On June 17, 2025, President Yoweri Museveni called on local leaders from Mpigi, Butambala, and Gomba—meeting at Gombe Secondary School—to conduct precise parish-level surveys. He directed them to identify how many households have transitioned into Uganda’s money economy under the Parish Development Model (PDM), stressing the importance of evidence over assumptions.
“Go parish by parish and find out exactly how many households have moved out of poverty,” the President instructed. He emphasized that distributing PDM funds is not enough—it’s the actual shift in lifestyle and income generation that truly matters.
Describing the initiative as a “war for evidence,” Museveni urged leaders to personally engage with families—knowing them by name, understanding their struggles, and guiding them into formal economic activities. He likened the effort to finding lost sheep, a rescue mission rather than a political campaign.
He also advised leaders to prioritize development, noting that “those who claim they can finish everything at once are liars.” Citing growth in local A-Level school infrastructure compared to the 1960s, Museveni emphasized the need to educate citizens about such gains.
On health, he promoted preventive care: vaccinations, sanitation, and disciplined living. “Girls as young as nine can be protected from cervical cancer,” he remarked, affirming his own good health habits.
Addressing land inheritance, Museveni warned against dividing family plots into unproductive parcels after a household head’s death. Instead, he encouraged collective ownership and profit-sharing—similar to company models—to preserve generational wealth. He highlighted the success of Prof. Florence Muranga’s irrigation and fertilizer efforts in boosting banana yields.
Additionally, Museveni confirmed plans to establish a Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub in Greater Mpigi and questioned the absence of police canine units in Gomba for tackling theft. He also announced road development along the Mpigi–Nakawuka–Kasanje–Kisubi corridor.
Taking a strong stance on land rights, he vowed to protect bibanja tenants, promising a new law requiring rent payments via sub-counties to prevent illegal evictions. He traced land tenure issues back to colonial Mailo land allocations and pledged to address historical injustices.
Museveni outlined five pillars for national progress: peace, development, wealth creation, education, and health. From a 1986 national budget of UGX 5 billion to today’s UGX 72 trillion, he stressed that development is gradual—“even God took six days to create the world.”
He urged Ugandans to seize opportunities with the Four-Acre Model—combining crops, fruits, pasture, poultry, and piggery—and shared the story of Joseph Ijara, who grew profits to UGX 800 million annually from just 2.5 acres.
NRM First National Vice Chairman Moses Kigongo echoed this call, urging a return to discipline, humility, and integrity within party ranks. He warned against corruption and division, urging leaders to reconcile instead of competing for positions.
In a speech representing Greater Mpigi leaders, Gomba’s LC5 Chairman Geoffrey Kiviiri expressed gratitude to the President. He reported that 65% of the region’s 672,000 residents have joined the money economy. He praised PDM, Youth Livelihood Programme, NAADS, UWEP, and Emyooga for empowering villagers—like mother goat farmers in Gomba, welders in Butambala, and subsistence-breaking families in Mpigi.
While noting Emyooga’s weaker performance, he stressed that funds must initiate income-generating projects and be returned after two years to sustain the cycle of growth.
Kiviiri also applauded infrastructure investments and vocational training through Presidential Industrial Hubs, with 243 out-of-school youths now equipped with practical skills.
The event was attended by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba, State Minister Evelyne Anite, NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja, and other district and religious leaders.
