The National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has urged leaders and residents of Kumi District to shift their focus from repeatedly demanding for new administrative units and tarmacked roads to prioritizing wealth creation as the true driver of sustainable progress.

While addressing thousands of supporters in Kumi during his campaign tour in the Teso sub-region, Museveni noted that many Ugandans have misunderstood the idea of development, often associating it with visible infrastructure such as roads, new districts, and town councils, instead of concentrating on household income generation.

‎“You hear people saying, we want a new district, we want a new town council, we want tarmac roads. But I ask you: at night, do you sleep on the tarmac?” Museveni remarked.

He added, ‎“The problem is that when you go back home, the poverty you left in the morning will be waiting for you, and it will say, welcome back, we are still here. The children have no sugar, no meat, no paraffin or electricity, and no clothes. That is where the real problem is.”

The President explained that since the NRM struggle, the party has always made a clear distinction between development and wealth.

‎"While development, such as roads, schools, and hospitals, is a collective responsibility of the government, wealth is a personal responsibility for every household," he said.

Museveni stressed that Ugandans must first build wealth at the household level for other aspects of development to naturally follow.

‎“Development is ours, the tarmac is ours, but wealth or poverty are yours. Therefore, the NRM insists on wealth creation. That is why we are emphasizing the Parish Development Model (PDM),” he said.

He reminded the people of Kumi that the government has, over the years, launched various wealth creation programs—ranging from Entandikwa, Bonna Bagaggawale, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and Emyooga, to the current Parish Development Model (PDM), all designed to help Ugandans boost household incomes.

‎“Talk of development without wealth creation is meaningless. Development comes from money, and money comes from taxes. But if you are poor, you can’t buy anything that is taxed. You won’t be contributing to national revenue. Therefore, if the household remains poor, even the government will struggle to bring development,” he emphasized.

Museveni assured residents that the government will continue investing in programs aimed at wealth generation and revealed new funding opportunities tailored to specific community groups.

‎“We shall add 15 million shillings for leaders to borrow and invest. We shall also create funds for religious institutions in the dioceses, cultural leaders, and fishing communities whose needs are beyond the PDM package. We are also considering a special fund for university graduates who have not yet secured employment after two years,” he said.

Turning to education, the President reiterated his commitment to providing free and quality education, recalling the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1996.

‎“I am a strong believer in free education, and that is why I brought it in 1996. But some people began to mess it up. That is why I introduced the Presidential Skilling Hubs to equip our young people with hands-on skills so that they can earn a living,” he said.

Museveni expressed concern that certain leaders and head teachers have frustrated the goals of free education through mismanagement.

His remarks came after the Kumi District NRM Chairperson, Christine Amongin Aporu, appealed for the creation of new administrative units, including Kanyum District, Mukongoro County, and Atutur Town Council.

While acknowledging her concerns, Museveni cautioned that the creation of new administrative units should not take precedence over household wealth creation.

Despite this, he announced several government commitments intended to improve service delivery in Kumi District.

The President revealed that electricity extension will soon reach ten more sub-counties currently off the national grid. He also announced plans to upgrade Kadami, Kakures, Ogooma, Agurut, Osera, and Akide Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IIIs.

Additionally, new health facilities will be constructed in Kanapa, Mukongoro, and Kanyum to enhance access to primary healthcare.

As he concluded his address, Museveni urged voters in Kumi to embrace the NRM’s wealth creation agenda as the key to ending poverty and sustaining national growth.

‎“The government will bring development, but the fight against poverty is personal. If every household becomes rich, then Uganda will be rich,” he said.