President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday returned to a road he once associated with danger, recounting a moment decades ago when Idi Amin’s soldiers stopped him near Musita during the liberation struggle.
“That road was once a battlefield,” Museveni told supporters gathered at Namayingo Primary School Grounds. “When they tried to cause trouble, my colleague acted quickly and the whole group fled.”
Today, the Musita–Mayuge–Namayingo–Lumino–Busia road is a smooth tarmac stretch — a contrast the President said reflects Uganda’s broader transformation from conflict to stability.
Museveni, accompanied by First Lady and Education Minister Janet Kataaha Museveni, said Namayingo’s journey mirrors the country’s shift from insecurity to development. He reminded residents of past violence, including Lakwena’s incursions in Muterere and FOBA rebel activity from across the Kenyan border.
“This area has seen hard times. Today all that is history,” he said, urging the community to safeguard the existing peace. “Whatever you are doing, keep the peace, because it is peace that allows us to build and progress.”
Health and Education Investments
The President commended Namayingo for expanding its health infrastructure, noting that the district now has one HCIV and eight HCIIIs out of 11 sub-counties. He announced that four more health facilities — including Mutumba and Sigulu — will be upgraded to HCIV status.
Buyinja HCIV now has a digital X-ray machine, while Bukooli South boasts a fully staffed HCIV with four doctors and an ambulance.
On education, Museveni said the district has 84 government primary schools and 129 private ones. Thirty-one of its 50 parishes have at least one government primary school, while seven government secondary schools offer USE and UPOLET to nearly 5,000 learners.
He encouraged households to adopt the “Four-Acre Model” to transition from subsistence to commercial production, recommending coffee, fruit trees, food crops and livestock, alongside poultry, piggery and fish farming for families with limited land.
Museveni later handed over NRM flags to district candidates ahead of the upcoming elections.
Janet Museveni: ‘Do Not Play With Peace’
The First Lady called on residents to value unity and stability, saying the district’s efforts to instil discipline and patriotism among learners were critical to sustaining peace.
“Many refugees come here because there is peace that is not in their nations, so we cannot play with peace and our unity,” she said. She thanked residents for the large turnout and urged continued support for the NRM.
Leaders Highlight Development Gains
NRM First National Vice Chairperson Al-Haji Moses Kigongo urged leaders to remain united, while First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga thanked residents for consistently backing the ruling party.
Namayingo District NRM Chairperson Raymond Mugisa reported that the population now stands at 266,716 people, with Shs 15.3 billion disbursed to 15,409 households as part of efforts to expand participation in the money economy.
Water, Irrigation and Power Projects
Access to clean water has reached 218 of the district’s 306 villages. Completed works include drilling 24 boreholes, rehabilitating 105 water sources and installing piped systems in Namayingo Town Council, Sigulu and Bumalenge. Projects underway include the Lolwe Island and Bukana water supply schemes.
The district has also introduced solar-powered irrigation schemes in Dohwe and Mulwanda, with more demonstration sites planned.
Electricity coverage is expanding, with seven of 11 sub-counties already connected to the national grid. Plans are in place to extend power to Bukana, Sigulu Islands, Banda and Buhemba in the next term.
Thousands of residents, along with NRM Central Executive Committee members, MPs and religious and cultural leaders, attended the event.