President Yoweri Museveni has unveiled ambitious development plans for Karamoja, including the construction of an international airport in Kidepo, comparable in scale to Entebbe.
The announcement came during his public campaign rally held at Naitakwae Boma Grounds in Moroto District, where he highlighted the strides made in peace, infrastructure, and social services across the region.
“We are going to build an international airport in Kidepo as big as Entebbe,” President Museveni said.
“It is going to be built by private investors who will also construct hotels there. Why? Because our wild animals are like sports,people come to the stadium to watch football, to enjoy and relax, and they pay. That is what will happen in Kidepo. Rich people will come from all over the world with money to relax. This is part of economic infrastructure,” he said.
The President reflected on the region’s journey from hardship to progress.
“First of all, when I used to come to Karamoja, I would speak to small gatherings of 10 people. That was because the population was small. In 1980, Karamoja had 190,000 people. Today, it is more than 1.5 million. This growth is because of peace, health, and immunization. I can see all these young NRM supporters, they are alive because immunization has prevented diseases like measles,” he said.
President Museveni credited peace in the region to the NRM’s politics of unity, which avoided sectarianism.
“NRM was able to bring peace because of our politics of unity. That has helped us not only to build the national political party but also to develop the region,” he added.
The President outlined significant infrastructure milestones in Moroto.
“Electricity now stretches from Soroti to Karenga, roads are being upgraded and tarmacked, including the Moroto-Kaabong road,and piped water coverage is increasing across villages,” he highlighted.
“I was informed that the road between Moroto and Kotido is impassable. Even if it’s murram, it should be passable with proper maintenance. I have spoken to the Ministry of Works about this issue.”
On water development, President Museveni said that water is one of the key factors that he identified in Karamoja sub-region, noting that he is happy with the progress and the ongoing and planned projects.
These include; Desilting of Kobebe Earth Dam is ongoing, Nadipal Valley Tank (20 million litres) was completed in Nadunget Sub- county in December 2023, Nakonyen Valley Dam (1.5 billion litres capacity) in Tapac Sub-county is set for completion in November 2025, Lokisile Dam desilting will take place this financial year, and construction of Naberu Dam (1.2 billion litres) is scheduled to start in November 2025 with 11 valley tanks and two wind-powered water systems already operational, while a solar irrigation system is under construction.
“Water is critical for production, and we are expanding access not just for households but for agriculture, livestock in the region,” he said.
President Museveni also touched on social infrastructure,
including schools and health facilities, noting that Moroto District has 16 government primary schools and three secondary schools,with plans to establish a government primary school per parish and a secondary school per sub-county.
On wealth creation, the President reiterated the “Four-Acre Model” to transform households from subsistence to prosperity.
“One acre for coffee, one for fruits, one for food crops, and one for pasture and livestock. Even backyard spaces can support poultry, piggery, or fish farming. This model is not just theory, it is the key to transforming households from subsistence to prosperity,” he said.
On her part, the First Lady Janet Museveni urged citizens to support the NRM and the President in the upcoming elections.
“I do not doubt at all that Karamoja will vote for the Movement and the President. But I want to remind you, nobody should stay at home without voting for the President and the NRM. God bless Karamoja,” she said.
Earlier, President Museveni made a stop over to inspect the
progress of Yaobai International Holding Cement Uganda–SMC Ltd, the largest cement factory in Karamoja Sub-region. Once fully operational, this factory will produce approximately 12,000 tonnes of clinker per day from both production lines.
“This will greatly contribute to our construction industry and
create employment opportunities for our people,” he ssured.
Moroto District and Municipality, which comprise four
constituencies, 11 sub-counties and town councils, 45 parishes,and 244 villages, are witnessing gradual development, according to recent government reports. The district has a total population of 103,639, based on the 2024 census.
The Parish Development Model (PDM) has reached thousands of
households in the district. In 37 rural parishes, 10,650
households have received a total of Shs.10.65 billion, accounting
for 91.83% of the allocated funds. Meanwhile, Moroto
Municipality’s four parishes have disbursed Shs.1.03 billion to
1,049 beneficiary households.Economic empowerment through Emyooga SACCOs has also grown, with 70 SACCOs supporting 15,551 members. A total of Shs.2.91 billion has so far been disbursed to these grassrootssavings and credit groups.
The district’s education sector serves 21 government primary
schools enrolling 16,522 pupils and five government secondary schools with 2,570 students. Plans are underway to expand facilities to ensure every parish and sub-county has access to quality schooling.
Healthcare infrastructure includes one regional referral hospital and five Health Centre IIIs. Additional health facilities are planned and ongoing upgrades aim to expand access to essential medical services across the district.
Access to safe water remains a priority. Out of 233 rural villages, 133, or 57%, currently have piped water, leaving 100 villages still without safe water. The government has committed to ongoing water development projects to improve coverage in the remaining areas.
The campaign is running under the theme: “Protecting the Gains, Making a Qualitative Leap into High Middle-Income Status”.
