President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has challenged residents of Lwengo District to turn the country’s long-standing peace into tangible economic gains, arguing that stability only has value if it improves household incomes and livelihoods.
Speaking at a National Resistance Movement (NRM) campaign rally in Lwengo on Friday, the President posed a direct question to the crowd, asking what benefit peace offers if families continue to struggle to put food on the table. He urged households to move away from subsistence living and embrace income-generating activities as a sustainable route out of poverty.
Museveni noted that Uganda’s four decades of stability have laid the groundwork for economic transformation, but stressed that prosperity depends on deliberate wealth creation at the household level. He encouraged residents to use the peace secured under the NRM to actively engage in production and enterprise.
The President attributed the country’s stability to the rejection of divisive, sectarian politics and the consolidation of the NRM, which he said has broadened political participation for women, youth and other special interest groups. According to Museveni, inclusive governance has strengthened national unity and provided a solid foundation for long-term development.
He highlighted infrastructure development as a key government priority, noting that improved roads have enhanced trade and mobility across the country. Museveni recalled that the Masaka–Lyantonde road was in poor condition when the NRM took power in 1986 and assured residents that additional routes in the region would be upgraded.
He specifically mentioned planned works on roads connecting Mutukula, Sembabule–Mbirizi and Kyabakuza–Kiwanga to improve connectivity and support commerce. However, the President cautioned against viewing infrastructure as an end in itself.
“You cannot sleep on roads,” Museveni remarked, emphasising that infrastructure alone cannot defeat poverty. He urged families to focus on productive activities that generate steady income.
Museveni pointed to government initiatives promoting commercial agriculture as practical pathways to wealth creation. He said Lwengo District has already benefited from the distribution of more than one million coffee seedlings and 280,000 orange seedlings, aimed at increasing household earnings.
On job creation, the President said government’s role is to create a conducive environment for business, noting that the private sector is the primary source of employment in developed economies. He cited an example of a farmer from Busoga who abandoned the pursuit of a government job, invested in commercial agriculture and now employs more than 300 people.
NRM Vice Chairperson for Buganda Region, Haruna Kasolo, commended the government for empowering women and youth, saying the NRM manifesto provides clear opportunities for young people. He also praised Lwengo voters for electing NRM-leaning Members of Parliament and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to transforming livelihoods in the district.
