AMURIA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni commended the people of Teso on Tuesday for their resilience and contribution to peace, specifically praising the local “Arrow Boys” militia for their role in fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Amuria District, Museveni said the people of Teso were key partners in the struggle to restore peace in Uganda.
“You people of Amuria and Teso are witnesses to what happened here. There is a place called Apopong where the UPDF destroyed Kony’s army. That was the turning point of the war against Kony,” Museveni said.
“In Anyara, Kalaki, we killed one of the notorious rebels called Tabuley. I want to thank the Arrow Boys who joined me in bringing peace here.”
The Arrow Boys were a local defense force formed in the early 2000s to protect the Teso region from LRA attacks. Composed of ex-soldiers and local residents using basic weapons like bows and arrows, their efforts were instrumental in driving the rebel group out of the area.
Museveni emphasized that peace was the foundation for the region’s progress.
“Without peace, no development can take place. That’s why we always emphasize peace first. It’s the reason you can now talk of roads, schools, hospitals, and electricity,” he said.
He outlined the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s achievements in road infrastructure, noting that tarmacked roads from Soroti to Katine, Otuboi and Lira, as well as from Soroti to Katakwi, Usuku and Karamoja, have transformed the sub-region.
He announced plans to close remaining gaps in the road network.
“We have already provided money to take the road from Katine to Ochero. But there are two more big gaps which we are going to work on — Soroti–Amuria–Achanipi all the way to Otuke, and Kumi–Ngora–Serere up to Bugondo,” he said.
“When I tell people in Kampala about those roads, they don’t know them. But I know them because I used them when I was fighting Kony.”
On other services, Museveni said electricity has reached most areas in Amuria and work remains on extending distribution lines. He said 401 of 528 villages in the district now have boreholes, while Amuria Town Council has a piped water system.
In education, Amuria District has 68 government primary schools and eight government secondary schools providing universal education. The goal is for every parish to have a primary school and every sub-county a secondary school, he said.
On health, the government is upgrading facilities to improve services. One hospital and 10 Health Centre IIIs serve Amuria’s 18 sub-counties. Plans are underway to upgrade health centers in Olwa, Abia and Amolo and to construct new facilities in Ogongora, Asamuk, Wera and Orungo.
“We are working to ensure that every Ugandan has access to quality health services within a reasonable distance,” Museveni said.
The president also emphasized wealth creation, urging households to join the money economy through commercial agriculture, industry, services and information communication technology.
“When we talk of roads, schools, hospitals, and security, it is the wealth creators who make these possible through the taxes they generate,” he explained.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to protecting the gains made under the NRM and steering Uganda toward higher middle-income status.
Museveni also handed over NRM flags to aspiring members of Parliament, local council chairpersons and other party candidates in Amuria District, formally endorsing them for the upcoming elections.
First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni, who is also the minister of education and sports, praised the people of Teso for their loyalty to the NRM.
“We are proud of you, you look beautiful in yellow. We have come here to remind each other that we are one big NRM family,” she said. “We have a responsibility to our country and to future generations.”
The NRM chairperson for Amuria District, Simon Peter Okello, thanked Museveni for restoring peace and for development projects.
“Your Excellency, allow me to appreciate the peace and security that we now enjoy in Amuria. We also thank you for improving road infrastructure, creating administrative units, and establishing a value addition park in Amuria,” Okello said.
The event was attended by NRM Central Executive Committee members, members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, and thousands of supporters.
