The Secretary in the Office of the President, Yunus Kakande, has urged the people of the Acholi sub-region to vote overwhelmingly for President Museveni in the upcoming 2026 general elections, citing the region’s peace and development under his leadership.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day capacity-building workshop for Regional and District Commissioners, their deputies, assistants, RISOs, and DISOs at Bomah Hotel in Gulu City, Hajji Kakande called on the people of Acholi to support the President.
“I’m sure the people of Acholi will give President Museveni over 80 percent or more. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t vote for him. He has done everything you asked him to do in the region,” Kakande said.
Kakande credited President Museveni with transforming Acholi from a war-torn area to a region experiencing peace and steady development.
“We must thank President Museveni for that. He has developed the area through different projects and programs. Past leaders here started senseless wars that led to the killing of so many people, but the President made sure that he stopped the wars and brought peace. I’m happy to hear that most people in Acholi support President Museveni and the NRM,” he said.
He also highlighted the extension of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) IV, emphasizing that funds would be managed with greater transparency and accountability.
Kakande urged RDCs and commissioners to mobilize communities and ensure strong voter turnout for President Museveni and the NRM.
“We should translate the big numbers during President Museveni’s recent campaign rallies into votes. You should ensure that people turn up in big numbers on the voting day and they vote for President Museveni and the NRM government,” he said.
He commended Gen. Salim Saleh, Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), for transforming Acholi through interventions such as introducing coffee farming.
“I’m happy that many people in this region have benefited from his interventions. Over Shs60 billion was earmarked for coffee seedlings to be distributed in this region. I want you leaders to go to the people and inform them about the project,” Kakande said.
Kakande described coffee as a highly lucrative crop, noting Uganda’s growth from 2 million to 9 million bags under President Museveni’s leadership, and drew parallels to Vietnam’s post-war recovery through coffee production.
Kakande emphasized that the NRM government continues to support Acholi through infrastructure, education, and electrification projects, while encouraging citizens to take personal initiative in wealth creation.
“In terms of making money, it’s your personal effort to make that money. That’s why we encourage you the RDCs and the security people here to keep sensitizing our people on how to make money, and I’m sure in 10 years to come, Acholi will be a very different and more developed place,” he said.
Maj. Martha Asiimwe, Head of the RDC Secretariat, explained that the workshop aims to equip commissioners with the skills to perform their duties effectively, focusing on leadership development, teamwork, and performance management.
“To encourage creativity, nurture new ideas and approaches as you interact with other stakeholders in order for you to stay competitive. As Chairpersons of the District Security Committee and DIC/CIC, we take you through security management and geo-political emerging threats,” she said.
Alice Apio Akello, Regional Commissioner for Northern Uganda, thanked the Office of the President for organizing the training and commended commissioners for their dedication.
“I also commend them for the good mobilisation, and this is why we saw big crowds during President Museveni’s campaign rallies in the sub-region. We should now find ways of translating these big crowds into votes,” she said.
Felix Olumu, Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Economic Monitoring at the Office of the President, presented on the importance of tracking progress and evaluating the performance of local government projects to ensure they meet planned objectives.
“Monitoring helps us understand and explain what is happening in the project area and why expected results, such as transformation of households from subsistence to a money economy, are or are not being achieved,” he said.
The workshop was attended by senior officials including Col. Emmy Katabazi, former Deputy Director General of ISO; Lt. Col. Kibrai Ambako, Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Mobilization under the RDC Secretariat; and other technical officers from the Office of the President.
