FDC presidential candidate Nandala Nathan Mafabi has unveiled a broad economic recovery plan while campaigning in Apac Town, pledging to revive cotton growing, eliminate exorbitant loan interest rates, restore cooperative unions, and return the management of lakes to local communities.
Speaking to hundreds of supporters who gathered at Apac Boma Ground, Mafabi said Lango’s once vibrant economy had been “deliberately crippled” through poor national leadership that allowed key sectors to collapse.
He cited the downfall of Lira Spinning Mill, the weakening of cooperative societies, and the massive loss of cattle during past insurgencies as examples of what he described as “policy neglect” that condemned the region to poverty.
Mafabi argued that the country’s high poverty levels especially in northern Uganda were a result of governance failures that his administration would urgently reverse.
“Everything that once made Lango strong was allowed to collapse,” he said. “We must return economic power to the people,” says the FDC Presidential candidate.
The FDC candidate outlined a plan to revive large-scale cotton production, which he branded as “White Gold,” saying it would boost household incomes, restore agro-industrial growth, and create employment opportunities for young people.
He pledged that an FDC government would take charge of cotton marketing to eliminate exploitative middlemen and ensure farmers receive competitive prices.
“The cotton industry was the backbone of this region. Its collapse was not accidental—it was a result of deliberate poor planning. We are going to rebuild it so that farmers once again earn a dignified living,” Mafabi told supporters.
Mafabi criticised high loan interest rates charged by commercial banks, saying they were stifling small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He promised to push for policies that make credit more affordable and accessible to entrepreneurs, arguing that easing financial pressure on small businesses would accelerate job creation.
Mafabi who asked UPC supporters in the region to back his bid praised the legacy of former president Dr. Milton Obote for establishing hospitals and district health facilities that “have stood the test of time.”
He said an FDC-led government would upgrade all Health Centre IVs to full district hospitals and expand existing regional referral hospitals to national referral standards.
“We must fix the health system so that no Ugandan dies because they could not reach a hospital in time,” he said.
Mafabi also pledged to return the management of lakes to local communities, arguing that local people had been unfairly pushed aside in decisions that affect their livelihoods.
He criticised what he called the mismanagement of lake resources under the current government, and promised community-led reforms that would protect fish stocks and restore income streams for local fishermen.
His Apac campaign stop is part of a wider mobilisation drive across northern Uganda, where he has consistently centered his message on fighting corruption, reviving local economies, rebuilding cooperatives, improving road infrastructure, and strengthening community control over natural resources.
Mafabi urged residents of Lango to rally behind him in the 2026 elections, saying meaningful change would only come if the region united to demand accountability and economic justice.