President Yoweri Museveni has renewed his impassioned call for Ugandans to abandon subsistence farming and embrace commercial, wealth-creating enterprises to achieve socio-economic transformation at the household level. The President warned that a significant portion of the population remains trapped in a dangerous cycle of “working for the stomach only.”
President Museveni’s message was delivered on Wednesday by his Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilization, and State House’s Deputy Spokesperson, Haji Faruk Kirunda, during the 12th Anniversary celebrations of the Busoga Farmers’ Resource Centre in Namutumba District.
“There are still 33% of the Ugandan households, who are still trapped in subsistence farming i.e. they work for the stomach only. This is dangerous in the modern era, where all goods and services needed to sustain life must be bought with money,” President Museveni stated.
He asserted that his government, under the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has already laid the essential groundwork for this shift. “The necessary conditions include the good roads, electricity, peace and security; integration of the Ugandan market to the regional, African and international markets; [and] pursuing policies that favour the private sector, etc.,” he noted.
However, these national economic advantages, the President emphasized, must be translated into tangible “jobs and wealth for the households” for development to be truly meaningful. He highlighted the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth funds as key interventions specifically designed to “increase the number of wealth creators engaged in production.”
The President commended Pastor Dauson Musasizi, the visionary founder of the Busoga Farmers’ Resource Centre, for inspiring his followers to not only strive for spiritual salvation but also for earthly prosperity.
“Human beings have both spiritual and physical needs,” President Museveni explained. While churches, mosques, and other places of worship cater to spiritual needs, physical necessities such as food, water, shelter, medicine, and jobs cannot be obtained without money in a modern economy.
He further elaborated that “money-lessness” can only be solved by undertaking profitable enterprises in one of four key sectors: commercial agriculture, industries, services, and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). “These are the four sectors where you can create jobs and wealth,” he affirmed.
Drawing a strong parallel, President Museveni urged Ugandans to apply the same diligence they show for their spiritual lives to their economic well-being. “If we have spiritually seen the light, then we must do the same economically. We cannot see the spiritual light yet stay in economic darkness,” he stressed, citing Jesus Christ’s example as a carpenter who worked for both spiritual and socio-economic uplift.
During the event, Haji Kirunda delivered a Shs30 million donation from President Museveni to Pastor Musasizi, a gesture of support for the Centre’s efforts.
Pastor Musasizi, for his part, expressed profound gratitude to President Museveni for his steadfast leadership and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of Ugandans through wealth creation initiatives. He proudly revealed that the Busoga Farmers’ Resource Centre was last year recognized as Uganda’s best organic farm, a testament to their productive work in commercial agriculture.
