On a breezy morning in Idudi Town Council, a group of parents gathered outside a small grocery shop, comparing school fees, hospital costs, and the price of cassava flour. Their conversation shifted quickly from household struggles to a shared worry: what happens to ordinary families if the peace they rely on is shaken? It is the same concern that framed President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Maama Janet Museveni’s message as they pitched their campaign agenda to Bugweri District on Monday.
Maama Janet told residents that their presence at the rally reflected a community determined to protect the gains made over four decades. She urged them to take personal responsibility in securing Uganda’s future by showing up on voting day.
“On voting day, you must go in person to cast your own vote,” she said. “Vote for President Museveni and the NRM flagbearers so that the peace in our country is protected.”
President Museveni, standing alongside senior NRM leaders, defined peace as the strongest foundation the government has laid since 1986. He said development is built slowly, “one etafari at a time,” and insisted that stability remains the most vital block. “NRM has been able to bring peace to Uganda. That is our first and strongest etafari,” he told supporters.
The President reflected on his years fighting the Idi Amin regime, recalling how he moved through Busoga in the early 1970s with the help of local families. He reminded the crowd that Uganda’s stability was earned through sacrifice. “You know what lack of peace means,” he said. “Many people died, and some of us had to run into exile.”
Museveni highlighted Bugweri’s progress in social services and infrastructure. He pointed to improved roads, electricity at all sub-county headquarters, and widespread access to safe water. He said the district now hosts 54 government primary schools, 7 government secondary schools, and several health facilities under upgrade. He called for better planning so every parish benefits from these investments.
However, he stressed that development infrastructure alone does not create prosperity. He turned to his long-standing wealth creation message, reminding residents that families must make better use of their small landholdings.
“Can you separate development from wealth?” he asked. He urged households to adopt the four-acre model by focusing on coffee, fruits, pasture, and food crops supported by poultry and fish farming.
Museveni said families that embraced this approach, alongside government programmes such as PDM, NAADS, Ntandikwa, OWC, Myooga, and the Women and Youth Funds, have already transformed their livelihoods.
Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo, the First National Vice Chairperson, called for unity within NRM structures and asked leaders to focus on mobilizing voters. He encouraged Bugweri residents to elect NRM flagbearers at all levels.
As the rally ended, the parents in Idudi echoed the sentiment shared across Bugweri: peace enables progress, and stability remains the foundation on which families build hopeful futures.
