KAMPALA. The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential flag bearer Yoweri Museveni has faulted the people of Kassanda District for voting opposition politicians, saying the decision is partly responsible for the poor service delivery in the area.
Addressing a rally at Bukuya Town Council grounds on Wednesday, Museveni said that although some progress has been made, Kassanda continues to lag behind because of the leaders its residents elect.
“When NRM came to power, it started by working on the road from Mityana to Mubende through Myanzi, Kiganda up to Fort Portal. Previously, tarmac ended in Mityana. The Mityana–Kampala road has been repaired. On the other side, tarmac used to end in Busunju, but we tarmacked it from there through Hoima up to Buliisa. However, Bukuya–Kassanda remained in the middle as an island surrounded by tarmac,” Museveni said.
He added that government plans to work on the Kassanda–Myanzi–Bukuya–Kiboga road had been delayed due to the district’s political leadership.
“We have been having plans to work on Kassanda–Myanzi–Bukuya–Kiboga, but we have delayed because the people you send to Parliament disturb me,” Museveni said.
The President explained that while government follows a structured development plan, disagreements with opposition legislators often disrupt implementation.
“There are self-seekers you send to Parliament who disturb me. We, as guerrillas, do things one at a time. The self-seekers want us to handle all things at once and end up messing up our plans,” he said.
All the MPs in Kiboga and the district chairperson are all members of opposition.
Museveni noted that the situation had improved following changes in parliamentary leadership.
“The good thing is that the new Speaker has known what to do, and therefore the fighting between us and the self-seekers has ended. Your road of Myanzi–Kiboga is going to be worked on, and within no time, works will begin,” he added.
In the 2021 general elections, Museveni garnered 37,265 votes in Kassanda, representing 44.7 per cent, while the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) secured 53.9 per cent.
Of the four Members of Parliament representing Kassanda, three — Woman MP Flavia Nabagabe Kalule, Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba, and Kassanda South MP Frank Kibirige — belong to NUP. Only Bukuya Constituency MP Michael Yiga Bukenya represents the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). The district chairperson, Fred Kasirye, belongs to the Democratic Party.
Museveni further blamed the opposition-led district leadership for stagnating development, citing the poor state of roads and inadequate access to clean water.
“You have a problem of lack of clean water. I see many villages don’t have clean water. There are 569 villages in Kassanda, and only 194 of these, making 34 per cent, have clean water. It means 66 per cent don’t have clean water. Other districts are at 89 or 90 per cent,” Museveni said.
“I was wondering why you are lagging behind, but I have realised you made a mistake to vote for an opposition person as your district chairperson. Banyankole say anyone who commits suicide is not cried for. Redeem yourselves by voting NRM people,” he added.
On road infrastructure, Museveni said government sends Shs1 billion annually to districts for road maintenance but accused Kassanda leaders of failing to utilise the funds effectively.
“Don’t joke around with elections. If you vote poorly, you get problems. If the Shs1 billion we send for the road fund is not enough, let the district leaders inform us and we increase it. Even if it is Shs3 billion, we will send it so that our people get good roads,” Museveni said.
“However, your leaders keep quiet and you suffer. This is because they don’t care about you but their own satisfaction,” he added.
The President urged residents to vote for NRM candidates in the 2026 general elections.
Museveni also reminded the public to actively participate in government wealth creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, which he said are aimed at lifting households out of poverty.
“Our advice has always been to stop working only to survive and instead engage in calculated farming using the four-acre model. Each family should be involved in at least one income-generating activity to escape poverty,” Museveni said.
“Don’t allow anyone to deduct from the PDM funds sent to you. Keep a keen eye on it, and if anyone deducts from the Shs1 million meant for each household, report them.”
Meanwhile, Kassanda District NRM Chairperson Dr. Michael Bukenya outlined a series of critical development challenges facing the district while assuring party leadership that residents are prepared to reverse past voting trends in the 2026 general elections.
Dr. Bukenya acknowledged criticism that Kassanda residents have previously voted poorly but emphasised that the district is ready for change.
“We have often been blamed for voting poorly, but we want to assure you that in 2026, we are reversing this trend,” Dr. Bukenya said, noting that residents are determined to vote in a way that protects the gains of the NRM government.
He highlighted persistent infrastructure and service delivery gaps, particularly in the energy sector, revealing that despite Kassanda’s rich gold deposits, mining operations continue to rely on diesel-powered generators due to the absence of electricity.
“There is no power in the gold mines, yet they are a key economic activity. In some sub-counties, electricity is not available at all, and in areas where it exists, supply is unreliable because of faulty transformers that urgently need replacement,” he explained.
Dr. Bukenya also raised concerns over road infrastructure, calling for the Myanzi–Kiboga road to be fast-tracked for tarmacking to improve connectivity and economic activity.
In addition, he appealed to government to establish a technical institute in Kassanda, saying it would equip young people with practical skills and help reduce unemployment.
On land access, Dr. Bukenya urged authorities to consider Kassanda District among the beneficiaries of the government land fund, citing growing land-related challenges.
“As the people of Kassanda, we are ready to reverse the trend and vote to safeguard the gains of the NRM,” he said.