YUMBE — President Yoweri Museveni pledged to establish an industrial park in Yumbe District on Thursday, commending residents for their loyalty to his party’s principles and the region’s significant population growth.
Continuing his campaign trail, Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman and presidential flagbearer, told a gathering that the land provided by the community would be developed to create jobs for youth, similar to industrial parks in Namanve and Mbale.
“I am very glad for the land you have given in Yumbe. We shall develop it into an industrial park… to create jobs for your people,” Museveni said.
The president contrasted the district’s current population of over one million with its population of about 100,000 when it was first granted district status, a growth he attributed to immunization and improved health services under the NRM government.
He framed the upcoming election as a choice between the NRM’s record of peace and development and what he called the “suicidal” politics of sectarianism.
“We now have peace because we do not believe in the politics of sectarianism,” Museveni said. “We believe in valuing everyone, and that has helped us build a national party that embraces all Ugandans.”
While highlighting government investments in infrastructure like roads, electricity, and schools, Museveni cautioned citizens not to confuse such development with personal wealth creation.
“You cannot sleep on a tarmac road. Development benefits everyone, but wealth creation benefits individual families,” he said.
He urged households to participate in government wealth-creation programs like Emyooga and the Parish Development Model (PDM), which provides revolving funds to parish-level savings groups.
According to data provided by officials, Yumbe’s 197 parishes have cumulatively received 59.9 billion shillings (about $15.6 million) under the PDM, with over 97% disbursed to 58,334 households.
Local officials appreciated the president’s visit.
Denis Hamson Obua, the NRM Vice Chairman for Northern Uganda, thanked Museveni for his “consistent guidance and transformative programs.”
Yumbe District has seen significant infrastructure development. It now has 22 health facilities at HCIII level or above across its 26 sub-counties, and a major rehabilitation and expansion project is underway at the Yumbe Regional Referral Hospital. In the water sector, 77% of the district’s villages have access to safe water, with projects underway to extend coverage further.
In the last presidential election, Museveni polled 71.2% of the vote in Yumbe. The number of registered voters in the district for the upcoming election has risen to 122,184.
