Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi has pledged to restore cotton cultivation in Bukedi region, describing the crop as the "backbone of the region" and a critical pathway out of poverty.
Speaking at rallies in Budaka and Kibuku districts on Tuesday, Mafabi lamented the collapse of Bukedi’s once-thriving cotton industry, which he said has left the region struggling with high poverty and unemployment rates.
"As FDC, once in power, we have to revive cotton cultivation with better prices so that people earn income. Currently, cotton being used to make clothing is just imported,” he said.
The first time presidential candidate blamed the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, led by President Yoweri Museveni, for what he described as decades of mismanagement and neglect.
"The NRM has been in power for the last 40 years, but Ugandans are poor with limited access to drugs and education. It has nothing to offer apart from plundering taxpayers' money. It has invested in posters and advertisements, yet that money could have been channeled to key services for Ugandans,” he said.
Mafabi also promised sweeping reforms in education and healthcare. He criticized the government for failing to improve the country’s health system and pledged that an FDC administration would ensure citizens no longer have to travel abroad for medical treatment.
"This government has completely neglected to improve the health sector," he said.
On education, Mafabi vowed to raise teachers’ salaries, provide free education for teachers’ children from primary through university, and offer free meals for all pupils in public primary schools.
In addition, Mafabi outlined plans to support small businesses, including a loan scheme to provide affordable motorcycles to boda boda operators, shielding them from exploitative moneylenders.
Social protection for the elderly also featured prominently in Mafabi’s platform.
“If we are in power, older persons above 65 years will each month receive Shs 60,000," he told cheering crowds.
The rallies were briefly disrupted at Kachomo Trading Centre when police fired bullets to disperse youths who threw stones at FDC supporters. Authorities later brought the situation under control and arrested five alleged ringleaders.
Despite the disruption, Mafabi called for calm and urged his supporters to focus on the upcoming 2026 general election.
Mafabi’s campaign in Bukedi underscores his commitment to reviving agriculture, strengthening social services, and challenging four decades of NRM governance, positioning the FDC as a key contender in Uganda’s next presidential race.