On January, 26th 1987, Uganda received a new team of leaders under the National Resistance Movement headed by the current President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, a move that soon saw Uganda stabilized until to date.
From that time, the focus of NRM has prominently been on poverty eradication and security stability of the country which have greatly contributed to our strong economic pillars.
On Wednesday, during the 36th Liberation Day anniversary held at Kololo Independence ground in Kampala, President Museveni said the economy of Uganda will be 44 billion dollars in July this year compared to 1.5 billion dollars when NRM/NRA came into power in 1986.
In his speech, President Museveni further assured the country that Uganda will achieve Middle-Income status by 2026 and urged all Ugandans to engage in agricultural activities with the intent to maximize their income.
Under the new Parish Development Model, the latest initiative to boost poverty eradication drive, the government is optimistic the program shall increase household food security and incomes and improve the quality.
It also targets to increase the effectiveness of infrastructure and service delivery, including agricultural extension and social services, in order to accelerate the realization of the long-term goal of socio-economic transformation.
In the next five years, the government hopes to increase production and productivity throughout the entire value chain from production to post-harvest handling, transportation, storage, and marketing.
It will also provide the necessary social and economic infrastructure, including community access roads, energy, water for domestic consumption and production, local markets, and economic services.
The President said PDM will also increase participation of households in the financial sector through financial literacy, improved business management, and a culture of saving, credit, and investment, Strengthen social services at the grassroots in terms of health, education, environmental management, improved housing, sanitation, and hygiene.
In the early 1990s, the government launched Entandikwa- a Luganda word for “initial capital” that was aimed at improving the well-being of both the urban and the rural poor by promoting and strengthening the productive capacity of micro-enterprises, savings for future investments, and institutional building at grassroots.
In mid-2000, the government again introduced Bonna bagaggawale scheme targeting to accelerate community empowerment.
The scheme was implemented by the ministry of micro-finance and gave out low-interest loans to sub-county-based Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies, popularly known as SACCOs.
In 2013, the government again launched yet another anti-poverty scheme, operation wealth creation (OWC) to transform subsistence farmers into commercial farmers to eradicate poverty among the community.
It should be noted that throughout President Museveni’s struggle, his dream has remained key in moving Uganda into the middle-income economy, the economy of money in the pocket of every Ugandans using agriculture as a strategic approach.
The litany of his efforts to deliver the Country to a much more economically independent state is endless. His efforts are un-matched by the politicians who try to water down his initiatives instead of supporting the development cause. Challenges withstanding, the media which claims to be the fourth arm of government has done good at fueling activities that bar quick economic growth. The media has long joined the shouting politicians who do not provide solutions to public.
