Leaders and residents in Kamwenge District have credited President Yoweri Museveni for restoring peace and stability by crushing the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) threat that once unsettled their communities.
Frank Tumwebaze, Agriculture Minister and Kamwenge District NRM Chairperson, said the district’s calm is the result of swift military action whenever rebels attempted to infiltrate the area. He noted that soldiers were deployed within hours during past attacks, neutralising the rebels and restoring confidence among residents. Tumwebaze also highlighted the President’s focus on unity and his message against sectarian politics, saying it has helped strengthen cohesion among long-settled communities.
Tumwebaze pointed to ongoing development programs as further evidence of progress, citing commercial agriculture, the Parish Development Model (PDM), and major infrastructure works. Kamwenge has so far received Shs 21 billion under the PDM, supporting about 18,000 households. He added that milk production and sales have expanded as more residents adopt market-oriented farming, and confirmed that more than 70% of the Kamwenge–Kihuura road has already been constructed. Tumwebaze also called for a permanent military base along the forest line to deter future rebel incursions.
Addressing residents at Kamwenge Town Council, President Museveni reaffirmed that peace remains government’s greatest contribution, especially for districts near volatile borders. He referenced the instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo, noting that many refugees settle in Uganda because they lack safety at home. Museveni agreed to Tumwebaze’s request for a battalion near Kibale National Park and instructed leaders to secure land for the deployment.
The President also outlined planned infrastructure upgrades, including improvements on the Lyantonde–Ibanda–Kamwenge road and work on the Kihuura route. On economic development, he encouraged residents to adopt irrigation and embrace commercial agriculture, citing the Presidential Banana Initiative in Bushenyi where irrigation has multiplied yields by up to ten times. He urged locals to produce both for consumption and for income.
Museveni told the youth to look beyond government employment, stressing that private-sector growth in industrialization and tourism offers far greater opportunities. Using Mbale Industrial Park as an example, he said factories there employ more than 40,000 workers, compared to around 480,000 total positions across the public service. He encouraged the district to tap into the tourism potential of Kibale Forest to expand jobs in hospitality and related services.
He closed by describing his own work as a farmer, noting that his milk, beef and banana production also contributes to national development while creating employment.
Museveni pledges industrial park during a campaign in Fort Portal City
