BUTALEJA DISTRICT — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to fast-track the gazetting of the Bunyole Cultural Institution leader, Prof. Elly Wesana Chomi I, once the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development confirms that no disputes exist regarding his installation.
Speaking during a presidential campaign rally at Boma Grounds in Butaleja District, President Museveni who is the National Resistance Movement Presidential Candidate said he would request an official report from the ministry to verify that “there are no issues” preventing the gazette of the Banyole cultural leader.
The matter was raised earlier during the district’s political report presentation, where local leaders and residents expressed strong public demand for the formal recognition of Prof. Wesana Chomi I as the cultural head of the Banyole.
Prof. Elly Wesana Chomi, a linguistics scholar at Kabale University, was elected in 2019 as the first cultural leader (Sehulu) of the Banyole. He secured 91 votes against his challenger, Benedict Muyagu of the Balwa clan, who garnered 45 votes. The election, conducted by clan leaders at the Butaleja District headquarters, was announced by John Higenyi, chairperson of the Banyole Cultural Institution Electoral Commission.
During the rally, President Museveni also pledged to upgrade the Nabumali–Butaleja–Namutumba road to tarmac, attributing long-standing delays to what he described as “poor prioritisation” by some local leaders who lobby for non-essential projects.
He emphasized that government development planning is driven by prioritizing urgent needs, noting that conflicting proposals from leaders often slow progress on major infrastructure works.
Museveni highlighted several achievements delivered in Butaleja under the NRM government, including electricity coverage across 14 of the district’s 15 sub-counties, improved road networks, expanded telecommunication services, and a clean-water coverage rate of 94 percent.
Education and Health Sector Progress
The President said Butaleja now has 102 government primary schools, 13 government secondary schools, and multiple health facilities, including a general hospital. He pledged further upgrades and construction of additional health centres under the NRM government.
Push for Alternative Agricultural Enterprises
Addressing the region’s heavy dependence on rice farming particularly around the Doho Rice Scheme, Museveni advised residents to diversify into other commercial agricultural ventures with higher profitability. Among the options he proposed were fish farming and the “four-acre model” that has supported wealth creation efforts in areas such as Karamoja and Lira. He promised to continue discussions on agricultural diversification after the elections.
