KAPELEBYONG, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flag bearer, launched his campaign in the Teso sub-region on [Date], addressing a rally where he pledged to tackle corruption in local governments and improve road maintenance.
Speaking to thousands of supporters at St. Francis Secondary School in Acumet, Kapelebyong District, Museveni detailed concerns about the misuse of funds intended for road upkeep.
“On the roads, there is a problem, which I have ordered the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Local Government to address,” Museveni said. “They delay in maintaining tarmac roads and even the murram roads.”
He stated that each district receives 1.3 billion shillings annually for road maintenance but alleged that corruption leads to the money being diverted.
“I carried out sample investigations, and it seems there is some corruption in local government,” he said. “Instead of maintaining the roads, they divert the money to other things.”
Museveni emphasized that the allocated funds are strictly for maintaining existing roads, not for new construction. He criticized the quality of work, saying local crews often grade roads without proper drainage.
“They just bring a grader and grade, and they don’t do drainage. When it rains, water collects on the road,” he said. “So, you wonder, are these people making roads or swimming pools? I am going to deal with them.”
Accompanied by First Lady and Minister of Education Janet Kataaha Museveni, the president also highlighted his government’s achievements and future plans. He pointed to major road projects in the Teso region, including the Soroti-Moroto and Soroti-Katakwi highways.
On economic development, Museveni announced a plan to restock livestock in Teso, Lango and Acholi sub-regions, proposing a “democratic formula” of providing five cows per homestead.
Reflecting on the region’s recovery, he said, “On peace, you know what was happening here: the rebels, the cattle rustlers. This was a new Uganda. We had been in wars for a long time, but since 2007, we have been able to defeat and bring peace in Uganda and disarm the cattle rustlers in Karamoja.”
The First Lady focused on education, addressing the challenge of unofficial fees in government schools.
“The President is saying in the coming government, we will make sure that all teachers will be paid by the government and there will be no costs in the UPE and USE schools,” she said, urging supporters to vote for the NRM to continue its programs.
Progress and Gaps in Kapelebyong
A government report distributed at the rally outlined progress in Kapelebyong District, including:
- Compensation: 228 of 402 claims for families affected by cattle raids have been paid, totaling 3.9 billion shillings.
- Parish Development Model (PDM): 17 billion shillings have been received, with 98.96% disbursed to 17,014 households, directly benefiting 53% of all families in the district.
- Education: The district has 41 government primary schools and eight secondary schools. However, 28 of its 56 parishes still lack a government primary school, and five of its 11 sub-counties do not have a secondary school.
- Water Access: Only 109 of 341 villages (35%) have access to safe water.
- Roads: In the last eight years, 203 kilometers of roads have been paved in and around the district, with several other major projects ongoing or in the planning phase.
The campaign event was attended by NRM Central Executive Committee members, Members of Parliament, and religious and cultural leaders. The NRM’s campaign theme is “Securing Uganda’s Future.”
