President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Busoga to embrace wealth-creation programmes and adopt productive forms of agriculture suited to the size of their landholdings as a means of
overcoming household poverty.
The President made the call while officiating at the thanksgiving ceremony of the Minister for the Presidency and Budiope West Member of Parliament, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, at Iringa Township Primary School in Nkondo Sub-county, Buyende District.
President Museveni said land fragmentation remains one of the major challenges affecting household incomes in Busoga, noting that successive generations often inherit increasingly smaller portions of land, making it difficult for families to achieve economic security through conventional
farming.
He said the NRM Government had, since the 1996 manifesto, promoted approaches such as the Four-Acre Model to help households maximise income from limited land through a combination of productive enterprises.
The President encouraged farmers to select enterprises according to the size of land available, saying those with small plots should focus on intensive agriculture while those with larger landholdings can undertake
extensive production.
He cited dairy farming, poultry and fish farming as examples of enterprises that can generate substantial incomes from relatively small areas of land.
President Museveni gave the example of a farmer in Ngoma- Nakaseke District, Mr. George Matongo, whom he said produces about 900 litres of milk daily and earns more than Shs21 million per month.
He also cited Mr. Johnson Basangwa of Kamuli, who, according to the President, operates a poultry enterprise on a small piece of land and earns about Shs20 million per day.
“Even if you do not do all the seven activities, as long as what you are doing is taking you out of poverty and you are doing it with calculation—ekibaaro—you can succeed,” he said.
The President urged residents to make proper use of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds, investing the money in enterprises capable of generating sustainable household incomes.
He said the Four-Acre Model should not be interpreted as limiting farmers to specific enterprises, citing Namubiru Rashida of Butambala, who rears goats, as an example of a farmer succeeding through an enterprise outside the models commonly highlighted activities.
President Museveni also urged residents to explore economic opportunities associated with wetlands and other natural resources within the law,including fish farming at the edges of wetlands.
He said fish farming could generate significant income from relatively small pieces of land, citing an example of two fish ponds on one acre potentially generating up to Shs140 million.
The President cautioned residents against relying excessively on sugarcane, rice and tobacco growing on small pieces of land where the returns may not be sufficient to transform household incomes.
He further reminded Ugandans that the Government has identified four broad sectors through which citizens can participate in wealth creation and economic transformation: commercial agriculture, services, ICT and manufacturing.
He encouraged Ugandans to identify opportunities within these sectors according to their circumstances and available resources.
On natural resources, President Museveni explained that minerals and water bodies are national resources regulated by the Government, while communities living near such resources can benefit within the established legal and regulatory framework.
He said the Government would continue regulating fishing on lakes to address congestion and ensure sustainable utilisation of fisheries resources, while supporting local communities to engage in fish farming.
The President also pledged to provide a milk tank and cooling facility to support milk production in Buyende District.
At the same event, President Museveni elevated Ms. Sarah Kasadha from the position of Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC) to full RDC.
Ms. Kasadha who currently serves in Namayingo District, is the daughter of the Late Samuel Kasadha who was a FRONASA coordinator for Busoga.
The Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Rt. Hon. Rukia Isanga Nakadama, thanked President Museveni for the Parish Development Model, saying the programme is helping young people and
other Ugandans engage in income-generating activities and work their way out of poverty.
Hon. Babalanda said the thanksgiving ceremony was organised to thank God for the gift of life, appreciate President Museveni for entrusting her with ministerial responsibilities and renew her commitment to serving the people of Budiope West.
She commended the President for the development taking place in Buyende District, including improvements in the road network and the new ferry, which she said had eased water transport.
She also called for the establishment of a technical institute in Buyende to equip young people with practical skills and enable them to create employment opportunities for themselves.
The Buyende District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Sarah Namulondo, thanked President Museveni for the peace and stability in the district, which she attributed to the presence of the UPDF and Police.
She also raised concerns over the planned nuclear project in Bukungu, asking the Government to expedite compensation for affected residents so that they can settle their affairs with certainty.
Hon. Namulondo said some residents were living with uncertainty over possible displacement and were therefore reluctant to undertake long-term investments on their land.
Pastor Jimmy Kajura of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Buyende thanked President Museveni for providing security during the recent elections in the Busoga sub-region.
Pastor Samuel Kajoba also commended the President for his efforts against corruption and said he had remained committed to the pledges contained in the NRM manifesto.
Pastor Kajoba welcomed the establishment of the National Cleaning Day, saying improved sanitation would help reduce disease, and thanked the President for accommodating the religious observances of the Seventh-Day Adventist community on the designated day.
Speaking on behalf of NRM chairpersons in the Busoga sub-region, the NRM Chairperson for Iganga District, Hajji Abubakar Walubi, commended President Museveni for promoting wealth creation through the Four-Acre Model.
However, he said limited land remains a major challenge affecting household incomes in Busoga and called for additional interventions tailored to the regions circumstances.
Hajji Walubi also called for community-based irrigation projects, arguing that irrigation interventions should benefit communities rather than individual beneficiaries alone.
The thanksgiving ceremony brought together religious leaders, political leaders, Government officials, Members of Parliament and residents from Buyende and the wider Busoga sub-region.
