Africa-Press – Uganda. President Museveni has assured Ugandans that insecurity and cattle rustling in Karamoja have been permanently defeated, declaring that criminals will never again threaten peace in the region under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
The President made the remarks while addressing journalists at Morulinga State Lodge in Napak District on Wednesday as he climaxed his campaigns in Karamoja- sub region.
Tracing the historical roots of cattle rustling and the resurgence of insecurity in the region, Museveni attributed the problem to systemic failures in past administrations and corruption within local security structures.
He said that after his direct intervention, government forces restored order and neutralized the rustlers who had destabilized the sub-region.
“When we came, there was corruption in the army, starting with the failure to pay the vigilantes. When we came to Barlegi, we found the real problems. Of course, the army had the capacity to defeat these people—and we defeated them,” Museveni said.
He explained that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), working closely with local communities, managed to restore lasting security.
He noted that when the UPDF 5th Division temporarily left for training, some rustlers attempted to exploit the gap, but they were swiftly defeated.
“They learnt a lesson, and anybody who tries will be defeated as long as the NRM is in charge,” he added.
Museveni emphasized the importance of community policing and effective communication systems at the grassroots level. He expressed concern that some sub-counties in Karamoja still lacked adequate police deployment despite a directive that each should have at least 18 officers.
“The lack of community policing in some areas has been due to incomplete deployment of police officers,” he said, adding that improved telephone network coverage offers new tools for crime prevention.
The President called for each sub-county to center its security operations around the police station, ensuring residents know emergency contacts and can respond swiftly to incidents.
He also urged that police be well-equipped with motorcycles, pickup trucks, dogs, and surveillance technology such as drones and aircraft.
“If the criminal has already left, the police dog can follow. At another level, we have UAVs and aircraft that can fly by day or night. There’s no way criminals can manage. If you combine all this, there’s no way they can survive,” Museveni noted.
He added that modern technology makes it nearly impossible for rustlers to hide.
“Some commanders said the rustlers are now staying in the bush instead of their homes, but that’s even easier—if they use a telephone, you can locate it. That telephone becomes a death trap for them,” he warned.
Museveni attributed the NRM’s enduring popularity to its consistent ideological foundation built on four pillars: patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy.
“The big support of NRM that you are seeing is because of our work for the last 65 years. I have been active since 1960,” he said, recalling his early political experience and rejection of sectarian politics in favor of national unity.
He linked the NRM’s philosophy to Uganda’s development agenda, emphasizing household wealth creation and value addition through agriculture and industry.
“My first plan is wealth. Seek ye first the homestead incomes, and the rest shall be added unto you,” he said, outlining the “four-acre model plan” for household prosperity.
Under this model, families are encouraged to practice commercial agriculture: one acre for coffee, one for fruits, one for pasture and dairy, and one for food crops, supplemented by backyard poultry, piggery, or fish farming.
Museveni also highlighted the government’s industrialization efforts, particularly agro-processing, to add value to agricultural produce, alongside tourism and mineral-based industries as key growth sectors for Karamoja.
“We have natural beauty and culture here that can attract visitors. Tourism will complement agriculture and mining,” he said.
He concluded by reaffirming that Uganda’s progress is tied to Africa’s unity and economic integration.
“The NRM’s vision extends beyond Uganda. We seek to promote a self-sustaining African market,” Museveni said.
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