President Museveni asks leaders and residents of Kiruhura and Kazo districts to focus on household income.
President Yoweri Museveni has told the people of Kiruhura and Kazo to stop lamenting about bad roads in the districts as the cause of their poverty but instead focus on doing things that will improve their household incomes.
The president accompanied by the First Lady, Janet Kataha Museveni was meeting farmers and leaders of Kiruhura and Kazo districts on Wednesday at Nswerenkye Primary School, Kiruhura where he called on leaders at all levels to dedicate their energies on income-generating activities that will improve the livelihoods and families of the people they lead.
President Museveni made the remarks in response to Jovanice Rwenduru, the Kiruhura District Woman MP who raised the issue of poor infrastructure such as the bad road network in the region.
Rev. Samuel Mugisha Katugunda, the Kazo LCV Chairperson informed the president that out of the 35,000 households in the district, 67% are involved in commercial farming while 33% in subsistence farming citing lack of land as the reason why they are still doing subsistence farming.
President Museveni advised those with small pieces of land to venture into activities like poultry and zero grazing that do not require much land.
Re-echoing the danger associated with land fragmentation which he said is part of the hindrances to prosperity of Ugandans, president Museveni advised children to venture into collective investment and share what they get from the land instead of subdividing the land amongst themselves especially when the owner dies noting that subdividing the land cannot support commercial agriculture which is the backbone of Uganda’s economy.
“When I go to heaven, I don’t want God to blame me for not getting you out of poverty. He will at least know that I did my part but you did not listen.”
Alluding to Matthew 6:33 in the Bible, the President said: “Seek ye first homestead incomes (Entasya y’amaka), the rest will be added unto you.”
He noted that good roads have been constructed in many parts of the country to ease transport of goods and services but they’re instead being misused to dry cassava and maize.
“We shall work on all the roads but they should find stable families with improved household incomes. Tarmac roads will not take away poverty,” said the president adding that he bought land in Kisozi, Gomba with a vision to create wealth despite the fact that the area had poor road network.
Dan Mukago Rutetebya, the Kiruhura District LCV Chairman appreciated the president for setting up a regional hub for skilling youth in different fields to fight unemployment.
In response to a request by Mukago to have a general Hospital in Kiruhura district and Katugunda who asked that Kazo Health center IV be elevated to district hospital status, the president encouraged leaders to focus on disease prevention through behavior change, improved hygiene, immunization and nutrition so that the country can save money and use it for other priority areas.
The meeting was also attended and addressed by the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Lt Col (Rtd) Bright Rwamirama, the Members of Parliament for Kazo, Kashongi and Nyabushozi constituencies, Gen. Sam Kavuma, the Chairman Board of Directors of Wazalendo Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (WSACCO), District Councillors, LC V and LC III Chairpersons, Women leaders from Kazo and Kiruhura and religious leaders among others.
