President Yoweri Museveni has urged residents of the Kigezi sub-region to take advantage of the prevailing peace and security to drive socio-economic transformation, with a strong focus on commercial agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.
The President made the remarks on Friday while presiding over the 45th Tarehe Sita celebrations at the National Teachers’ College (NTC) Kabale playground, accompanied by First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni.
Museveni said that although land in Kigezi is highly fragmented, it remains fertile and productive and can support commercial agriculture if modern farming practices are adopted.
“Kabale has very productive land. If we prioritise commercial agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, focusing on key enterprises such as fruits and other high-value crops, we shall achieve economic transformation,” Museveni said.
He emphasised the importance of irrigation, proper use of fertilisers and improved farming methods, noting that poor practices had affected agricultural productivity in the region.
“I know the land here is fragmented, but tea can still do very well. The global price of tea did not collapse; it declined here largely because of mistakes such as failure to use fertilisers and careless harvesting,” he added.
On tourism, Museveni said the Kigezi sub-region has significant potential, citing the presence of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, as well as proximity to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
“Kigezi has a lot of tourism potential. We have gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga and we are close to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Government is improving tourism roads and hotels so that the people can benefit from this sector,” he said.
The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said Uganda remains peaceful and stable, attributing the calm to the professionalism of the UPDF and other security agencies. He added that government plans are underway to improve the welfare of soldiers, including better accommodation, uniforms and salaries.
On manufacturing and trade, President Museveni revealed plans to expand Kisoro Airstrip and construct international airports in Kabale and Mbarara to facilitate regional and international trade.
“Amos Nzei has given us land here in Kabale, and I want to thank him. We are going to construct an international airport here and another in Mbarara, which will even be bigger than Entebbe,” Museveni said.
He added that government intends to promote industrialisation in the region by establishing more factories and processing industries.
“We shall focus on manufacturing and growing industries because Kigezi has the capacity to support industrial development,” Museveni said.
