KOBOBO — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said Wednesday that the greatest achievement of his National Resistance Movement government is the peace that allowed Ugandans who fled into exile to return home and rebuild their lives.
Addressing a campaign rally in Koboko District, Museveni recalled that when the NRM captured power in 1986, “almost the whole of Koboko was empty.” He narrated driving to the Olaba border with South Sudan and seeing Ugandans peeping from across the border in fear.
“I called them to come back home,” he said. “Today, Koboko is full of people again because of the peace that the NRM restored.”
The president said this peace was achieved through a unique approach of combining force with reconciliation. He explained that rejecting sectarian politics based on tribe, religion or gender was key to building a united Uganda.
“It is therefore suicidal to talk about politics of sectarianism,” he said, urging the people of Koboko to remain loyal to the NRM’s ideology of patriotism and unity. He said this inclusiveness has allowed all regions to participate freely in national institutions like the army and police.
Museveni, who is campaigning for re-election, noted he has offered himself to lead the country again, citing over six decades of political experience.
“I have been watching Uganda for the last 65 years and have been involved directly or indirectly all that time,” he said.
He highlighted major infrastructure projects in the district, including completed roads and the ongoing Koboko–Yumbe–Moyo road, expected to be finished in 2027. He also announced plans to establish an industrial park in Koboko to promote manufacturing and jobs.
On education, Museveni said the district has 59 government primary schools and six government secondary schools, but he directed that every parish should have a government school and every sub-county a government secondary school. He expressed concern that some head teachers continue to charge fees despite the introduction of free education in 1996.
“I saw the danger coming in 1995 and introduced free education, but they didn’t listen,” he said.
To counter this, he said the government has established free skilling centers and will recruit over 50,000 teachers in the next term to address shortages.
The president also urged citizens to focus on personal wealth creation, saying that while the country has made progress in infrastructure, individuals must work to improve their own household incomes.
“Development is there — tarmac, electricity, schools, hospitals — but all that is ours collectively. What is yours? In your household there is either poverty or wealth,” he said.
First Lady Janet Museveni thanked the crowd for their turnout and patriotism.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we must rejoice. Thank you, Koboko, for sending a strong patriotic message — your numbers speak for themselves,” she said, appealing for 90% support for the NRM and Museveni.
The NRM Vice Chairperson for Northern Uganda, Hamson Obua, praised the president for restoring peace and harmony in West Nile and for bringing back Ugandans who had fled after the fall of Idi Amin.
Koboko District NRM Chairman Dramiga Samanya thanked Museveni for entrusting local party structures with leading the campaign. He commended the government for delivering peace, electricity and roads, and pledged overwhelming support from the district.
