President Museveni has described Uganda as a safe haven for refugees, attributing the country’s continued hospitality to peace and long-term stability.
Speaking at a campaign rally held at Mirembe Muslim Primary School in Kitanda Sub-county, Bukomansimbi District, Museveni said Uganda is currently hosting about two million refugees fleeing conflict in neighbouring countries.
“Some of our neighbouring countries are still at war, and Uganda is hosting about two million refugees. Peace must be protected,” the President said.
He praised residents of Bukomansimbi for turning up in large numbers despite heavy rains, describing them as resilient people who understand the value of peace.
“Generations here have grown up without hearing gunshots or running from war. Even before colonial times, there were conflicts among kingdoms, so peace should never be taken for granted,” he said.
Museveni commended farmers in the district for embracing coffee production and pledged government support through micro-irrigation projects to boost yields in the largely dry area.
On infrastructure, the President highlighted ongoing and planned road works, noting that the Mpigi–Kanoni–Madu–Sembabule–Bukomansimbi–Masaka road has been a major breakthrough for the district.
He added that the Sembabule–Matete–Mbirizi and Matete–Kibinge–Kyabakuza roads would be upgraded to improve access and trade.
Museveni also encouraged residents to focus on wealth creation and modern farming practices, citing the example of Dr Florence Muranga of Bushenyi, who harvests up to 53 tonnes of bananas per acre through irrigation, compared to an average of five tonnes in many districts.
“Development is important, but escaping poverty depends largely on individual initiative,” Museveni said.
“I bought land at Kisozi in 1990 when there were no roads or electricity. By the time infrastructure arrived, I was already wealthy.”
On utilities, the President said electricity coverage has expanded across much of the district, with plans underway to extend power to all sub-counties and villages. He added that access to clean water has improved, with more than 80 percent of residents now served.
During the rally, Museveni also handed over party flags to aspiring Members of Parliament, district chairperson candidates, councillors and other party flag bearers, formally endorsing their participation in the upcoming elections.
Speaking on behalf of party leadership, Anita Among thanked residents for the strong turnout, describing it as a sign of continued support for the ruling party.
She noted that while coffee farming is the backbone of the local economy, low rainfall continues to affect productivity.
“Farmers are eager to expand coffee production, but irrigation support is critical if they are to sustain yields and improve incomes,” she said, calling for the rollout of micro-irrigation projects in the district.
Bukomansimbi District NRM Chairperson and National Chairperson of the NRM League for Persons with Disabilities, Shafik Mwanje, welcomed the President and described the district as peaceful and increasingly productive.
However, Mwanje said poor road infrastructure continues to limit farmers’ ability to fully benefit from agriculture. He appealed for the upgrading of the Kagologolo–Bulenge–Kigangazi–Lukaya road and the Kyabakuza–Buyoga–Matete road to ease access to markets.
Health services also featured prominently in his remarks. Mwanje called for the upgrading of Bukomansimbi Health Centre IV into a district hospital, noting that the facility serves patients from neighbouring districts and is under constant pressure.
He said unity remains one of the district’s major achievements and urged residents to vote for Museveni and party candidates to sustain peace and development.
According to the 2024 National Population Census, Bukomansimbi District has a population of 197,568, spread across nine sub-counties and town councils, 39 parishes and 254 villages.
Under the Parish Development Model (PDM), the district has 39 Parish SACCOs and has received Shs13.96 billion, of which Shs12.01 billion (86.2 percent) has been disbursed to 12,056 households. About 29 percent of the district’s 41,689 households have so far benefited.
Through the Emyooga programme, Bukomansimbi has 36 SACCOs with 8,967 members, supported by government funding amounting to Shs1.58 billion.
In education, the district has 73 government and 99 private primary schools, alongside seven government and 16 private secondary schools. All government secondary schools offer Universal Secondary Education and Universal Post O-Level Education and Training, with a total enrolment of 4,635 learners.
However, gaps remain. Seventeen parishes lack a government primary school, while four sub-counties do not have a government secondary school.
Health infrastructure is also uneven. Of the nine sub-counties, only one has a Health Centre IV and three have Health Centre IIIs, leaving five without a Health Centre III, IV or hospital.
Planned interventions include upgrading Bigasa Health Centre III to IV, upgrading Kigangazi Health Centre II to III, and constructing new Health Centre IIIs in Bukomansimbi Town Council, Kagologolo Town Council, Butenga and Bukango. Ongoing works include a theatre, surgical ward and maternity unit at Butenga Health Centre IV, and an outpatient department block at Bigasa Health Centre III.
In the water sector, 89.4 percent of rural villages now have access to safe water. Several piped water systems and production wells have been constructed, alongside projects such as the Lutugunda Valley Tank in Kigangazi to support livestock and dry-season resilience.
Urban and small-town water systems now serve residents in Bukomansimbi, Butenga, Buyoga, Bigasa and surrounding areas.
Government irrigation interventions include the Makoomi solar-powered irrigation scheme, with plans to construct the Mijumwa earth dam, which will have a storage capacity of 2.8 million cubic metres to support multipurpose water use.
On power supply, Mwanje said six of the district’s nine sub-counties are already connected to the national grid. Plans are in place to extend electricity to Bukango, Butenga and Kagologolo Town Council in the next term.
The rally was attended by members of the NRM Central Executive Committee, Members of Parliament, religious and cultural leaders, and thousands of supporters.
