Buyende, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders against factions within the party.
Museveni, 80, was speaking at a Thanksgiving Ceremony for Minister for the Presidency, Babirye Milly Babalanda, on Saturday in Buyende District. Museveni thanked Babalanda for raising concerns about disunity and urged leaders to focus on principle-based, not self-serving politics.
He reminded them that the NRM was founded on inclusivity, unlike older sectarian-based parties, and emphasised the need for internal dialogue instead of infighting.
The President explained that the NRM members should work in unity for the good of Uganda.“So, you leaders need to be clear about this. Have politics of principles, not politics of selfishness. When we fought Idi Amin, he did not understand patriotism, Pan-Africanism, and socio-economic transformation,” Museveni added. “If you have differences, it’s understandable, but now you are all NRM,” he said.
The President also reiterated his call to the people of Busoga to fight poverty through wealth creation. “That’s why, in addition to development, we must add the word wealth. We don’t want poor families,” he said.
He urged the people of Busoga to understand the distinction between development and wealth, explaining that development benefits everyone, while wealth is a personal responsibility. “In mobilisation and politics, let me be clear, Ugandans—we have people who mix up these issues, confusing, especially around terms like development, which refers to roads, electricity, schools. These are for all of us. You can have development and remain poor,” he warned.
On the issue of unemployment, President Museveni advised Ugandans to engage in the four key sectors of the economy: agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT. He also encouraged citizens to embrace government initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) to combat poverty. “Globally, government jobs are not enough to solve unemployment. Most jobs are in the private sector: manufacturing, services, agriculture, and ICT. Here in Uganda, public service jobs number only about 480,000, yet factories alone employ 1.2 million people,” he explained.
The President contributed 100 million Shillings toward the construction of a Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the area. He also pledged government support to tarmac the Kamuli Road, Jinja–Budondo Road, and Walukoko–Luuka Road.
Babalanda told the President that the Thanksgiving event was to glorify God for saving her life. She thanked President Museveni for his support during that time.“Your Excellency, the Bible teaches us to always be thankful in everything so that our Father in Heaven can see and multiply our blessings. I grew up in a humble, religious home, and because of that, I developed a meek and humble character. I passed through many hands of God-fearing individuals and learned to persevere along the way,” she shared.
She revealed that she nearly lost her life to COVID-19 in 2021, just after being appointed as Minister for the Presidency. “I battled the virus, but it weakened me greatly. This was evident when I showed up for the swearing-in ceremony. Despite my condition, I went ahead and took the oath but immediately returned to the hospital. I was bedridden for another six months. However, by the mercy of God, it was only my physical presence that was absent—the Office continued to operate normally,” she noted.
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