes including how the NRA/UPDF defeated the LRA and other rebel forces which had destabilised the region for too long.
He said that the NRM embarked on building a strong foundation for the country’s socio-economic transformation by restoring peace, breaking down the walls of sectarianism or identity politics, while emphasizing unity and the right ideology.
The NRM presidential candidate who is campaigning for another mandate to lead the country for the next five years said whereas many other candidates will come to canvass votes, the ruling party is the most suited and that it should be voted for.
“We are coming to ask for votes again. We are competing with some other people who say they should take power. We think NRM is the only one qualified to lead the country because of some facts. This part of the world has been a centre of lack of peace for last 500years even before Kony. The area is now peaceful.”
Museveni said government has been able to solve the problem of shortage of essential goods, created jobs and enhanced taxes for the country.
“How did the NRM manage to bring stability when there was instability for all these years? We chose to be different from the other groups by doing things differently. For us in NRM we don’t ask what tribe you are or which religion are you, but we mostly consider your usefulness,” he said.
He urged NRM leaders and flag bearers to disseminate messages which unite the people of Uganda.
“We haven’t experienced a scenario where a UPDF officer kills another soldier because of tribe or religion as was the case in the previous regimes. Our Army has been well-established on sound ideology, we only shoot in one direction for national interest,” he stated.
