President Yoweri Museveni has said that peace and stability brought by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government have transformed Karamoja, attracting both local and foreign investors to the region.
Speaking at a rally in Moroto on Monday, where he was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, the President said the peace enjoyed in Karamoja today is the foundation of the area’s growing population, improved health services, and increased infrastructure development.
“When I come to address public meetings in Karamoja now, I feel very happy,” Museveni said. “In the past, I would only find a small crowd of ten people. But now the population has grown from 190,000 in 1980 to over 1.5 million. This growth is because of peace and better health services, especially immunisation.”
The President highlighted four key contributions of the NRM government: peace and unity, infrastructure development, social services, and individual household prosperity.
He said that the government’s focus on unity and the fight against sectarianism helped build national institutions like the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), which have ensured lasting peace.
“The NRM brought peace because of our politics of unity,” Museveni said. “We don’t believe in sectarian politics. This unity has allowed us to build a strong army and stable institutions that protect peace.”
Museveni outlined the government’s investments in what he called economic and social infrastructure, citing major roads, electricity, and communication networks extended to Karamoja.
“We have extended electricity from Soroti to Karenga, Kotido, and Kaabong. We have tarmacked the road from Soroti through Moroto to Nakapiripirit, and we are pushing it to Kaabong, and Kidepo,” he said. “An international airport is being built in Kidepo, as big as Entebbe.”
He added that private investors are showing interest in tourism projects around Kidepo National Park due to the security and infrastructure in place.
“The private sector is now building hotels near Kidepo. They are coming because there is peace, good policy, and natural wealth in our wild animals,” he said.
On social services, the President said the government plans to have a government primary school in every parish and a secondary school in every sub-county in Moroto District. He noted that the area currently has 16 government primary schools and three secondary schools.
In health, Museveni announced plans to upgrade several facilities, including Loptuk Health Centre III, Nadunget Health Centre III, and Rupa Health Centre II.
He also emphasized the importance of water for both people and livestock, saying dams and valley tanks have been constructed or are underway across Moroto.
“I have always said, water—especially for our animals,” he said. “In Moroto, 133 out of 233 villages now have piped water, and we are building and rehabilitating several dams
Museveni used local examples to urge residents to focus not only on public infrastructure but also on individual and family development.
“Even if the government builds roads, electricity, and telephones, you can still be poor if your household is not productive,” he said. “In Kampala, some people live near tarmac roads and electricity but are still poor. What matters most is how you use these opportunities.”
The President reiterated that NRM’s long-term message has always been to empower families to create wealth and improve their livelihoods, saying that peace and good governance have laid the groundwork for progress.
Maama Janet who spoke before the President called upon the people of Karamoja to give votes to Museveni for bringing peace to the sub-region.
Earlierwhile campaigning in Kotido Museveni had emphasized related points of NRM being strong because it does not practice sectarianism.
He also spoke strongly about development and wealth creation.
The NRM flagbearer also blamed sections of the army for engaging in cattle trade for selfish gains. This is because the animals they were trading in were stolen in the process of cattle rustling.
He explained that some people didn’t want the disarmament process to succeed as they argued that Karamoja could not be disarmed because neighbours in Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.
Museveni hailed some local leaders who successfully supported the process.
The President will tomorrow, Tuesday, campaign in Amudat, before taking the trail to Nakapiripirit and Nabilatuk on Wednesday.
