President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has advised leaders in Amuru District to focus on promoting income-generating activities among their constituents to combat poverty, improve livelihoods, and reject “bad politics.”
During a meeting with Amuru District officials led by their LC5 chairperson, Mr. Michael Lakony, President Museveni emphasized the importance of household incomes, which he believes can be primarily achieved through commercial agriculture.
“What I have been telling you is that the four-acre model will enable all homes in Uganda to have incomes,” he stated.
The President urged the people of Amuru to leverage the Parish Development Model (PDM) to support their four-acre model farms. He outlined a comprehensive plan for utilizing the PDM funds to establish a diversified and productive four-acre farm.
President Museveni also warned against the detrimental effects of “bad politics,” drawing parallels with the LRA insurgency that plagued the region for two decades. He attributed the conflict to divisive rhetoric and cautioned against identity-based politics.
“The biggest problem Uganda has had is bad politics. When you hear anybody talking about tribes, then you know that he is dispensing fake medicine,” he asserted.
After addressing the core issues of poverty and “bad politics,” President Museveni expressed confidence that other challenges, such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure, could be effectively tackled.
Regarding land titling in the district, the President concurred with the district leaders that it was a positive step and should be pursued.
President Museveni further pledged to support councilors struggling with tuition fees who aspire to complete their university education. He also offered 2,000 iron sheets to rehabilitate schools in Amuru that are in dire need of repairs.
Mr. Lakony expressed gratitude to President Museveni for his visionary leadership, which has steered development in Amuru and Uganda as a whole. He confirmed that the people of Amuru are embracing government development programs like the PDM.
Mr. Lakony requested that President Museveni establish demonstration farms for the 4-acre model initiative to champion commercial agriculture in Amuru and the Acholi sub-region as a whole.
He also highlighted the detrimental impact of “bad politics” on the district’s development. He cited instances where politicians have hampered government projects, such as irrigation schemes, due to unfounded claims of land grabs.
“As the local government, we don’t need that bad politics. We request that you find ways of restraining these negative sentiments that are barring development. We are moving around the communities, telling them how they can use land for production,” he appealed.
The District Chairperson also requested that the President introduce a favorable law regulating customary land to facilitate development in the Acholi subregion.
“This will also address the issue of legality and customs for the meantime while we reconcile on the issue of whose land,” Mr. Lakony concluded.