President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the National Chairman and flagbearer of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), resumed his campaign trail on Tuesday with a mega rally at the Boma Grounds in Oyam District.
The President, who had briefly paused the campaign trail to attend to state duties, was received by an enthusiastic crowd of supporters who defied the afternoon rain to listen to his message of peace, development, and wealth creation — the central pillars of the NRM’s 2026–2031 manifesto.
The journey so far
Addressing the rally, President Museveni reflected on the political evolution of Uganda and the founding of the NRM as a unifying force for all Ugandans.
“The problem with the political parties at that time was that they were based on sectarianism — on tribe and on religion. We saw the danger in this,” he said. “That’s why, in 1965, we began forming study groups in the universities to unite young people from UPC, DP, Kabaka Yekka, and others. That’s how the National Liberation Movement (NLM) was born.”
He noted that the NLM later evolved into the National Resistance Movement, which, from its inception, rejected divisive politics and championed national unity and inclusiveness.
“The spokesperson earlier mentioned the families of the Fronasa members who are here today,” the President added. “I would like to take a photograph with them before I leave. This is the group we formed to fight Idi Amin between 1971 and 1979.”
Peace and Stability
President Museveni said that in only 65 years, Uganda has made nine major achievements under the leadership of the Movement, with peace and unity standing out as the most critical foundation.
“For the first time in over 500 years, Uganda has enjoyed real peace across the entire country,” he told the crowd. “Before the Europeans came, this region experienced many tribal wars, and even after independence, conflict resumed. Today, we have managed to secure the entire country and control cattle rustlers in Karamoja. This has been achieved through unity and the politics of inclusiveness.”
He added that the NRM’s deliberate rejection of sectarian politics has enabled the country to build strong and credible national institutions such as the army, police, civil service, and judiciary — the bedrock of Uganda’s stability and development.
Infrastructure and Energy
The President highlighted infrastructure development as another major milestone of the Movement government, noting that modern roads and power projects are opening up economic opportunities across the country.
“We have built major road networks like the one from Tororo through Kamdini, Kampala, Gulu, all the way to the border,” Museveni said. “One of the most important projects is the Karuma Hydropower Station, which generates 650 megawatts — the biggest in Uganda. Electricity is now widely available, and everyone has telephones in their pockets.”
He revealed that Oyam District alone has benefited from several education and health investments.
“Oyam now has 17 Health Centre IIs, and out of the 16 sub-counties, only one lacks such a facility. There are over 60 primary schools, and in the next term, we plan to ensure that every parish has a government primary school and every sub-county has a government secondary school,” he explained.
Wealth creation
President Museveni said infrastructure alone is not enough to create prosperity unless citizens take advantage of these facilities to engage in productive enterprises.
“If you have a road or a school in your area but do nothing with it, you will remain poor,” he cautioned. “Development requires personal initiative.”
He shared a success story from the Lango Sub-region to demonstrate that wealth creation is possible for those who act.
“There is a young man called Joel Okelo, the team leader of Aciwe Sacco Farm in Amodaka District,” Museveni narrated. “He started with 100 acres in 2016 and has grown to 3,400 acres, with hundreds of cows and goats. Last year alone, he earned about UGX 280 million in profit. Okelo is not in Europe or Asia; he is here in Uganda, using local opportunities to build wealth.”
The President emphasized that the NRM’s next phase of transformation will focus on ensuring that all Ugandans embrace government programs and use the available peace and infrastructure to uplift themselves economically.
“From the beginning, the NRM has identified and removed the bottlenecks to development — in security, infrastructure, and the economy,” he said. “What is needed now is for more people to follow the example of Okelo — to use the opportunities we have built to transform their lives and communities.”
President Museveni, who received defectors from the Uganda People’s Congress, reaffirmed his commitment to completing the remaining tasks in the NRM’s transformational agenda, assuring the people of Oyam and Lango Sub-region that the Movement’s focus remains on securing Uganda’s future through peace, prosperity, and unity.