Buyende: President Museveni has challenged households in Busoga to abandon subsistence production and turn their land into a source of income through commercial farming and other productive enterprises.
President Museveni has told people in Busoga that the fight against household poverty starts with making productive use of the land and resources they already have, rather than waiting for government support.
The President urged households to select enterprises that match the size of their land, citing dairy farming, poultry, fish farming and other income-generating activities as avenues for creating wealth.
He also challenged beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) to use the Shs1 million allocated to each beneficiary for productive ventures, warning against putting the money into non-income-generating activities.
“People must move from subsistence to commercial production. There are opportunities in agriculture, services, ICT and manufacturing,” Mr Museveni said.
The President was speaking at a thanksgiving ceremony for the Minister for the Presidency, Ms Milly Babalanda, at Iringa Township Primary School in Iringa-Nkondo Sub-county, Buyende District.
Mr Museveni congratulated Ms Babalanda and Busoga leaders for their work and thanked the Seventh-day Adventist Church for its continued support.
Babalanda pushes for Jinja-Bukungu road
Ms Babalanda used the ceremony to commend the President for supporting major infrastructure projects in the region, including the Jinja-Mbulambuti-Kamuli-Bukungu road.
She said Parliament had approved government borrowing of $2.0777 billion to finance road projects during the 2026/27 financial year, saying the Jinja-Bukungu corridor would ease transport and boost trade and commerce.
Ms Babalanda urged contractors to begin construction from the Bukungu side towards Jinja.
She also appealed for continued investment in Buyende’s health and water sectors, particularly the expansion of Kidera Health Centre IV to create more space for patients.
The minister further cited ferries operating at Bukungu Landing Site as important in easing the movement of people and goods between Buyende and the Teso sub-region.
Religious leaders get motorcycles
Ms Babalanda also donated eight Bajaj Boxer motorcycles to eight religious leaders to facilitate their pastoral work and outreach in Buyende and neighbouring areas.
The motorcycles are expected to ease the leaders’ movement as they reach communities to preach and conduct other religious activities.
MP seeks help for Lake Kyoga communities
Buyende Woman MP Sarah Namulondo asked the President to extend more support to fishing communities whose livelihoods depend on Lake Kyoga.
Ms Namulondo called for financial assistance and appropriate fishing gear to enable fishermen and women to improve their livelihoods.
She also asked the government to provide schools in Buyende with essential facilities and improve school infrastructure, saying this would help address school dropouts in the district.
