It is easy to eradicate poverty, says Museveni
President Museveni and Karamoja leaders visit the farm of Mr Amos Rhembuss, a resident of Amudat District, on December 3, 2024. PHOTO/SIMON EMWAMU
What you need to know:
- The head of State praised Karimojongs who have embraced PDM and promised to continue empowering their livelihoods.
President Museveni has emphasised that it is easy for people to get out of poverty due to the favourable environment and policies his government has created.
“It is easy to get out of poverty here in Uganda. The Parish Development Model (PDM) and commercial agriculture are some of the simple ways,’’ the President told the people of Amudat District.
Mr Museveni, who termed poverty as ignorance, said some people don’t know what to do.
The President made the remarks as he commenced his wealth creation and PDM performance assessment tour in Karamoja Sub-region on December 3.
While in Amudat, the President visited the home of Mr Amos Rhembuss, one of the PDM beneficiaries and a livestock farmer. He expressed gratitude to the people in the area for listening to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) message of peace.
“The message of the NRM from the beginning was peace. We were telling you that the people who were telling you to get wealth by raiding were misleading you because there is no way you can get wealth through raiding,” he said.
“First of all, you may lose your life, but secondly, the cows and goats you steal will die because you remember when we had Covid-19, we said don’t move, stay at home, when you move, you will get infected. When you move with the cows, they get diseases,” Mr Museveni added.
The President also urged the people of Karamoja to get guns out of the sub-region and promised that his government will continue empowering their livelihoods.
“We now send you Shs100 million every year per parish where each household gets Shs1 million, that means in five years, you will get Shs500 million for your parish,’’ Mr Museveni explained. He said after 24 months, beneficiaries who first got the Shs1 million will start returning the money.
The President also expressed his gratitude towards the population of the Pokot, but didn’t disclose their numbers.
“The NRM came to enlighten you people. Apart from peace, we introduced immunisation and that alone has helped your population to grow [yet] we have not added other things like nutrition, hygiene and safe water. If you do all those, you will be able to do away with illnesses,” he said.
The head of State praised Mr Rhembuss for embracing PDM and his determination to grow his herd. He added him Shs5 million for his farm project.
Mr Peter Lokeris, the Minister for Karamoja, thanked the President for introducing PDM and other initiatives for the Karimojong.
He admitted initial doubts about the programme’s success, but expressed gratitude for the significant impact it has had on communities, including Amudat.
Mr Rhembuss, a resident of Jumbe Village in Amudat, thanked President Museveni for putting up a spirited support for the PDM project. He said when he received the Shs1 million, he was determined to change his family’s life.
The model group
The President revealed to the Karimojong how his wealth creation messages in the 1960s managed to transform the lives of the people of Ankole. “I am a cattle keeper and the Banyankore were like you, they were nomadic and running around but in the 1960s, we campaigned among them to settle down and to do food security and commercial agriculture, they are now very rich. People who go there can tell you that,” the President said.
