President Yoweri Museveni has highly commended the people of Gatete in Murora Sub-County of Bufumbira East Constituency in particular and Kisoro District at large for casting their ballots in his favour and all the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidates during the last general elections in 2016. 

Bufumbira East Constituency gave President Museveni and NRM 99% victory of all the votes cast in 2016. The President was yesterday addressing a rally at the grounds of Gatete Catholic Church in Bufumbira East Constituency. The occasion was organized for the President to thank the residents of Murora Sub-County for their overwhelming support to him and to NRM in the 2016 general elections.

“I came here to thank you for voting well. Ugandans who are enlightened have persistently voted for NRM. By voting well you have laid a good foundation for Uganda. Having laid a good foundation, wananchi have the duty of generating their household incomes,” he said.

The President donated to the people of the area 10 cows that would be slaughtered for their victory celebrations at a date of their choice and also pledged a donation of Shs.50 million to Gatete Catholic Parish Church.

Mr. Museveni was happy to note that the NRM Government has played its role of establishing infrastructure in the country generally adding that in Kisoro District, an all weather trunk tarmac road has been built while all the major centres in the district have got electricity supply. He revealed that plans are under way to build tourism roads in that area and that Kisoro Airstrip will be upgraded to an airport. He also promised that Government would study their request to make Bukimbiri a constituency with a view to extending more services to the area.

He told the rally that as the Government moves ahead to ensure the facilitation of improved mobile telecommunications services in the district, the population has already been provided with an effective immunization programme. He noted that this medical intervention has led to an increase in the population in Kisoro District to nearly 400,000 up from 200,000 before it became a separate district from Kabale district.

He used the occasion to caution the population against sectarianism. He noted that the people of the area voted for NRM because the Movement enabled them to unite. He asked them to always appreciate unity because it is a foundation for their prosperity. 

Regarding land issues, President Museveni cautioned the people of Kisoro District against continued land fragmentation activities noting that wananchi live on small pieces of land because of rampant land fragmentation whose negative effects were not sensitized to the people by the previous leaders. He, therefore, urged them to do proper calculations before embarking on any production venture.  

He advised the residents to leave tea-growing activities to people who own big pieces of land and suggested to those with small pieces of land to cultivate onions, among other items, that generate high incomes on small land acreages. He also said that the government is making progress in the establishment of a tea-factory in Kisoro District.

The President informed the people of Kisoro that Uganda will benefit a lot from the processing of casein, a protein component from milk, for the export market to the United States of America. He also disclosed that plans were underway to establish an iron and steel plant in the neighbouring Rubanda District and that Government was making progress in the construction of the Kale Memorial Institute

Turning to regional affairs, the President said that the situation between Uganda and neighbouring Rwanda will stabilize as he was in touch with President Paul Kagame. 

Earlier, the President laid a foundation stone of the library of Kabaami Secondary School in Bufumbira East Constituency. He was conducted on a guided tour of the project by area MP, Nsaba Buturo. He also laid the foundation stone of Joseph Ndatira Community Resource Centre that is expected to provide library, conference halls and ICT laboratory services. Another project for which he laid a foundation stone was Bishop Barnabas Halem’Imana Memorial Vocational Secondary School.

Kisoro District LC5 Chairman, Abel Bizimana observed that President Museveni and the NRM Government brought the people of Uganda the dividend of peace adding that ‘the people of Uganda want to continue being peaceful.’ He saluted also saluted him for getting solutions to major global challenges such as the conflict in Somalia noting that that Mr. Museveni has registered big strides where other leaders have not managed to venture.

Bufumbira East MP, Nsaba Buturo, commended President Museveni for his wise leadership. ENDS