Museveni reaffirms wealth creation strategy to cabinet, local leaders in poverty fight

Gomba, (UG):- President Yoweri Museveni has reaffirmed his wealth creation strategy to the leadership of the three arms of the government by presenting accountability in the form of testimonies of significant achievements already registered by farmers in Gomba and Sembabule districts who listened to his advice. 

“We the people of Kisozi have decided to invite you to share with you our line of thinking which is the line of NRM.  Some people were fighting Sarah Nalwanga [project Coordinator]. I told them that this is not Nalwanga’s project but my project. Nalwanga now runs a nursery bed of coffee and fruit seedlings so that we distribute them to more people then we can add other things later,” he said. 

The President accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, made the remarks on Friday, May 24, at a special public rally held at Kisozi Primary School in Gomba District to prove to the leaders of the country that it is possible to eradicate poverty from the population if only they (leaders) could lead by example. 

President Museveni noted that the whole cattle corridor has the same success stories right from Isingiro, Mbarara, Kiruhura, Lyantonde, Sembabule, Gomba, Kyakwanzi, Kiboga, Ngoma and Masindi following their student movement’s aggressive wealth creation sensitization campaign to the population.

He said the challenge now is to encourage dairy farmers to adopt the zero-grazing method as opposed to free grazing.

“In Uganda, you need to have three and a half square miles to keep 1000 cows. You may not have that type of land, so we said no, you do dairy farming. In 1989, we started doing dairy farming and by 1995 it worked in Nyabushozi and in the cattle corridor, it spread like wildfire,” President Museveni said. 

“You remember I did the countrywide tour, I saw it was working. I reached everywhere and I thought it could catch on. In 2018 I distributed this booklet, the 4 sectors and 7 activities for wealth creation but at the same time I used the method of working with people near me,” he added. 

The President further noted that when he acquired land in Kisozi in the 1990s, residents of the area were democratically poor and he was therefore encouraged to lift them out of poverty by assigning officers from the State House to investigate and recommend the way forward, thus giving birth to the 4 acre model.

He also reiterated the zeal of the NRM strategy to get all the people of Uganda out of poverty by encouraging them to deeply get involved in modern commercial agriculture with calculation.

The Gomba West Member of Parliament, Hon. Robina Rwakoojo commended President Museveni for inviting all the three arms of government (Executive, Judiciary and legislature) to her constituency.

Several testimonies were given by progressive farmers from the nine villages of Sembabule and Gomba districts who are now deeply involved in the money economy. The nine villages include Kirasi, Kajumiro, Kisozi A, Kisozi B, Kikuma, Obutugu, Lutunku A, Lutunku B and Kasozi.

Some of the farmers from Sembabule district who presented their testimonies were Isirairi Kwefuga who has 10 acres of coffee and earns over Shs220 million in a year. He is also involved in dairy farming and gets 800 litres of milk per day. Other farmers were Justine Nyamwiza, Zizebera James and Kusasira Noah.

They all praised President Museveni for opening their eyes by showing them a way to become millionaires.

Testimonies were also given by farmers from Gomba District where David Nasasira whose sub-county of Kyahi is now the leading producer of milk with a production of 394 thousand litres daily.

Another progressive farmer from Gomba who has several enterprises as well as a dairy training school is Mr. Kabera from  Maddu sub- county and employs over 60 youth.

The Special rally was attended by the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, the Speaker of Parliament the Rt. Hon. Anita Among, her deputy Thomas Tayebwa.

Others included the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, Ms Lucy Nakyobe, the NRM First National Vice Chairman, Al-hajji Moses Kigongo, Ministers, Officials from the NRM Secretariat led by the Secretary-General, Rt Hon. Richard Todwong, MPs, among others.