Museveni Blames Poor Leadership for Slow Development in Kassanda

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday held a campaign rally at Bukuya Town Council grounds in Kassanda District, where he urged residents to avoid voting for opposition politicians, saying they have failed to deliver effective services to the people they lead.

Addressing supporters who braved heavy rains to attend the rally, President Museveni presented the NRM Manifesto and highlighted seven key contributions the party has made to Uganda over the last 40 years, beginning with peace. He noted that while many African countries continue to grapple with conflict, Uganda has enjoyed four decades of stability because the NRM rejected sectarian politics based on religion, tribe, gender, or age.

The President said development is the second major contribution of the NRM, explaining that it encompasses both economic and social infrastructure, including roads, electricity, water, schools, and health facilities.

He cited major road projects such as the Myanzi–Kiboga–Mubende and Busunju–Kiboga–Lwamata roads, and revealed plans to upgrade the Myanzi–Kassanda–Kiboga road. However, he attributed delays in some development projects to leaders elected by the people who fail to prioritise and follow up on government programmes.

On electricity, President Museveni noted that Kassanda has registered progress, although some sub-counties remain unconnected. He reiterated the NRM’s commitment to extending electricity to every sub-county across the country. He also expressed concern over poor access to clean water in Kassanda, saying the district is lagging behind others partly due to the election of leaders who do not effectively monitor service delivery.

Touching on education and health, the President reaffirmed the government’s policy of providing at least one government primary school per parish and one government secondary school per sub-county, pledging continued support to areas still lacking these facilities.

President Museveni further emphasised wealth creation as the third pillar of the NRM, noting that while infrastructure benefits everyone, wealth creation begins at the household level. He encouraged residents with small landholdings to adopt the four-acre model and engage in the seven recommended agricultural enterprises to improve household incomes.

He also highlighted job creation as another key NRM contribution, explaining that employment opportunities largely stem from commercial agriculture, industrialisation, services, and the ICT sector. He urged urban youth to take advantage of government skilling centres to acquire practical skills and start their own businesses.

The NRM Vice Chairperson for Central Region, Hon. Haruna Kassolo, thanked the President for the visible development in Kassanda, despite the district’s relatively recent creation.

Kassanda District NRM Chairperson, Dr. Michael Bukenya, pledged 90 per cent support for President Museveni and the NRM in the forthcoming elections, admitting that voters made mistakes in the previous polls which they are determined not to repeat.

Dr. Bukenya raised concerns over electricity distribution, noting that some areas have transformers without power, and appealed for the establishment of a technical school to equip the district’s growing youth population with practical skills. He also highlighted persistent land conflicts in Kassanda and requested the creation of a dedicated land fund to address the challenge.