Karamoja Sub-Region, (UG):- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has emphasized that it’s very easy for people to get out of poverty in Uganda due to the favorable environment and good government policies and programs.
“It is easy to get out of poverty here in Uganda. The Parish Development Model (PDM) and commercial agriculture are some of the simple ways as you can see. To have goats, chickens, cows, others look after pigs, then you grow crops, all those are sources of money. Therefore, poverty here is ignorance when people don’t know what to do and when they get the wrong guidance,” he said.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday as he commenced his wealth creation and PDM performance assessment tour in the Karamoja subregion.
Visiting Mr. Amos Rhembuss, one of the PDM beneficiaries and a livestock farmer in Amudat District, Museveni also expressed gratitude to the people in the area for listening to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) message of peace.
“The Message of the NRM from the beginning was peace.We were telling you that the people who were telling you to get wealth by raiding were misleading you because there’s no way you can get wealth through raiding,” he said.
“First of all you may lose your life but secondly the cows and goats you steal will die because you remember when we had corona, we said don’t move, stay at home, when you move you will get infected. When you move with the cows, they get diseases.”
President Museveni further revealed how through his wealth creation message in the 1960s, managed to transform the lives of the people of Ankole and now they are living a prosperous life.
“I’m a cattle keeper myself and the Banyankore were like you, they were nomadic and running around but in the 1960s, we campaigned among them to settle down and to do food security and commercial agriculture, they are now very rich. People who go there can tell you that,” the President noted.
“You curse guns completely; nobody should bring guns here from anywhere so that you have total peace.”
Furthermore, the President assured the people of Amudat that the government will continue empowering them to fight poverty and improve their livelihoods through different programs like the PDM.
“We now send you Shs100 million every year per parish where each household gets shs1 million each. That means in five years you will get shs 500 million for your parish. After 24 months, the one who got the Shs1 million first starts bringing it back. If a parish has 1,200 homes for instance, within 6 years we would have covered everybody.”
President Museveni was also happy to hear that the population of the Pokot people had increased. “The NRM came to enlighten you people. Apart from peace, we introduced immunization and that alone has helped your population to grow and we have not added other things like nutrition, hygiene and safe water. If you do all those, you will be able to do away with illnesses,” he explained.
“If we have been able to increase the population by just immunization, how much more will happen when we do all other things? You will have a very good life.”
Mr Museveni also praised Mr Rhembuss for embracing the PDM and his determination to grow his herd. He reiterated the importance of government programs in eradicating poverty and urged the people of Amudat to focus on income-generating activities like livestock farming, crop cultivation, and other ventures supported by the four-acre model.
On the other hand, the President gave Shs5 million to Mr. Rhembuss to grow his enterprise more.
Hon. Peter Lokeris, the Minister for Karamoja, thanked the President for introducing the PDM and other initiatives that have benefited the Karimojong people. He admitted initial doubts about the program’s success but expressed gratitude for the significant impact it has had on communities, including Amudat.
On his part, Mr. Rhembuss, a resident of Jumbe village in Amudat expressed gratitude to the government of Uganda under the wise leadership of President Museveni for putting up the PDM project that has enormously befitted the people of Amudat, him inclusive.
“When I received the Shs1 million, I was informed that it was your initiative, I was very happy. I keep thanking H.E. the President whenever I see the number of my animals multiplying,” he said.
“When I received the Shs1 million, I bought four sheep and two goats. I now have five goats and 11 sheep from the animals I bought. I now feel that my home is now heading towards prosperity. I decided to settle, I don’t want these things of raiding because I may end up losing my life,” he added.
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