Pallisa — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged government support to families in Busia whose relatives were killed by the Force Obote Back Again (FOBA) rebel group, saying the matter has remained unresolved for decades and must now be addressed.
“We have not even supported the families of the people who were killed by FOBA. We still have that issue. We shall have to support those families,” Museveni told more than 10,000 National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders gathered at Pallisa Secondary School playground on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
The mobilisation meeting, convened by the Speaker of Parliament and the NRM Second National Vice Chairperson, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among brought together leaders from Pallisa, Tororo, Busia, Butebo, Butaleja, and Kibuku districts to strengthen political organisation and advance socio-economic transformation in the Bukedi sub-region.
President Museveni urged leaders to propagate the NRM’s wealth creation agenda, emphasising modern farming, value addition, and enterprise development as key drivers of household prosperity. He announced that the government will aggressively promote fish farming in Bukedi to expand economic opportunities.
“When individuals get rich, the whole country gets rich,” he said, urging leaders to guide communities toward productive activities and ensure government programmes reach families that need them most.
Museveni also called on the people of Pallisa to support the NRM in the 2026 elections, citing the party’s achievements over the past 40 years, including peace, infrastructure development, job creation, market expansion, and regional integration.
He cautioned leaders to safeguard the peace restored by his government, recalling the instability caused by Alice Lakwena’s rebellion in Tororo. The President further advised Members of Parliament to embrace prioritisation to eliminate inefficiencies and ensure completion of major national projects. “You either prioritise or make mistakes,” he said.
Museveni added that the government plans to support local leaders with start-up capital as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots mobilisation.
Rt. Hon. Among praised the President for honouring the Bukedi meeting and reaffirmed local leaders’ commitment to working withthe government to accelerate development in the region. She also commended Museveni for increasing LC1 chairpersons’ monthly pay from Shs10,000 to Shs100,000 and urged them to spread the wealth-creation message in their communities.
