President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the people of Sebei Sub-region to continue supporting the National Resistance Movement (NRM), saying the party’s track record over the last 40 years makes it the most reliable vehicle for Uganda’s progress.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists from the Sebei sub-region at Mbale state lodge president Museveni outlined seven key contributions the NRM has made to transform Uganda since 1986, including peace, development, wealth creation, job generation, service delivery, expansion of markets, and regional political integration.
Museveni said the NRM’s foundation is built on ideology, not identity politics.
“We don’t believe in who you are, but in what you do. It is the what that guides us, not the who,” he said, explaining that the NRM emerged in 1965 as a movement to unite Ugandans beyond tribal and religious lines.
Peace as the cornerstone
The President cited peace and stability as the NRM’s greatest achievement, noting that Uganda’s unity and functioning institutions—particularly the army—are products of ideological clarity.
“Peace is not by accident. It comes because we believe in patriotism and love for Uganda,” he said.
Museveni praised the disarmament of Karamoja, where 41,000 illegal guns were removed, as evidence of the government’s determination to maintain security.
Development and infrastructure
He noted that under NRM leadership, regions like Sebei have benefited from massive infrastructure expansion, including roads, electricity, and schools.
“Kapchorwa was not connected. Electricity used to stop in Mbale. There was no tarmac road. Now you can see the change,” he said, adding that such progress was impossible before the NRM took power.
Wealth creation and economic transformation
Museveni emphasised that true development starts with wealth creation at the household level.
He said the traditional Ugandan society was based on specialisation—emyooga—where every family had a productive skill such as blacksmithing or carpentry.
“Before Europeans came, everyone had a miyoga. There was no unemployment. Unemployment is a colonial phenomenon,” he said.
The President warned against over-reliance on external aid and non-productive sectors, saying communities must generate their own wealth to sustain services.
“If people have no purchasing power, there’s no tax revenue. That’s why wealth is crucial—it’s the most dynamic part of development,” he said.
Jobs and the modern economy
He said job creation depends on expanding commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT—not just government employment.
“Government jobs are only 480,000, yet the population is 50 million. The rest must come from production,” he said.
Improved service delivery
Museveni highlighted universal education and health care as pillars of social progress, noting that the NRM’s policy has always been “education for all, not education for some.”
He said the government continues to study models such as health insurance to make essential services more accessible and sustainable.
Markets and regional integration
The President underscored the need for a wider market for Uganda’s growing production, urging Ugandans to support regional integration for greater economic opportunities.
“Now that we produce in surplus—sugar, milk, cement—the internal market is not enough. We need the regional and African market,” he said.
Political federation for Africa’s future
He reiterated his long-standing call for political federation in East Africa, saying unity was critical for Africa’s survival in a competitive global economy.
“Even Mwalimu Nyerere and Tom Mboya said this before. Africa must unite or remain weak,” he said.
Museveni said the NRM’s ideology-driven leadership had guided Uganda through challenges that crippled other post-colonial nations. “Our party has logic, a mission, and a history. That’s why we have succeeded where others failed,” he said.
The President urged the people of Sebei to vote NRM in the coming elections to consolidate peace, deepen wealth creation, and ensure Uganda’s continued transformation.
“Please, continue supporting the NRM so we can move forward together,” he said.