President Museveni has announced that the government will establish a UPDF barracks near Kibaale Forest in Kamwenge to strengthen security against possible Allied Democratic Forces incursions.
The announcement during his re-election campaign rally follows a request from Minister Frank Tumwebaze during the NRM campaign trail.
President Museveni has said that in a bid to further reinforce security in Kamwenge, especially against any ADF infiltration, the UPDF will set up a barracks near Kibaale Forest.
“Tumwebaze brought a good idea to set up a barracks in the forest. I will get a piece of land without water and we put a barracks in Kibaale Forest,” Museveni said.
The President, who is also the NRM presidential candidate, made the pledge on Monday while addressing a rally at Kyabenda Primary School in Kamwenge District.
The commitment followed a request by Minister Tumwebaze, who also serves as the NRM district chairperson for Kamwenge.
Tumwebaze asked the President to establish a military presence to guard the district against any further ADF attacks from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We ask the President for a permanent military presence along the forest line so that no rebels can come to attack us again,” Tumwebaze said.
He also praised the UPDF for what he described as a swift and decisive response during past rebel attacks.
“When the rebels attacked us, the President quickly deployed soldiers and within hours, they had dismantled them,” he said.
Responding to the appeal, Museveni said that by 1986 the country had become governable, and that when the NRM took power it “diagnosed the country’s problems” and secured lasting peace.
“Uganda had failed but when NRM came, it united people and created a strong army which brought peace. Some years back, there was ADF from Congo that attacked but we hit them badly and they returned to Congo,” he said.
He added that the presence of many refugees in Kamwenge reflects ongoing instability across the border.
“You see the many refugees you have here in Kamwenge are because of the instability in DRC. Because of instability, many people have been killed and a lot of property destroyed in DRC. Therefore, peace is the first contribution of the NRM for Uganda.”
Museveni said development in Kamwenge has progressed steadily, citing road networks, schools, and access to clean water.
He pointed to the expansion of tarmac roads from Lyantonde to Ibanda, Kamwenge, and Fort Portal, with works underway toward Kyenjojo and Rwimi.
“You have electricity. When NRM came, electricity was stopping in Ibanda but we extended it here,” he said. He added that NRM had scored “at least 80%” in Kamwenge in terms of development indicators.
On wealth creation, Museveni said that despite improvements in peace and infrastructure, household income remained a challenge.
He expressed satisfaction that some residents had shifted from maize to coffee production.
“We introduced maize growing but it needs a big piece of land since you get little yield out of an acre, yet many people don’t have big pieces of land. I thank the people who have listened to our advice and ventured into coffee growing,” he said.
Museveni re-emphasised the four-acre model, allocating coffee to one acre, food crops to another, and the rest to dairy, animal fodder, pigs, and poultry. He said the model would ensure both food security and income.
The President urged residents to embrace irrigation, using water from nearby swamps to sustain production.
