In the latest NRM manifesto, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni charts a bold and uncompromising course toward the full commercialisation of agriculture — a vision that seeks to transform Uganda’s economy from subsistence to surplus, from survival to sovereignty. For decades, millions of Ugandans have labored under the weight of a subsistence economy, working only for the stomach, trapped in cycles of poverty and low productivity. But under Museveni’s leadership, the tide has turned. The number of households stuck in subsistence has dropped dramatically from 69% in 2014 to just 33% in 2024. The goal is clear: zero percent. Every Ugandan must be part of the money economy, empowered not just to produce, but to profit.
This transformation is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate, protracted investment in agricultural commercialisation along the entire value chain — from research to markets, from seedlings to exports. The NRM understands that true wealth creation begins with informed enterprise selection. Too many Ugandans have joined the money economy by growing colonial cash crops without ekibaro — without calculating the cost-benefit analysis. The result has been low returns and perpetual poverty. But where households have embraced the NRM’s gospel of wealth creation, they have blossomed into successful homesteads, thriving on strategic choices and guided investments.
To accelerate this shift, the NRM is making it cheaper and easier for Ugandans to access affordable, patient capital. This kisanja is dedicated to enrolling the remaining 33% of households still in subsistence and helping those already in the money economy to refine their enterprise choices for higher profitability. The manifesto promises to continue guiding farmers in selecting enterprises that yield real returns, not just tradition or sentiment.
At the heart of this revolution is science. The NRM has invested heavily in agricultural research, yielding tangible innovations that are changing lives. Through the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda has developed high-yielding, drought-resistant crop varieties, superior animal genetic resources, and cutting-edge technologies. From water-saving cultivation methods to integrated pest and disease control for bananas, cassava, maize, rice, and potatoes, NARO is turning research into resilience. The anti-tick vaccine, now commercialised, is a testament to Uganda’s scientific prowess. Fast-growing fish fingerlings and quick-maturing piglets are now empowering farmers to scale up production and income.
The National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI), under NARO, has spearheaded the development of wilt-resistant coffee varieties, boosting productivity and export earnings. The manifesto pledges continued funding for NARO, NAGRC&DB, and academic institutions to expand research and provide farmers with improved planting materials and breeds. It also promises nationwide soil testing to help farmers optimise yields, refurbishment of the national aquaculture hatchery to produce more fish fingerlings, and development of bio-control technologies to manage invasive weeds. NaCORI will be supported to multiply coffee foundation varieties, ensuring the availability of high-yielding, drought-resistant seedlings across the country.
But research alone is not enough. The NRM has laid a strong foundation for agricultural productivity through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), which distributed millions of farm inputs — coffee, tea, sugarcane, cassava, maize, fruits, livestock, and fish. In 2021, the Parish Development Model (PDM) was launched, enabling farmers to purchase their own inputs and take control of their production. The results have been staggering. Coffee production surged to 8.2 million 60kg bags in FY2023/24, up from 7.8 million the previous year. Maize output jumped to 5 million tons in 2024 from 3.4 million in 2018. Fish farming expanded to 600 metric tons, and milk production soared to 5.4 billion litres, making Uganda the number one producer of milk in Africa.
These are not just statistics — they are stories of transformation. They represent families lifted out of poverty, communities thriving, and a nation reclaiming its agricultural destiny. Museveni’s manifesto is not just a policy document; it is a blueprint for economic dignity. It is a call to action for every Ugandan to rise, to produce with purpose, and to profit with pride. In the NRM’s Uganda, agriculture is no longer a fallback — it is a launchpad. A lever of national transformation. A source of sovereignty and strength.
As the sun rises on this new kisanja, the message is clear: Uganda will not be a nation of subsistence. It will be a nation of surplus, strategy, and success. And under Museveni’s leadership, the seeds of prosperity are already in the soil.
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