President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Saturday drew a mammoth crowd in Busia District, with supporters filling the grounds of Buwanda Primary School to the brim and spilling far beyond the school perimeter as he delivered his campaign message.
The rally, one of the largest in the Bukedi Sub-Region, underscored the districtâs strong interest in the NRMâs vision and the 2026 electoral agenda.
Taking to the podium amid thunderous cheers, President Museveni emphasized that Ugandaâs progress over the years was anchored on the peace and national unity restored by the NRM.
He said the partyâs rejection of tribalism and sectarianism had enabled the creation of a government system that serves the whole country.
âIt is because of our politics, which does not believe in tribes or religious sectarianism, that we were able to unite Uganda and build a party that brings everybody together,â the President said.
Museveni went on to detail how this unity allowed the establishment of strong national institutionsâthe army, police, prisons, the judiciary, and a functioning civil serviceâthat have safeguarded peace for decades.
âThat is how we have been able to bring peace across the country,â he told the crowd, many of whom had arrived hours earlier to secure space near the stage.
He highlighted Busiaâs progress in social services, including the NRMâs plan to maintain one government primary school per parish and a government secondary school in every sub-county.
He noted that Busia has one hospital, a Health Centre IV, and fourteen Health Centre IIIs, and stressed ongoing upgrades of several facilities such as Namungodi, Tiira, and Lumino Health Centre IIs, along with the planned construction of a new Health Centre III in Masafu.
Turning to economic infrastructure, Museveni listed major improvements that have benefited the district: upgraded roads from Jinja through Bugiri to the border, the MusitaâNamayingoâMajanji road, and ongoing works toward Tororo.
He also mentioned the repaired railway, widened access to electricity across all sub-county headquarters, expanded access to water, and improved telecommunication coverage. âYou all have telephones in your pockets,â he remarked, highlighting progress in connectivity.
The President urged residents to appreciate that Uganda is now in a production phase, with surpluses in milk, sugar, cement, and bananas. He stressed the importance of cross-border trade and the East African Community market, especially for Busia, which lies along a major regional commerce corridor.
âWe produce 5.3 billion litres of milk but drink only 800 million. The surplus needs a market. Politics is about the futureâand that is why government must guide the countryâs direction,â he said.
Following the Presidentâs address, NRM National Treasurer Ambassador Barbara Nekesa, while speaking to journalists anchored her message on wealth creation, reinforcing the Presidentâs call for Ugandans to transition from dependence to income generation.
She told said wealth creation is now the NRMâs central pillar after securing peace and building socio-economic infrastructure.
âWe had questions about what to focus on in mobilization,â she said. âBut the President has now given us clear direction. Our role as grassroots leaders is to take this message to the villagesâwhy our people should continue supporting the NRM and how they can use government initiatives to improve household income.â
Nekesa praised Busiaâs transformation under the NRM, citing improved tarmac road networks, the Majanji Water Project, the newly constructed modern market, and upgraded health facilities in Ibusime and other areas.
She said such infrastructure provides the foundation for wealth-creation programmes to succeed, especially in a border district strategically positioned for trade.
She noted that the massive crowd at the rallyâspilling over fences, lining the surrounding roads, and filling every visible spaceâwas proof that Busia understands the NRMâs message and the direction the President has set for the country.
âIf we take this message seriously and communicate it clearly,â she said, âthe turnout we have seen today will be reflected in the votes we deliver on 15 January 2026.â
Nekesa pledged continued mobilization for both the President and all NRM flag bearers, predicting that the Bukedi Sub-Region would deliver an average of 80 percent and above for the party. âWe are not stopping hereâthis is only the beginning,â she said. This was Museveniâs final rally in Bukedi before proceeding to Busoga sub-region.
