Gomba, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Saturday, May 24, attended a thanksgiving ceremony of Mr. Kisakyamukama Yiga and his family in Degeya Village, Maddu Sub-County, Gomba District after his recent appointment as the Presidential Assistant on Service Delivery.
During the ceremony, Mr Museveni, 80, emphasized his long-standing commitment to eradicating poverty in Uganda.
The President recounted how, since the 1960s, he has advocated for wealth creation, beginning in the Ankole region where he urged communities to abandon nomadic pastoralism in favor of settled dairy farming. He said the people listened, and many have since transformed their livelihoods.
Museveni also revisited the four-acre model promoted in the NRM’s 1996 manifesto, tailored for households with small land holdings. He encouraged farmers to adopt the model by planting coffee on one acre, fruits on the second, pasture for animals on the third, and food for the family on the fourth. He further advised that in the backyard they put up poultry or piggery (for non-Muslims), and fish farming for those near swamps.
“If you do these seven activities, you cannot remain poor,” he noted, thanking Kisakyamukama for standing for the truth and fighting corruption, adding that he will support him in the fight.
The President also explained how he found the people of Kisozi, Gomba in abject poverty when he bought land in 1990, but he fought the vice by constructing schools where children studied for free.
He further explained how he supported his neighbors with coffee seedlings and encouraged them to transition from poverty to wealth creation. He was happy to note that Mr. Kisakyamukama has fought his way through the hard poverty and now he has built a good house for his mother, he is educated and no longer poor and being laughed at.
In response to community requests, President Museveni pledged several interventions to support local economic development. He committed to giving Mr. Kisakyamukama 1,000 goats to be distributed to the youth, as well as tractors to boost agricultural mechanization among young people.
Additionally, he pledged Shs 100 million to women SACCOs in Gomba to empower them economically.
On the contentious issue of forest land, the President promised to engage government authorities to grant leases to long-time occupants, while warning against further encroachment. He encouraged beneficiaries to plant trees such as avocado to contribute to environmental conservation efforts.
Mr. Kisakyamukama thanked the President for transforming his life “from grass to grace” and pledged unwavering support to the NRM government. He also thanked President Museveni for treating his mother.
On the other hand, Mr. Kisakyamukama and his family donated four Ankole cows to the President for transforming their family into what it is today. The now Presidential Assistant, raised concerns about technical incompetence and alleged corruption among district officials, as well as nepotism, which he said hindered effective service delivery.
Hon. Sylvia Nayebare, the Woman Member of Parliament for Gomba District, also applauded the President’s leadership, saying that under his government, even children from humble backgrounds studying under Universal Primary Education- UPE have gone on to succeed.
President Museveni concluded his visit by reiterating his desire to see Ugandans escape poverty and achieve prosperity, noting that when he bought land in Kisozi, he never intended to live among poor people. “I want transformation for all Ugandans,” he emphasized.
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