President Museveni, who is also the NRM flag bearer has announced firm government action to address the long-standing plight of more than 9,000 people displaced by floods in Ntoroko District.
Speaking to thousands of supporters at Karugutu Secondary School in Ntoroko during a campaign rally, the President revealed that he has already instructed his Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to coordinate an immediate response involving top government officials.
“I have directed the PPS to invite the Prime Minister and the Head of Public Service to come and deal with the issue of the 9,000 flood victims who are stuck here,” he said.
The displaced residents have lived in temporary shelters and IDP camps since 2019, after rising water levels in Lake Albert and the overflow of River Semliki submerged homes, schools, and health facilities in Kanara Town Council and Kanara Sub-county. The President assured the community that the matter would be handled with urgency.
He further noted that the government would review the budget for the Semliki Bridge, which remains a key concern for residents.
Addressing challenges surrounding access to Parish Development Model (PDM) funds, the President directed the Minister for Local Government, Raphael Magyezi, together with the PDM Secretariat, to meet affected groups and resolve issues related to costly processing.
On broader national matters, he reminded Ugandans that peace remains the foundation of the country’s development.
“We have maintained peace under the NRM government. We border Congo, and today we host about 700,000 refugees from there. We are surrounded by wars in Congo, South Sudan, and Somalia, but Uganda remains stable,” he said.
The President highlighted strides made in expanding key infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and security, acknowledging that delays in some areas were due to competing priorities.
He emphasized the NRM’s long-standing principle of gradual, united progress, saying, “We the soldiers have survived all these years on the principle of Kamu Kamu, gwe muganda.”
He also commended the education achievements in Ntoroko District, which now has 38 government primary schools, 44 private primary schools, five government secondary schools, and nine private secondary schools. “Those who know where we have come from as a nation can testify,” he added.
In the health sector, the President announced major upgrades to improve service delivery. These include elevating Karugutu Health Centre IV to a General Hospital, upgrading Musandama Health Centre II in Nombe Sub-county to a Health Centre III, and constructing new Health Centre IIIs in Kibuku Town Council, Karugutu, and Rwebisengo Sub-counties. Out of Ntoroko’s ten sub-counties, four—Karugutu, Rwebisengo, Nombe, and Kibuku—still lack a HCIII, HCIV, or hospital, a gap the government is moving to close.
The district currently has two Health Centre IVs in Ntoroko Constituency, staffed with six doctors and supported by an ambulance at Karugutu HCIV.
President Museveni reaffirmed government commitments to continue nationwide immunization, work toward malaria eradication, use ICT to track medicines and reduce health worker absenteeism, and build staff houses for health workers.
The President thanked the people of Ntoroko for their resilience and strong support for the NRM. He handed over NRM flags to aspiring Members of Parliament, the LC V chairperson, councillors, and other party candidates, formally endorsing them for the upcoming elections.
Mrs. Natasha Karugire Museveni, representing the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni, thanked supporters for turning up in large numbers.
“Thank you for coming. Many young people and I are grateful for your tireless work over the years, day after day, ensuring the peace of Uganda and our continued advancement,” she said. She reminded the gathering that the peace the country enjoys today was hard-earned and must be protected. “It is our responsibility to preserve it, and we do that by voting,” she noted.
She delivered the First Lady’s message: “For 15th January, each one of us should go out and vote—vote for Mzee, the old man with the hat, and for the NRM.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Anitah Among, who also serves as the NRM Second National Vice Chairperson, praised the President for restoring peace and security in Ntoroko. She noted that the area had long faced insecurity but now experiences stability under his leadership.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upgrading the Karugutu road and highlighted the Shs 22 billion already provided in the supplementary budget for flood-affected persons. She emphasized that the most urgent priority is the resettlement of the 9,634 displaced people.
“Now that you know the problem, we believe you are going to resolve it,” she said.
She also commended the Doctor Dee Project implemented in Ntoroko, saying it has strengthened services in roads, health, schools, and border-related operations due to the district’s proximity to the DRC. She reaffirmed that the President’s leadership has been consistent and inclusive.
“Before I came to western Uganda, I thought you were only doing this in the east and north. Now I know you love the whole of Uganda. You are the leader we are looking for—not one who just comes to try,” she said.
“You are our only hope. You brought this country from instability to stability, from no hope to hope. Today, people even have PDM money.”
The Ntoroko District NRM Chairperson and State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, gave a detailed overview of the district’s development profile.
Ntoroko has ten sub-counties and town councils, 46 parishes, and 178 villages with a population of 114,858, according to the 2024 census.
Under the Parish Development Model, Ntoroko’s SACCOs have received Shs 16.7 billion, of which Shs 14.5 billion (86.47%) has been disbursed to 14,509 households—representing 71.89% of the district’s 20,180 households.
The district also benefits from 18 Emyooga SACCOs composed of 9,777 members, which have so far received Shs 760 million.
In the education sector, Ntoroko has 38 government and 44 private primary schools across its 46 parishes. Thirty parishes have at least one government primary school, while sixteen still lack one, though some parishes host more than one institution. At the secondary level, the district has five government and nine private schools.
All five government schools offer Universal Secondary Education (USE) and Universal Post-O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET), serving 3,251 students.
The construction of four Seed Secondary Schools will reduce the number of sub-counties without a government secondary school from five to one.
Mugarra also highlighted progress at the Ntoroko Presidential Industrial Zonal Skilling Hub, where 937 youth have been trained and an additional 240 are currently enrolled.
Out of the district’s 178 villages, 111 now have access to safe water, representing 62.35% coverage. The remaining 67 villages—or 38%—are yet to be served. Completed water interventions include the expansion of piped water systems in Itojo, Rwebisengo–Kanara, and Nyakatok; construction of three rainwater harvesting facilities; rehabilitation of twelve boreholes; and development of public sanitation facilities in Rwangara and Itojo.
Operational piped water systems now serve tens of thousands. Planned projects include extending piped water to Kanara and Karugutu, developing solar-powered mini water schemes in flood-prone areas, and strengthening community-led sustainability measures.
In water for production, the district completed the Kiranga Small-Scale Irrigation Scheme, covering 12 acres and benefiting 24 households. The scheme produces 9.2 tonnes of watermelons, tomatoes, and onions annually, generating Shs 21.6 million in revenue for farmers.
Ntoroko is connected to the national electricity grid, with seven out of ten sub-counties already accessing power. In the next term, the government plans to extend electricity to the remaining three—Kanara Sub-county, Kanara Town Council, and Bweramule—to achieve full district-wide electrification.