President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has assured residents of Bunyangabu District that the long-delayed repairs on the Mityana–Mubende–Fort Portal Road will finally begin after years of stalled progress.

Addressing a campaign rally at Kibiito Secondary School, the NRM presidential flagbearer attributed the delay to previously scattered government resources and unclear priorities. He said the issue has now been resolved and the road will soon be worked on.

Museveni, who was accompanied by First Daughter Natasha Karugire Museveni, also praised Uganda’s four decades of peace, saying it has created the foundation for development in sectors such as roads, electricity, telecommunications, water infrastructure, railways and internet connectivity.

He noted that the stability enjoyed today allows generations to grow, study and work in peace—an experience he contrasted with Uganda’s turbulent past.

Reflecting on progress since independence, the President recalled that Uganda had only six A-level schools in 1961. He said he was pleased that Bunyangabu District alone now has eight government secondary schools.

District data shows the area has 61 government primary schools with 31,810 pupils and eight government secondary schools with 5,925 students, all benefiting from Universal Secondary Education and Universal Post-O-Level Education and Training. Construction of four Seed Secondary Schools is ongoing, leaving only three sub-counties without a government secondary school.

Museveni reiterated his message of wealth creation, urging families to move from subsistence to commercial agriculture. He cited examples such as Ngoma farmer George Matongo, who has successfully adopted modern farming to increase incomes.

He also highlighted beneficiaries of the Presidential Skilling Hub initiative, including Ms. Immaculate Kayesu, who shared how training at the Kyenjojo hub enabled her to establish a bakery and poultry business in Kibiito Town Council. The hub has so far trained 1,169 youths, with 238 currently enrolled in courses such as welding, carpentry, construction, tailoring, hairdressing, bakery and leather design.

The President further stressed the economic value of regional integration, explaining that Uganda produces over five million tonnes of maize annually but consumes only one million tonnes. He warned that without the East African market, industries such as maize, milk, bananas, beer and cement would collapse due to lack of demand.

Speaker of Parliament and NRM Second National Vice Chairperson Rt. Hon. Anita Among thanked the President for maintaining security in Bunyangabu District, which borders the conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She urged residents to safeguard the peace by supporting Museveni in the upcoming elections and thanked government for upgrading Kibiito Health Centre IV to a district hospital and for protecting the freedom of worship.

NRM District Chairperson Hussain Kato presented key development statistics, noting that Bunyangabu has a population of 219,012 across 15 sub-counties and town councils, 55 parishes and 338 villages. He reported that 17,639 households have benefited from the Parish Development Model, with Shs 15.08 billion disbursed to 49 parishes. The district also hosts 18 Emyooga SACCOs with 18,452 members supported by Shs 900 million.

In the health sector, Bunyangabu has one Health Centre IV and 12 Health Centre IIIs, with plans underway to upgrade Kahondo HCII to HCIII and construct a new HCIII in Rwimi Sub-county. Access to safe water stands at 61 percent, with completed gravity flow and piped water schemes serving thousands of residents, while borehole rehabilitation and further extensions of water systems continue.

The district is fully connected to the national electricity grid, and irrigation efforts are expanding through schemes such as the operational Kaina Small-Scale Irrigation project and the under-construction Rubalika Solar-Powered Irrigation Scheme.

During the rally, President Museveni handed over NRM flags to parliamentary and local government candidates, signaling their endorsement for the upcoming elections. The event drew NRM Central Executive Committee members, legislators, religious and cultural leaders, and thousands of enthusiastic supporters.