BY RONALD KASOMA
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has applauded Members of Parliament for passing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill, 2025, describing the move as critical in preserving national security, unity, and the integrity of the armed forces.
Speaking in Mabaale Village, Luwero District during a leaders’ meeting at Timnah Nursery and Primary School, the President praised the decision as a “relief” and a “safeguard” against what he termed a looming institutional crisis.
“I want to congratulate the Members of Parliament for passing the UPDF Amendment Bill. There was going to be a serious problem because some people were saying if a soldier commits crimes like murder, theft or rape, they should be taken to civilian courts instead of the Court Martial. Those who were involved must repent. They have saved us from a collision between the army, parliament, and judiciary,” President Museveni remarked.
The UPDF Amendment Bill, passed by Parliament on 20th May 2025, expands the mandate of military courts to try civilians under specific conditions, including the unlawful possession of military hardware and collaboration in treason or murder cases.
President Museveni argued that since 1986, clean politics and decisive military justice have been the cornerstone of Uganda’s progress, contrasting Uganda’s stability with regional conflicts.
“Even those not in uniform who use guns for crime will face military courts. This is how we’ve kept Uganda peaceful. Many countries around us are rich in minerals and oil, but they have no peace. That’s why Uganda is now home to 1.8 million refugees,” he said.
The President is currently on a tour across the Greater Luwero region to assess the impact of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth creation programs. He emphasized peace, unity, and socio-economic transformation as the core pillars of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“NRM is about unity, not sectarianism. Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy—these are our guiding principles,” he added.
President Museveni urged citizens to embrace commercial agriculture and warned against land fragmentation, which he said erodes generational wealth.
He proposed that families adopt cooperative land usage models and preserve inheritance for collective economic gain, citing the successful example of Hajjat Mariam Baiga’s family in Bamunanika.
“If every generation divides land, the future disappears. Use the land together and share profits. That is how wealth is preserved,” Museveni said.
He reiterated the 1996 NRM manifesto plan for 4-acre farmers—coffee, fruits, livestock grass, food crops—with options for poultry, piggery, or fish farming in available backyard space.
On the PDM, the President said if the Shs100 million disbursed per parish is well managed, Uganda will have Shs1.8 billion per parish within ten years, creating a network of community-owned banks. He, however, warned against selective disbursement and mismanagement of funds.
NRM Vice Chairman for Central Region, Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, praised President Museveni for transforming Uganda through initiatives like coffee production, which he said has empowered households across Buganda.
NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, presented a political performance scorecard for Greater Luwero, highlighting a decline in support between 2016 and 2021. He attributed the drop to disconnects between local leaders and the electorate.
“In 2016, Luwero gave us 55.7%, but in 2021, it dropped to 27%. We must reflect. The problem isn’t the people—it may be us, their leaders,” Todwong said.
He also revealed that the Shs300 million court award donated by the President would go towards constructing a permanent NRM office in Luwero.
Hon. Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi, National Coordinator for PDM, reported that over Shs62 billion has been distributed to 240 PDM SACCOs in Greater Luwero, benefiting more than 65,000 households.
Luwero leads with 28,000 beneficiaries. Crop farming accounts for 33% of all PDM beneficiaries, followed by livestock (26%), with 7,000 households in piggery. Women make up 51% of the beneficiaries, with the highest representation from Luwero.
Galabuzi, however, expressed concern about the low youth participation rate in the PDM at just 26%, below the national average of 38%.
“We need to understand why youth in Luwero are disengaged from PDM. These are the very people most affected by poverty,” he said.
He also cited gaps in agricultural extension services and lack of irrigation infrastructure as ongoing challenges.
Hon. Haruna Kasolo, Minister of State for Microfinance, warned parish SACCO leaders against selective allocation and loan defaulting under both PDM and Emyooga programs.
“You will repay this money. It doesn’t go back to the government but to your SACCO so others can benefit,” he emphasized.
Senior Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs, Hon. Ephraim Kamuntu, spoke about “Musevenomics”—a term describing the President’s structured approach to economic transformation through four production stages: primary, secondary, tertiary, and knowledge-based.
Kamuntu said Uganda had finally attained middle-income status under Museveni’s leadership.
“Since 1894, this is the first time Uganda has attained middle-income status. It has happened under Museveni and the NRM,” Kamuntu said.
Minister of Lands, Hon. Judith Nabakooba, addressed concerns over land conflicts, emphasizing the enforcement of the 2022 Presidential Executive Order protecting squatters from illegal eviction. She urged leaders to use the ministry’s zonal offices and digital platforms to verify land titles.
Minister of Investment and Privatisation, Hon. Evelyn Anite, concluded the meeting with a rallying call to Ugandans to embrace wealth creation as a national mission.
“When the President stood on the steps of Parliament in 1986, he promised a fundamental change. We are living that change. And it started right here in Luwero,” Anite said.
The meeting drew Ministers, Members of Parliament, RDCs, and NRM grassroots leaders from across Greater Luwe