President Museveni has urged National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in the Busoga sub-region to embrace humility, unity, and discipline, warning that persistent divisions among leaders are delaying socio-economic progress and undermining service delivery.
Addressing thousands of NRM leaders at Iganga Girls’ Secondary School on Saturday, January 10, 2026, Museveni said leadership without humility breeds conflict and ultimately harms ordinary Ugandans, particularly the poor.
“So please, I ask you to be humble as leaders. If I were not humble, I would not have managed Uganda,” he said, drawing applause from party cadres and local leaders.
Museveni, also NRM national chairman and the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2026 elections, emphasized that unity among political leaders is essential for national development. He cautioned that quarrels among leaders mostly affect the poor, who depend on stable governance to escape poverty.
“What I advise you is that poor people need unity among the leaders because you are delaying their coming out of poverty by not working together,” he said.
The President highlighted Busoga’s long-standing political rivalries, contrasting the region’s divisions with other areas such as Bukedi, Lango, Bugisu, West Nile, and Acholi, where leaders have demonstrated cooperation despite political differences.
Museveni recounted efforts to resolve confusion around invitations to the meeting, particularly involving Rebecca Kadaga, and urged leaders to focus on grassroots mobilization ahead of the January 15 general elections.
He described peace as the NRM’s most important achievement, arguing that without stability, no meaningful development is possible. “Even without doing other things, as long as we have peace, everything can be achieved,” Museveni said.
Using personal examples, he explained how national unity enables economic prosperity through interdependence across regions. “I am a Munyankore cattle keeper, but Banyankore do not buy my milk, beef, and bananas because they also have them. People in Kampala and other regions buy what they don’t have,” he said.
Museveni emphasized the importance of regional markets and Pan-Africanism, citing Uganda’s surplus production of sugar and milk, which depends on East African Community markets to prevent waste and sustain industries.
He cited government initiatives such as Entandikwa, NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation, and the Parish Development Model (PDM) as critical for household wealth creation.
“People who were very poor in villages have used this money to get out of poverty,” Museveni said.
He also highlighted job creation, pointing to examples like Fred Byamukama in Iganga, whose four-acre farm generates substantial income from eggs, coffee, and livestock, and Johnson Basangwa of Jeka Poultry Farm in Kamuli, who employs about 300 people.
NRM national vice chairperson Moses Kigongo commended Busoga leaders for their turnout, while Speaker Anita Among urged message discipline and announced financial incentives for LC1 chairpersons.
“In Busoga, we have only Team Busoga and Team Museveni,” Among declared.
The meeting was attended by senior NRM figures, including Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Rukia Nakadama, and Milly Babalanda.
