President Museveni on Sunday addressed thousands of former National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters, Muslim leaders, university students and youth groups at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, urging Ugandans to embrace wealth creation, reject corruption and safeguard government programmes.
Addressing more than 10,000 NUP converts, President Museveni welcomed them to the National Resistance Movement (NRM), describing the party as one founded on empowering ordinary citizens and expanding political participation from the village level to the presidency.
“The NRM has always been a party of the poor. That is why we empowered people to elect their leaders from LC1 up to the President,” Museveni said.
The President said his decision to introduce Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 1997 was driven by the reality that many Ugandan parents could not afford school fees.
However, he expressed concern that free education has been undermined by some school administrators and local leaders.
“Free education was introduced, but it has been sabotaged by some head teachers and leaders. This is why Ugandans must elect leaders who can enforce government policies,” he said.
Museveni urged parents and students to reject illegal charges in government schools, insisting that free education must be fully implemented to benefit all children.
Roads, Health and Public Service Delivery
The President also raised concerns about poor maintenance of murram roads despite annual government funding, calling for greater accountability and proper reporting where resources are inadequate.
On healthcare, Museveni said government supplies medicines to public hospitals, but shortages persist due to theft and weak supervision.
“Medicines are delivered, but they disappear. That is a leadership and supervision problem. Leaders must be held accountable so drugs reach patients,” he said.
Wealth Creation and Jobs
Reiterating the government’s wealth creation agenda, Museveni said programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga and other initiatives were designed to lift households out of poverty.
“Every Ugandan should join their parish SACCO and ensure parish committees help everyone benefit,” he said, warning against the theft and sabotage of PDM funds and urging citizens to report culprits.
On employment, the President said jobs are mainly created through commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services and ICT. He cited the example of Mr. Johnson Basangwa from Kamuli, who started poultry farming on a 50-by-100 plot and now employs over 300 people.
“This shows that wealth creation is possible even with limited land,” Museveni said.
Support from Muslims and Youth
Muslim leaders, including sheikhs from different regions, pledged support for President Museveni in the forthcoming elections.
Sheikh Sulaiman Ssemakula from Greater Mpigi thanked the President for promoting unity and supporting the Muslim community.
“The NRM respects all faiths without discrimination, and we appreciate your support for Muslims and national unity,” he said.
President Museveni assured Muslims that his responsibility is to ensure equal access to free education, healthcare and wealth creation opportunities for all Ugandans, regardless of religion.
The President also hailed more than 8,000 students from higher institutions of learning under the Sauti ya Vijana platform for strengthening party structures.
Presidential Advisor Hope Mazirwe thanked Museveni for championing free education and student empowerment, pledging continued student support for the NRM.
Jacob Eyeru, head of Sauti ya Vijana, said the initiative was created to engage more than 3.1 million students who were in school during previous campaigns but are now eligible voters.
“We are sensitising students about NRM wealth creation programmes and engaging them through a WhatsApp platform on the party manifesto,” Eyeru said.
President Museveni urged the youth to decisively reject corruption, warning that it undermines service delivery and national development.
“Corruption must be rejected completely. It destroys services and slows down development,” he said.
In a separate meeting, Museveni also met members of the Unstoppable Group led by Nelson Tugume, who assured him of nationwide mobilisation in support of the NRM.
The President said Uganda has made significant progress over the last four decades, with about 70 percent of households now participating in the money economy.
“Our task is to bring every household into the money economy. Free education and fighting corruption are non-negotiable,” Museveni said.
The various groups reaffirmed their commitment to support President Museveni and the NRM in the upcoming elections.