Bundibugyo-President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has cautioned leaders in Bundibugyo District against engaging in divisive politics, urging them instead to prioritise unity, accountability and improved service delivery.
Addressing thousands of supporters, the NRM Presidential Flag bearer reminded residents that their proximity to the Democratic Republic of the Congo gives them a clear understanding of the value of peace. He reflected on the decades of instability endured by communities across the border, noting that Uganda had once experienced similar turmoil before the NRM restored stability.
“You people who live along the country’s borders know the true meaning of peace,” Museveni said. “Many people across the border have died, property destroyed, and time wasted. Uganda was once like the DRC, but when the NRM took leadership, we stabilised the country.”
The President reiterated the NRM’s core achievements of peace and development, highlighting government investments in economic and social infrastructure. He recalled the early struggle to develop road networks, explaining how Uganda had to barter sorghum with Yugoslavia to construct the Kampala–Mubende road, which was later extended to Fort Portal, Bundibugyo and Lamia. He pledged that the dilapidated Fort Portal–Bundibugyo section would be repaired soon, attributing the delays to competing national priorities.
Museveni noted the district’s progress in education and health, revealing that Bundibugyo now has 107 government primary schools and 12 secondary schools, as part of the national strategy to have a primary school in every parish and a secondary school in every sub-county. In the health sector, he promised to renovate the local government health facility, reaffirming the NRM’s philosophy of prevention before cure.
He urged young people to maintain healthy habits, embrace immunisation, use clean water and practice proper nutrition, citing Uganda’s success in eradicating polio and measles. He added that such preventive measures have contributed to the district’s population growth from about 50,000 to nearly 300,000.
However, the President expressed concern over the theft of medicines in health facilities, calling on residents to take political responsibility by rejecting leaders driven by tribalism, religion or self-interest. “Stop mixing politics with tribes and religion,” he warned. “We said vote for leaders who protect public interests. If leaders steal your medicines, question them. Report them.”
He reminded residents that the power to fight corruption lies in their hands through the leaders they elect. Recalling his visit to Bundibugyo during the 1997 ADF insurgency, Museveni observed that despite poor roads at the time, many families were still generating wealth through cocoa, coffee and palm oil.
This, he said, demonstrates the difference between development, which is provided by government, and wealth, which must be created by households through productivity.
The President encouraged residents to embrace the four-acre model introduced in 1996 to help small holder farmers grow both food and commercial crops. He also highlighted job creation as a key NRM achievement, noting that while wealth belongs to individuals, jobs are generated through their economic activities.
Museveni concluded by urging leaders and residents to work together to safeguard public resources, strengthen unity and unlock Bundibugyo’s full potential as he continues to champion peace, development and economic transformation.
