At dawn in Rwangara, a mother placed her cooking pot on three stones outside a tattered tent and whispered a familiar worry: “Will this be another election with no change?” Her family has lived in a makeshift camp since 2019, when Lake Albert swallowed her village. Hours later, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni stood before thousands in Karugutu and vowed that the long wait for help was finally over.
President Museveni, the NRM Presidential flag bearer, announced urgent government action to support more than 9,000 Ntoroko residents who remain displaced by floods. He said he had already instructed his Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to coordinate a rapid response involving the Prime Minister and the Head of Public Service.
“I have directed the PPS to invite the Prime Minister and the Head of Public Service to come and deal with the issue of the 9,000 flood victims who are stuck here,” he said.
The affected families lost homes, schools and health facilities when rising Lake Albert waters and the overflowing River Semliki submerged communities in Kanara Sub-county and Kanara Town Council. Many have survived in temporary shelters for six years.
The President said the matter would be handled urgently. He added that government would review the budget for the Semliki Bridge, which remains a major concern for the community.
He also issued directives on the challenges facing access to Parish Development Model (PDM) funds. He asked the Minister for Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, and the PDM Secretariat to meet beneficiaries and resolve the problem of costly processing.
President Museveni told the rally that peace remains the anchor of Uganda’s development. He said Uganda remains stable despite bordering conflict-prone regions.
“We have maintained peace under the NRM government. We border Congo, and today we host about 700,000 refugees from there. We are surrounded by wars in Congo, South Sudan and Somalia, but Uganda remains stable,” he said.
He noted the government’s continued investment in roads, electricity and security. He explained that delays in some areas stem from competing national priorities.
“We the soldiers have survived all these years on the principle of Kamu Kamu, gwe muganda,” he said.
The President praised education progress in Ntoroko, which now has 38 government primary schools, 44 private primary schools, five government secondary schools and nine private secondary schools. “Those who know where we have come from as a nation can testify,” he said.
He also announced new health upgrades, including elevating Karugutu HCIV to a General Hospital, upgrading Musandama HCII in Nombe Sub-county to HCIII and constructing new HCIIIs in Kibuku Town Council, Karugutu and Rwebisengo Sub-counties. He said four sub-counties still lack adequate health facilities, but government is working to close this gap.
Ntoroko currently has two HCIVs staffed with six doctors and supported by an ambulance based at Karugutu HCIV. The President reaffirmed government commitments to nationwide immunisation, malaria eradication, ICT-enabled medicine tracking and staff housing for health workers.
He thanked the people of Ntoroko for their resilience and support to the NRM. He also handed over party flags to aspiring Members of Parliament, LC V chairpersons, councillors and other candidates.
Ntoroko District NRM Chairperson and State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka, presented the district’s development profile. He said Ntoroko has a population of 114,858 across 178 villages and has made strong progress under PDM.
He said PDM SACCOs have received Shs 16.7 billion, of which Shs 14.5 billion has been disbursed to 14,509 households. The district also benefits from 18 Emyooga SACCOs with 9,777 members.
He noted that Ntoroko’s education footprint has expanded, with government and private schools spread across 46 parishes. Secondary school enrollment now stands at 3,251 students under USE and UPOLET.
Four Seed Secondary Schools under construction will reduce the number of underserved sub-counties from five to one. He also cited the Ntoroko Presidential Industrial Zonal Skilling Hub, which has trained 937 youths.
On water access, he said 111 of the district’s 178 villages now have safe water. Recent interventions include piped water expansions, borehole rehabilitation, rainwater harvesting systems and sanitation facilities.
He said the Kiranga Small-Scale Irrigation Scheme now produces more than nine tonnes of horticultural crops annually, generating Shs 21.6 million for farmers.
Ntoroko is connected to the national electricity grid, with seven of ten sub-counties already powered. Government plans to extend electricity to Kanara Sub-county, Kanara Town Council and Bweramule to achieve full coverage.
The event drew NRM Central Executive Committee members, MPs, religious leaders, cultural leaders and thousands of supporters who said they hoped the President’s visit would finally bring an end to years of displacement.
