President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday concluded a three-month countrywide sensitisation campaign of wananchi on wealth and job creation with a public rally in Bundibugyo District, Rwenzori Sub-Region in Western Uganda.
He called upon all Ugandans at his concluding rally held at Kasubba Sub-County Headquarters to wake up and kick out poverty from their homes by embracing a money economy that suits modern-day life styles.
The President urged communities throughout his just concluded tour that his aim was fighting for the poor who for long have lived in economic darkness because of lack of leaders to mobilise them to wake up and work to banish poverty.
“The NRM struggled to usher peace in the country. Peace ignited infrastructure development. The remaining task is wealth creation mobilisation at household level. A person with a reasonable piece of land is able to handle any agricultural practice. I am now struggling to see that a person with a 4-acre or less piece of land utilises it to realise high productivity to accumulate wealth,” he said.
The President told the rally in Bundibugyo that he was impressed with the people of the area for being focused in development.
“You have greatly advanced in agricultural development; growing coffee, cocoa, palm oil trees to sustain economic development of your families,” he said. He used the occasion to advise residents in the district to construct residential housing structures out of bricks not mud and wattle though the houses are roofed with corrugated iron sheets.
He also thanked them for the tremendous support for the NRM governance by their overwhelming vote in the 2016 general elections.
“I have come here to thank you for voting well. I commend you people of Bundibungyo for you are focused politically. Your mature and responsible voting has made the area peaceful contrary to the neighbouring DRC.” He added.
He encouraged Bundibugyo District communities that in addition to growing highly productivity crops along the four-acre plan that includes coffee, fruits, dairy cows, poultry, piggery they should at the same time expand vanilla cultivation because the product has gained global market demand.
He assured Ugandans that government has created an annual fund allocation of Shs.400 billion for wananchi to utilize to boost individual household income. He explained that the money is embedded in the youth livelihood fund, women fund, OWC and microfinance fund.
“Other extra source of funds the government has identified, he added are under skilling programme, specialised enterprises fund and elected leaders’ fund,” he revealed. He used the occasion to strongly warn those people (rats) that will be tempted to squander the funds, would be apprehended.
President Museveni warned people on consumption of apes’ flesh saying it is the root cause of the Ebola outbreak in the area. “To curb further spread of Ebola, he added, people should avoid handshake till the disease is eradicated”, he said.
Presidency Minister, Hon. Esther Mbayo, reminded Bundibugyo District electorate to continue voting for NRM overwhelmingly as they have always done since the coming to power of the Movement in 1986.
Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Minister, Vincent Sempijja sensitised coffee growers in the area about coffee trees’ spacing and how they can contain soil erosion in hilly areas adding that for zero grazing animals, a farmer is able to keep eight cows in one acre of land.
Bundibugyo District LC 5 Chairman, Mr. Mutegeki Ronald, said that the district has been peaceful and stable. He thanked the Movement Government for supporting the district in terms of development programs.
He, however, revealed that the area is facing acute famine following the collapse of seven bridges. He appreciated government effort of rendering food relief through the Office of Prime Minister but called for more supplies.
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