Mbale, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the people of Sebei Sub-region to continue supporting the National Resistance Movement (NRM), saying the party’s 40-year track record makes it the most dependable vehicle for Uganda’s sustained progress.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists from Sebei Sub-region on Tuesday night, President Museveni outlined seven key pillars of the NRM’s transformation agenda since 1986: peace, development, wealth creation, job generation, service delivery, market expansion, and regional integration.
“We don’t believe in who you are, but in what you do. It is the what that guides us, not the who,” Museveni said, emphasizing that the NRM’s foundation was built on ideology rather than identity politics.
Peace as the Cornerstone
The President described peace and stability as the NRM’s greatest achievement, noting that Uganda’s unity and functional institutions, particularly the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, are products of ideological clarity.
“Peace is not by accident. It comes because we believe in patriotism and love for Uganda,” he said.
Museveni cited the disarmament of Karamoja, where 41,000 illegal guns were recovered, as evidence of the NRM government’s resolve to maintain national security and stability.
On development and infrastructure, Mr Museveni said the NRM has overseen massive infrastructure expansion across the country, particularly in regions like Sebei, which now enjoy tarmac roads, electricity, and better schools.
“Kapchorwa was not connected. Electricity used to stop in Mbale. There was no tarmac road. Now you can see the change,” he said, adding that such progress was impossible before the NRM came to power.
The President also emphasized household wealth creation as the foundation of true development, urging communities to revive productivity-based traditions such as emyooga.
“Before Europeans came, everyone had a miyoga. There was no unemployment. Unemployment is a colonial phenomenon,” Museveni said.
He cautioned against over-reliance on aid and non-productive sectors, stressing that economic independence depends on local production and household income generation.
On jobs and the modern economy, Museveni said job creation must focus on expanding commercial agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and services. “Government jobs are only 480,000, yet the population is 50 million. The rest must come from production,” he emphasized.
The President pointed to universal education and healthcare as central to the NRM’s social transformation agenda. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accessible education and ongoing efforts to explore health insurance models that enhance public access to medical care.
Museveni also stressed the need for broader markets for Uganda’s growing production base, calling on Ugandans to support regional economic integration. “Now that we produce in surplus, sugar, milk, and cement, the internal market is not enough. We need the regional and African market,” he said.
Political Federation for Africa’s Future
The President reiterated his long-standing call for East African political federation, saying Africa’s unity is vital for global competitiveness. “Even Mwalimu Nyerere and Tom Mboya said this before. Africa must unite or remain weak,” he noted.
He said Uganda’s resilience under NRM leadership has been driven by ideological conviction, not opportunism. “Our party has logic, a mission, and a history. That’s why we have succeeded where others failed,” he said.
Museveni concluded by urging the people of Sebei to rally behind the NRM in the coming elections to consolidate peace, deepen wealth creation, and ensure continued transformation. “Please, continue supporting the NRM so we can move forward together,” the President said.
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