President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the people of Katakwi to take advantage of the peace ushered in by the NRM government to create wealth and improve their livelihoods.

The President, accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, addressed a mammoth rally at Katakwi Booma Grounds in Katakwi Town Council, where thousands of residents gathered to welcome him and reaffirm their support for the NRM.

In his address, President Museveni commended the people of Katakwi for being steadfast witnesses to the peace and stability that the country now enjoys. He recalled the difficult years when the area was ravaged by insecurity, forcing residents into camps, and said the transformation since then was proof of the NRM’s success in restoring peace.

“The people of Katakwi are the best witnesses of peace because I camped here when everyone had fled to IDP camps. I remember visiting Ngariam and Achowa camp, where people were massacred by the Karamojong. Today, all that is history. The NRM defeated the rebels and cattle rustlers, and we removed 41,000 guns from Karamoja. That is why people are back in their villages,” President Museveni said.

He noted that peace was the first major contribution of the NRM government to Uganda’s transformation, followed by development in key sectors such as roads, water, education, and health. He cited the construction of major roads like Soroti–Moroto and Soroti–Lira, as well as ongoing plans for the Katine–Ochero and Soroti–Amuria–Obalanga–Otuke roads. He also commended the progress made in water access, noting that 342 of Katakwi’s 550 villages now have boreholes, representing 52% coverage, and pledged that every village will soon have at least one borehole to ensure access to clean water.