Africa-Press – Uganda. President Yoweri Museveni has warned against any acts of chaos during the forthcoming 2026 general elections, saying anyone who attempts to destabilise the country will live to regret their actions.
Addressing a rally at Kibale Grounds in Rakai District on Thursday, Museveni said that when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power in 1986, its first priority was restoring peace, which he described as the foundation of Uganda’s development.
He said the peace currently enjoyed by Ugandans must be jealously guarded.
“You see what is happening in many other countries in Africa and elsewhere. Recently, some people destabilised Tanzania and destroyed property, yet the country had been peaceful for many years,” Museveni said. “I assure you that NRM has all it takes to protect the peace of Ugandans. On the day of voting, go and cast your vote. No one should threaten you, and whoever does so will regret.”
Using a proverb, Museveni added: “A bull that is about to die tastes the axe. The peace we have will be protected, and no one will play with it.”
He emphasised that the peace Uganda enjoys did not come automatically but was achieved through deliberate efforts by the NRM government.
Warning to Youths
Museveni’s remarks followed comments by the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, who cautioned young people against being mobilised into post-election street protests, warning that they risk being exploited by self-seeking individuals.
“Some people are telling youths that after voting, they should pour onto the streets to get power. This is wrong,” Among said.
She alleged that organisers of such activities use crowds for personal gain. “When they move around with huge crowds and take pictures, they use those images to get money. They then enjoy that money with their families, yet they have used the youths’ pictures to enrich themselves,” she added.
Among stressed that Uganda’s stability should not be put at risk. “We are saying the demon is a liar. We will not allow anyone to destroy our country. Uganda is not for trial. President Museveni is still here and will still be here,” she said.
She further told the youths: “I want you to tell those people that it is not yet their time.”
Development and Infrastructure
On infrastructure, Museveni said government has bigger plans for Rakai District. He noted that upon coming to power, the government prioritised the Mutukula–Masaka–Kyotera road, which he said has since been reconstructed several times.
He explained that although the Lyantonde–Lumbugu–Lwamagwa–Rakai road has not yet been tarmacked, plans have long existed to work on it. He said government first focused on the Mbarara–Kabingo road, which brought tarmac closer to Rakai.
Museveni added that the Lyantonde–Lumbugu–Lwamagwa–Rakai road is now ready for upgrading, attributing earlier delays to disruptions within government caused by what he described as self-seekers, particularly in Parliament.
“Those roads would have been worked on long ago, but some people disrupted our plans. Our approach as bush fighters was to do one thing at a time. However, when we reached government, some self-seekers wanted to touch everything at once. This confusion caused delays,” he said.
Clean Water and Health
Museveni expressed concern over the low coverage of clean water in Rakai. He said official reports indicated that 405 out of 446 villages—about 90 percent—had access to clean water, but the reality on the ground was different.
“In the file, they indicated that Rakai has 446 villages and that 405 have clean water. I wondered because I remember we discussed that boreholes don’t work well here,” he said.
He said government will now implement plans to extend clean water to the district. “We shall get water from River Kagera and extend it here, while also supplying Mbarara,” Museveni said.
On health, Museveni pledged to upgrade several health centres in Rakai to improve service delivery.
He also reminded residents about the importance of wealth creation, saying development must go hand in hand with household incomes.
“We as NRM do not allow people to only talk about development without caring about household wealth. If one household creates wealth and another does the same, the whole country benefits. I have seen many of you engaged in coffee farming, which is good. Continue in that direction,” he said.
Local Leaders Speak Out
Earlier, the NRM Chairperson for Rakai District, Javira Ssemwanga, commended government for expanding Uganda’s tarmac road network but noted that Rakai remains far behind.
“We thank government for the 6,300 kilometres of tarmac roads across the country. However, Rakai District has only five kilometres. This needs urgent attention,” Ssemwanga said.
He called for fast-tracking of key road projects vital to the district’s economic growth. “We respectfully ask that the Lyantonde–Lumbugu–Ntantamuki–Isingiro road be prioritised. These roads are critical for trade, access to markets, and service delivery,” he said.
Ssemwanga also welcomed the Shs1 billion road fund allocation to the district but said funding alone is insufficient. “Without excavators and proper equipment, the funds cannot work effectively. We need machinery to achieve real results,” he said.
On water access, he described severe challenges, noting that much of the district’s water is salty, making boreholes ineffective. “We need alternative and sustainable water solutions,” he said.
He added that electricity access remains low, with very few households connected to the national grid, and raised concerns about health service delivery, noting that only 12 out of 19 sub-counties have Health Centre IIIs.
Ssemwanga also highlighted the needs of fishing communities around Lakes Kachera and Kijanebalora, calling for their empowerment through SACCOs and other financial support programmes.
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