Under the scorching Moroto sky, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni painted a vision that could redefine the region’s future, an international airport in Kidepo, built to rival Entebbe International airport. Standing before thousands of cheering supporters in Moroto on Monday, the President described the proposed Kidepo International Airport as a gateway to tourism, investment and transformation for Uganda’s northeastern frontier.
“I shared our plan to build an international airport in Kidepo, comparable to the one in Entebbe, through private investors who will also set up hotels. This will attract tourists and strengthen our economy. All this is part of the NRM strategy and the reason we seek the votes of Ugandans,” Museveni announced.
The project, he said, will anchor Karamoja’s shift from a once war torn region to a vibrant economic zone. The airport will connect one of Africa’s most pristine parks, Kidepo Valley National Park directly to international tourism circuits, offering a new route for visitors seeking Uganda’s wild beauty and cultural heritage.
Museveni attributed the growing investor interest to the peace and stability brought by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government. “The private sector is now building hotels near Kidepo. They are coming because there is peace, good policy, and natural wealth in our wild animals,” he said.
The President spoke passionately about how lasting peace has become the foundation for Karamoja’s development boom. “When I come to address public meetings in Karamoja now, I feel very happy. In the past, I would only find a small crowd of people. But now the population has grown from 190,000 in 1980 to over 1.5 million. This growth is because of peace and better health services, especially immunisation,” Museveni said.
He outlined the NRM’s four key contributions to Karamoja’s progress: peace and unity, infrastructure expansion, improved social services, and household prosperity. The government, he said, has extended electricity from Soroti to Karenga, Kotido and Kaabong, while tarmacking the road from Soroti through Moroto to Nakapiripirit with ongoing work toward Kaabong and Kidepo.
“The NRM brought peace because of our politics of unity. We don’t believe in sectarian politics. This unity has allowed us to build a strong army and stable institutions that protect peace,” Museveni noted.
Alongside infrastructure, the President emphasized human development. He said the government plans to ensure every parish in Moroto has a government primary school, and every sub-county a secondary school. Currently, the district has 16 primary and three secondary schools.
Regarding health, Museveni announced the upgrading of Loptuk, Nadunget, and Rupa health centres, alongside new water projects to serve both people and livestock. “I have always said, water, especially for our animals,” he remarked, noting that 133 of Moroto’s 233 villages now have piped water.
Despite public investments, the President reminded citizens that true wealth begins at the household level. “Even if the government builds roads, electricity, and telephones, you can still be poor if your household is not productive. In Kampala, some people live near tarmac roads and electricity but are still poor. What matters most is how you use these opportunities,” he said.
First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, called on residents to support Museveni’s leadership for securing peace and stability that have made such developments possible.
Earlier in Kotido, the President had condemned indiscipline among a few soldiers involved in the cattle trade, saying it undermined the disarmament process that paved the way for peace. He praised local leaders who stood firm in restoring order, saying their efforts helped turn Karamoja into a beacon of transformation.
As Museveni’s campaign trail heads to Amudat on Tuesday, Nakapiripirit and Nabilatuk on Wednesday, his message remains clear, that peace has not only restored life in Karamoja but is now propelling it toward global connectivity through the skies above Kidepo.
