“In Rubaga, We Now Have Shopping Malls,” Museveni defends NRM record in Buganda
Speaking to thousands of supporters at a campaign rally held at Kitebi Primary School playgrounds in Rubaga Division on Monday, President Museveni said progress in Buganda would not have been possible without sustained peace under the NRM.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has dismissed claims that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has neglected Buganda, insisting that the region’s development is a direct result of the peace and stability ushered in by his government.
Speaking to thousands of supporters at a campaign rally held at Kitebi Primary School playgrounds in Rubaga Division on Monday, President Museveni said progress in Buganda would not have been possible without sustained peace under the NRM.
“When NRM brought peace, development followed. In Rubaga, we now have shopping malls, but our goal is to make everyone wealthy,” Museveni said.
The President, who is also the NRM flag bearer for the 2026 general elections, outlined a series of government wealth-creation programmes aimed at improving household incomes.
He traced the NRM’s economic empowerment agenda from the Entandikwa scheme launched in 1997, through initiatives such as the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), to the current Parish Development Model (PDM).
“Now, with the Parish Development Model, people receive funds through SACCOs, and their committees decide who benefits,” Museveni explained.
Addressing concerns raised by residents regarding leadership in Rubaga, the President attributed some local challenges to the choices made by voters.
“I have never heard of the Rubaga South MP. I didn’t choose him—you did. So, if there are problems, who is to blame?” Museveni said, invoking a Runyankole proverb to stress the importance of accountability in leadership choices.
The President was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni, who urged Ugandans to reflect on the country’s past and safeguard the gains made over decades of recovery and progress.
“Our responsibility is to secure a nation that our children can grow up in and proudly call their own,” Mrs Museveni said, calling on voters to support the NRM, which she described as offering a clear and strategic vision for a stable and prosperous Uganda.
NRM First National Vice Chairman, Alhajji Moses Kigongo, told supporters that the ruling party was seeking a renewed mandate from the people of Rubaga. He appealed for loyalty, patriotism, and integrity, while also urging calm and peaceful participation in the electoral process.
“Always be truthful and committed to Uganda. That is how we safeguard what we have built together,” Kigongo said.
Meanwhile, the NRM Chairperson for Rubaga Division, Kamuntu Ivan Semakula Majjambere, commended President Museveni for what he termed visible, people-centred development in the area.
He cited improvements in infrastructure and social services, particularly the upgrading of formerly dusty roads to tarmac, saying the developments have eased transport, boosted business activity, and improved the dignity of city residents.
The rally marked part of President Museveni’s continued engagements in Kampala as the NRM intensifies mobilisation ahead of the 2026 general elections.
