President Museveni has told the people of Kasese to appreciate the peace ushered in by the ruling NRM government.
Addressing a campaign rally at Kisinga Town Council grounds in Bukonzo East on Monday, Museveni said Uganda had failed in the past, adding that the coming of NRM into power turned things around.
"The people of Kasese are the best witnesses of peace because you know what lack of peace means. You have seen it here in Kasese and Rwenzori in general, and you also live near the DRC. You should be the lecturers for peace in the entire Africa," Museveni said.
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The President explained that the current peace did not come automatically, but rather through deliberate efforts by the NRM government.
"We have been able to maintain peace because of our clear politics. Uganda had a problem of lack of peace because of bad politics. For us in NRM, we don't ask who you are but what you can contribute to this country. When NRM was clear against sectarian politics, we were able to build a united party for the whole of Uganda and build a national army," he said.
According to Museveni, because of doing away with bad politics, NRM has built strong institutions, including the army, which he said has been able to protect the country against any aggression.
He cited the example of the ADF, which he said has previously tasted the wrath of the UPDF after trying to attack the country.
"The ADF is in DRC because they can't come here. They say, 'only the one who is bewitched can go there.' They fear what we did to them."
Museveni said that after ushering in peace, NRM has focused on developing the area, noting that Kasese has not been left behind in this movement.
Wealth Creation
The President, however, said that despite the development and peace, what is crucial is the creation of wealth for homesteads.
He said this is the message he has been preaching for the last 65 years, urging Ugandans to engage in wealth creation.
"At night, you don't sleep on the tarmac road. You go back to your own house. When you go back, the poverty you left in the morning will be waiting for you. There is no sugar in the house, no clothes, the house is leaking. That's why we told people to be clear that peace and development are there, but you must deal with poverty in your homes. Do commercial agriculture and do so with calculation. That's when we proposed the four-acre model for people with small pieces of land. If the land is four acres and below, plant coffee, fruits, pasture for dairy cows, food for the homestead, and in the backyard, you put poultry for eggs and piggery. Those near the wetlands can, at the edge, do fish farming," he said.
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According to Museveni, his advice has been tested and proven to work by those who have applied it.
"It is very important for people to really wake up and get out of poverty. What NRM has been telling you is not a story, and if you do it, you will get out of poverty."
He said that in Kasese, the government will help them carry out irrigation, just like in other parts of the country.
Museveni urged the people of Kasese to tap into tourism, especially the nearby Queen Elizabeth National Park, where they can sell several products to tourists.
He noted that Kasese will be allocated more funds to work on its roads, as well as another road unit, since the district is vast.
"I ask you to support NRM so we can continue moving forward. What NRM is telling you is not stories but things you can see and that have been done. Support us to consolidate what we have done."
