NAMUTUMBA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Monday invoked the painful memories and enduring loyalty of Busoga’s wartime cadres as he campaigned in Namutumba, promising new infrastructure projects and reaffirming the ruling NRM’s legacy of peace and development.
Addressing crowds alongside First Lady Janet Museveni, the President said returning to Busoga was not just a political visit but a symbolic homage to the region’s contribution during the bush war.
Museveni reminded residents that Busoga was one of the battlegrounds of the 1981–1986 Liberation War, and many from the sub-region paid the ultimate price for supporting the NRA struggle.
“I was representing our comrades who died in that struggle. Busoga cadres stood with us for long, including Nkooko and Ntale who were executed in Jinja for supporting us,” he said. “That is why the first brick we contributed to building Uganda is peace. NRM is synonymous with peace.”
He said peace laid the foundation for the second “brick”—national development—citing major road projects that have eased movement and opened up trade routes.
“Today you don’t have to pass through Tororo to reach Mbale. We built the Nakalama–Busembatya–Tirinyi–Mbale road. You go to Tororo only if you are going to Kenya,” Museveni told the gathering.
Looking ahead, the President announced that several key roads in Namutumba and surrounding districts have been earmarked for construction in the next financial year. These include:
- Nabumali–Namutumba road
- Busembatya–Namakoko road
- Kaliro–Namutumba–Mazuba road
He added that his Principal Secretary would follow up with local leaders on all outstanding pledges made during the visit.
Museveni, who has been traversing Busoga sub-region delivering what he calls the “NRM message,” said the campaign trail would continue on Tuesday in Buyende and Kaliro as the ruling party intensifies its grassroots engagements ahead of the 2026 polls.
The President’s Busoga tour has largely focused on infrastructure, patriotism, and NRM’s historical ties to the region—messaging that analysts say is aimed at consolidating support in an area where NRM loyalty has fluctuated in recent election cycles.
