Uganda Media Center | MINISTRY OF ICT AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION

WE ARE WORKING FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF UGANDANS – PRESIDENT MUSEVENI ASSURES NRM PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured the National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary caucus that since coming to power in 1986, his government has been working for the socio-economic transformation of Ugandans. A country like Uganda is very rich, it has a lot of national resources but the problem is that the population did not know how to use national resources to live properly; in a modern way and that is why we advised them to act on two fronts. Number one, free education for all and number two, prosperity and wealth creation for all, he said. The President made the remarks today during his meeting with the NRM Parliamentary Caucus led by the Chief Government Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua at his Kisozi farm in Gomba district. The meeting was also attended by some wealth creators from the region. President Museveni explained that to achieve the desired socio-economic transformation, Ugandans must engage in the cash economy through the four sectors of the economy which include commercial agriculture, industry/manufacturing, services and ICT. Now, if you go into any of these, you are definitely joining the cash economy, because part of Uganda's problem here was that the majority of people were outside the cash economy, they were just working for food, he said. We educated Ugandans about commercial farming with ekibaro (to estimate how much you would get). In this case, we emphasize the need to separate intensive agriculture, where you opt for high value-added businesses, from extensive agriculture, where you earn little money per acre, but because you have it done on a large scale, you will end up making a lot of money. President Museveni also revealed that through government, he has managed to preach the gospel of wealth creation in many parts of the country, such as the cattle corridor. In the livestock corridor we have done a good job, people have joined dairy farming, but where we are now many parts are mainly cropping areas and that is where we have been fighting to get this concept of intensive agriculture where people with small land can get out of poverty, he noted. When I got here, of course, there were a lot of mixed messages, but ultimately people listened to what I was telling them. Regarding misconceptions, disinformation and politicization of government programs (streamlining, particularly of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority), the President informed the legislators that: “We are going to have a confrontation, it is liars and criminals who play with fire. They won't like the counterattack. Ms Sarah Nalwanga, Coordinator of the Presidential Poverty Alleviation Program in Gomba and Sembabule districts, informed MPs that the President launched the project in 2011, where he preached wealth creation through commercial farming. The people here owned land but had nothing to eat because they didn't know how to use their land. Since 2011, we have been distributing agricultural inputs, goats, poultry, dairy cows, coffee plants and banana fabrics. “I thank our farmers for following His Excellency’s advice on wealth creation,” she said. Ms. Nalwanga also noted that in the 9 villages of Gomba and Sembabule, so far, more than 1,800 households have benefited, including 769 in coffee cultivation, 556 in dairy production, 336 in goat rearing and others in other companies. She also assured the President that the residents of Gomba and Sembabule now enjoy food security. Mr. Mulika Noah Peterson, a coffee farmer from Kirasi, thanked President Museveni for supporting them in transforming their lives through his poverty alleviation project. Before we started growing coffee, we lived a very miserable life, but where we are today, since you supported us, we are doing well and going far, Mr. Mulika said. In Kirasi, we were so bad economically that we had nothing, but thanks to your efforts, we are now progressing. We thank you, Your Excellency, for the transformation. I started with one acre of coffee in 2013, but now I have four acres of elite coffee and am adding three more acres. In a year, I can now earn Sh50 million from coffee, he added. Mrs Rosette Kadoozi, a resident of Lutunku A, also appreciated the President for transforming their lives. The exotic cows you gave us give us a lot of milk which we consume at home and also sell. We thank you, Your Excellency and Mom Janet for making us rich, she said. In one month, I earn 900,000 shillings selling milk. Thanks Mzee. Mr. Lule John, LC1 Chairman of Kisozi A, also commended President Museveni for improving their lives through the Presidential Poverty Alleviation Project. Yes, we may not have reached the goal we want to achieve yet, but at least we are making progress. Your Excellency, you found us when we were food insecure, and yet we had land. Your Excellency, you gave us cassava cuttings, coffee plants, corn and hoes. We started slowly but as I speak we have enough food. We have a lot of cassava and we don't have a market for it, he said. Since you started supporting us, we are now singing a different song, Your Excellency, we are transformed. Mr. Lule also informed the President that coffee has played an important role in transforming the lives of people in his region. The first coffee plant I planted was from you, Your Excellency, I now have over 10 acres of coffee, but out of these I harvest 9 acres. Your Excellency, I am not alone, many people have benefited from your project, and it is a totally changed story, he said. I was able to build myself a nice house and a new car. Every time I see you, I say that without you, I would not have bought this car. Mr Lule also lambasted those attacking the President over his decision to streamline the Uganda Coffee Development Authority, saying they are doing so out of ignorance. We have not received services from these agencies like UCDA. Those who say you don't wish coffee farmers well have a problem. When you came here in the 1990s, I was a kid in school. We had only two people owning coffee plantations in Kisozi A. They were my grandfather and father who owned a quarter acre and half an acre respectively. But now we have 295 acres of coffee as residents of Kisozi A. He advised leaders such as NRM MPs to sensitize the masses that the Coffee Bill is aimed at developing the coffee sector . Earlier, lawmakers and government officials made a field visit to several farms of successful wealth creators. The field visit was led by Vice President HE Jessica Alupo and was also attended by members of the NRM apex body, various ministers and a delegation led by the EALA President, the Rt. Sir Joseph Ntakirutimana. Alright. Hon. Ntakirutimana said their visit was part of a monitoring effort, with the aim of learning from the president's good agricultural practices and the experiences of local farmers. Among those who shared their stories was Mr Sonko Anthony, a coffee farmer from Kifamba, who reported that his 15-acre farm produced 14,400kg of coffee last season, grossing Sh86 million. I am able to pay school fees for my five children, he shared, adding that he also received banana suckers from the president, which enabled him to grow matooke with coffee.

2024-11-02