KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Friday urged leaders in Wakiso District to prioritize grassroots organization, wealth creation, jobs and service delivery to improve livelihoods.
Addressing leaders at the Wakiso District Headquarters on the fourth day of his Parish Development Model (PDM) assessment tour, Museveni stressed the need for active engagement at the parish level to ensure no family is left behind. He emphasized that leaders must have accurate data on residents to facilitate targeted government services.
“Leaders are like doctors — before treating people, you must first diagnose the problems affecting them,” Museveni said.
He recounted a personal story from the 1960s, where he focused on acquiring land for commercial farming in Rwakitura to build wealth before infrastructure like tarmac roads and electricity arrived. He noted that the infrastructure eventually caught up with the wealth he created through commercial agriculture.
Museveni outlined five pillars for leaders to focus on: peace, development, wealth creation, jobs and services. He argued that wealth creation, particularly through commercial agriculture, manufacturing and service industries, naturally generates jobs, especially for young people.
“If there is no wealth, there are no jobs,” he warned, urging leaders to assess how many families in their areas are engaged in commercial agriculture.
The president also reiterated his call to combat corruption in government service delivery and encouraged leaders to explore markets for local products.
A report presented at the meeting indicated growing support for the ruling party since the 2021 general elections.
A detailed and data-driven progress report captured both achievements and remaining gaps in the district’s transformation journey. It noted the visible success of the Emyooga programme, launched to accelerate wealth creation and financial inclusion. Since 2021, the district has formed 467 digitized Emyooga samples which collectively received over UGX 10.2 billion ($2.7 million) in seed capital. These groups have mobilized UGX 2.7 billion ($720,000) in member revenues and disbursed UGX 11.3 billion ($3 million) in loans to micro-entrepreneurs, especially benefiting women and youth who are expanding small businesses, adding value to products, and reaching wider markets.
Despite this progress, it was pointed out that Wakiso’s rapidly growing population — now estimated at around 4.1 million — creates pressure on existing programmes. It was explained that out of approximately 333,000 eligible households under the Parish Development Model, only about 2,262 have benefited so far, prompting a proposal that the government increase the PDM allocation per parish beyond the current UGX 3.1 billion ($825,000) to ensure broader coverage.
