By KT Reporter
The National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential Candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has accused President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of deliberately keeping Ugandans in poverty as a strategy to maintain his grip on power.
Addressing supporters at Bundikahungu Primary School in Bundibugyo District on Thursday, Kyagulanyi criticised what he described as the government’s long-standing failure to prioritise value addition for agricultural products, particularly in regions that are major producers of cash crops.
He pointed to Bundibugyo, one of Uganda’s leading cocoa-growing districts, where, despite its vast potential for agro-industrial development, farmers continue to sell raw cocoa beans because the government has not established a single chocolate-processing factory in the area.
Kyagulanyi argued that this situation reflects a broader pattern in which the state benefits from keeping farmers trapped in low-income livelihoods and dependent on selling raw materials.
The Rwenzori sub-region-including Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Kasese, Kabarole and neighbouring districts, has for years faced persistently high poverty levels. Numerous national poverty assessments have ranked Bundibugyo and Ntoroko among the districts with the highest poverty indicators in the region.
Despite being naturally endowed with resources such as cocoa, coffee, vanilla and timber, the region derives minimal benefit because most produce is sold unprocessed, leaving farmers vulnerable to middlemen and volatile market prices.
Poor infrastructure, inadequate government investment in agro-processing, land pressures, and climate shocks have further limited economic growth, creating a cycle of poverty that has proven difficult to break. Kyagulanyi said these challenges are a result of decades of poor governance and underinvestment.
He promised that under an NUP administration, the region would finally receive the strategic support necessary to unlock its economic potential. He reaffirmed his commitment to establishing a chocolate factory in Bundibugyo, arguing that value addition would raise household incomes and create meaningful employment opportunities for young people and farmers alike.
Kyagulanyi further accused security forces of attempting to frustrate his rallies through heavy deployment intended to intimidate supporters. He claimed that in some instances, NUP supporters have been harassed, beaten or blocked from accessing rally venues.
He described these actions as deliberate attempts to demoralise his supporters and disrupt his campaign momentum. Despite this, he affirmed his determination to continue engaging voters across the country.
While addressing another rally at Karugutu Town Council in Ntoroko District, Kyagulanyi outlined key priorities he would pursue if elected. He pledged to invest heavily in infrastructure to improve connectivity and service delivery, create opportunities for youth employment, and transform the agriculture sector so that it becomes a driver of food security and economic growth.
On the same campaign trail, Barbra Itungo Kyagulanyi rallied women, reminding them of their influential position as the majority of voters in Uganda. She urged them to support a leader who, she said, genuinely understands their struggles and is committed to uplifting the socio-economic well-being of families and communities.
Kyagulanyi is expected to campaign in Kasese District on Friday. However, ahead of his visit, police have issued a warning to NUP supporters against holding processions along the highway, citing public order concerns.
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