Museveni urges Sebei People to Use Development, Peace to Get Out of Poverty

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has advised the people of Sebei sub-region to use the development and peace in Uganda to get out of poverty.

“That is why in the 1996 Manifesto, after a careful analysis, we told you, first of all you must know the difference between development and wealth and we said everybody must use development and peace to get out of poverty,” he said.

The President made the remarks today while addressing a public rally in Kween District.

The rally was part of the 3-day Presidential regional performance assessment tour on Parish Development Model (PDM) and wealth creation in the Sebei sub-region.

According to the President, during analysis, the NRM government found out that in some areas of the country, land had been fragmented so they recommended two types of agriculture that could help Ugandans to create wealth.

“People who have got a lot of land, can do extensive agriculture where you grow things which don’t have high prices, but you do them on a big scale and because of that you get good money.  When I went to Teso, I found Bateso growing cotton in Pallisa and I asked what is the average landholding here? They said two acres. If each family has got two acres, one acre is for food and you remain with one acre. What enterprise can you do in that acre? With cotton, you get only Shs200,000 from that one acre in a year. How will you manage? I told them to leave cotton. That is why we said cotton is not for people with small acres,” he noted.

“But Uganda needs cotton so people with big land should be persuaded to grow cotton because if I get Shs200,000 in one acre, in 10 acres I will get Shs2000,000, with 100 acres I will get Shs20,000,000, so people with big land or government institutions like Prisons, army can grow the cotton for the country. So some crops like cotton, maize, sugarcane should be done on a big scale, what we call extensive agriculture.”

For people with small acreage, President Museveni said they can undertake intensive agriculture where a farmer carries out high value activities.

“We identified those activities for you. That is where we talked about the four acre model where we said acre one coffee,  acre two fruits,  acre three pasture for dairy cows,  acre four food crops for the family,  then in the backyard you put poultry for eggs and piggery and if you are near the wetland,  you do fish farming. With these activities, we were sure they would get you good money even if you are doing them on a small scale.”

President Museveni also highlighted some of the interventions the government came up with to help Ugandans join the money economy.

“After some time, we tried to support the families by sending money to the sub counties for entandikwa, then NAADS and other programs. But when I checked in 2013 only 32 percent of the people were in the money economy, 68 percent were still outside the money economy. That is when I brought in the army- Operation Wealth Creation to come and beg the people to get out of poverty.”

President Museveni further reiterated his call to Ugandans to focus more on wealth creation rather than development (roads, electricity, etc), explaining that the former is more crucial in the socio-economic transformation of Ugandans.

“Development has been here for the last more than 60 years but if you go along the tarmacked road even today you will find poor people. This is where the NRM came up and told you that there’s another word you need to be clear about; this is the issue of wealth,” he urged.

“So, there’s development which is ours but poverty is yours. I don’t share your poverty. If you are poor and I have got my cows in Kisozi and Rwakitura, the wealth is mine, the poverty is yours. Poverty is private and personal.”

On the other hand, President Museveni implored the people of Sebei to ensure that they embrace government poverty alleviation programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) to fight poverty and improve their livelihoods.

“In the meantime, we want to ensure that everybody is involved in the money economy, that is why we have sent money to every parish but I’m told that some witch doctors are stealing that money,” he noted.

“There was one mistake which we are now solving. They passed money through the bank and the bank was knocking off some money. I’m going to solve this. The transfer charges will not be paid from the Shs1m, it will be paid by the government.”

President Museveni also pledged to arrest all officials who mismanaged the PDM funds in the subregion.

“What I want to solve now is outright theft,” he said.

The President was also happy to note that development is taking place in the Sebei sub-region.

The NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Region, Capt. Mike Mukula thanked President Museveni for his wonderful work towards the development of Uganda.

“We thank you for the wonderful road from Kapchorwa to Suam, we also thank you, Your Excellency, for the electricity from Kapchorwa to Suam,” he said.

“Your Excellency we also thank you for coming to this region to preach bonna bagagawale and the Parish Development Model (PDM).”

During the same event, the NRM leaders in the region joined the party Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong to endorse President Museveni as the NRM sole candidate for 2026 Presidential elections.

The event was also attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, among other dignitaries.