The National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced plans to sponsor a group of residents from Bukwo District and Mountain Rwenzori for a study tour in Europe, aimed at learning how European communities sustainably utilize mountainous regions.
Speaking at a campaign rally held at Amanang Secondary School playgrounds in Bukwo District, President Museveni said the initiative will help local leaders and residents understand how to balance environmental conservation, tourism, and economic activities to prevent disasters like the recent landslides in Sebei Sub-region, which claimed 20 lives.
“I will organize a trip for people from Mountain Rwenzori and Mountain Elgon to go to Europe and see how people live with the Alps,” Museveni said. “They live in the valleys, while the mountains are used for sports and tourism, creating wealth. The problem here is people are practicing agriculture where they should not. The mountains are not dangerous, we just need to know how to live with them.”
Museveni emphasized that the soils on the slopes of Mountain Elgon are unsuitable for agriculture and settlements, urging residents to adopt better land management practices to reduce risks of landslides and soil erosion.
Beyond environmental initiatives, Museveni outlined a series of development pledges for Bukwo District, including; Upgrading Bukwo Health Center IV to a General Hospital and improving other health facilities, expanding piped water coverage, electricity distribution, and telecommunication services, improving road infrastructure, with more tarmac road projects planned for the district, enhancing education access by ensuring every parish has a government primary school and every sub-county a secondary school, in line with Ministry of Education policy.
“Our goal is one government primary school per parish and one secondary school per sub-county,” Museveni explained. “If a parish lacks a government school, we shall build one, step by step.”
The President also urged the people of Bukwo to focus on household wealth creation and to actively monitor the use of government funds at the local level to curb corruption.
“Local councils were created to ensure accountability,” he said. “You must resist and report corrupt leaders who misuse public resources meant for your development.”
Museveni’s message to the Sebei Sub-region centered on sustainable development, responsible land use, and community empowerment as Uganda heads toward the 2026 general elections.