President Yoweri Museveni has disclosed that the Shs.500 billion that the Government of Uganda has injected into wealth creation through national development programmes like NAADS and NUSAF, among others, for transformation of the lives of the people of Uganda, has not been fully utilized to alleviate poverty among Ugandans.
The President, therefore, urged political leaders to strive and empower Ugandan families to assist them have a stable economic base through development programmes with a view to eradicating household poverty. He noted that Ugandans are faced with many social and economic challenges including lack of school fees, because of household poverty that afflict many families.
The country has got many social and economic problems because the families are poor. Empower the families to come out of poverty,’’ he said.
The President was addressing NRM leaders of different categories LC5, LC3 leaders, district councilors, RDCs and MPs from Karamoja Region and East Lango Sub-Region at State House Entebbe yesterday in the ongoing meetings that the President is using to sensitize leaders on strategies that should be consolidated to defeat household poverty and unemployment challenges in the country.
Mr. Museveni told the meeting that he has given the responsibility to Army Officers to undertake the distribution of seedlings to farmers under NAADS throughout the country so as to ensure the realization of the NRM Government’s objective of empowering Ugandans to create wealth and be economically stable.
The President also called on NRM Party leaders and all Ugandans in general to take advantage of the development programmes laid out by the Movement Government for wealth creation to be economically empowered. He warned leaders not to take politics as a mode of employment but rather a service to wananchi with a view to guiding them into development, peace and security.
He called for cohesion, vigilance and hard work among NRM leaders and cautioned Ugandans against promoting the ideology of sectarianism on the basis of religion, tribe and suppression of women. He noted that the problems that Uganda has faced started way back after the country achieved independence from colonial rule because political leaders of that time promoted sectarianism of religion, tribe and gender chauvinism as well as the marginalization of the youth and the disabled.
The President reiterated that the future of NRM will be shaped largely by how the successive and emerging leaders play their roles in building on the strong foundation of the revolution without deviating from the core tenets of nationalism, Pan-Africanism, democracy and socio-economic transformation.
Mr. Museveni said the government will soon complete the already planned extension of electricity and road networks in the Karamoja Region, adding that more funds have been secured for the works.
The First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni, who is also Minister for Karamoja Affairs, told the meeting that God has given the leaders in Karamoja the opportunity to transform Uganda into a better place. She called on them to use the opportunity to make their areas better for the people to live in and enjoy. She appreciated the fact that Karamoja has been changed to feel like any other part of Uganda because of the implementation of a diversity of Government development programmes in that Region.
The people of Karamoja and East Lango Regions, through their leaders, pledged total support to President Museveni come the 2016 General Elections. They also expressed their support to the Kyankwanzi Resolution of President Museveni as sole candidate.
Sign up below to get the latest updates from State House Uganda by email.