Museveni visits Hajjat Baiga’s home in Luwero while on PDM tour, gives her 12 million shillings

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called upon the Uganda Police to operationalize the new policing system of deploying 18 police officers per sub-county across the country, along with one motorcycle and sniffer dogs, as part of the efforts to enhance security and improve rapid response to criminal activities. According to the President, the guidance emphasizes a more decentralized and proactive approach to law enforcement, especially in rural areas where police presence has traditionally been minimal or slow to respond. “This theft is a nuisance, and it must stop. The things to stop it are there, but they are not used. They (police) must mobilize and sensitize the people to handle the crime scenes,” President Museveni said. President Museveni made the remarks on Tuesday, May 20th, 2025, as he began his Parish Development Model (PDM) assessment tour in the Greater Luwero sub-region districts of Luwero, Nakasongola, and Nakaseke, where theft was highlighted as one of the hindrances to the success of the PDM program. “I think what I guided is not followed. If there is an officer on duty all the time, and anything happens, you ring them, and they come. In case they (thieves) walk and later board cars, we have cameras on the roads, and we can see which vehicles are moving in that area at that time,” the president noted, adding that, in his view, scattering police officers everywhere might not help as much. “To protect all Ugandans, we only need speed, a communication system, and sniffer dogs to follow up the thieves,” he added. During the continuation of his national presidential tour to evaluate the progress and impact of the government’s flagship poverty alleviation program, the president visited several farmers, including Hajjat Mariam Bayega, a PDM beneficiary in Sekamuli parish, Bamunanika sub-county, Luwero District. “I'm happy to be here in the home of Hajjat Mariam Bayega. I have seen the chicken, the cows, the coffee, the matooke, and everything they do here. What they’re doing here is very good, and I congratulate them on the good work they have started,” President Museveni said after a guided tour of the wealth creation activities at Hajjat Bayega’s home. The President gave Hajjat Bayega Shs 12 million to buy two cows for milk production, a four-wheel double-cabin vehicle to aid transportation, and a solar-powered water system. “I want her to begin irrigation, and we will see the benefits. I will send you a solar-powered system,” he emphasized. President Museveni also emphasized that the PDM is central to the National Resistance Movement government's strategy for wealth creation at the grassroots level, aiming to integrate all Ugandans into the money economy. Highlighting the distinction between wealth creation and overall development, the President urged the people of Greater Luwero to recognize that while wealth creation requires individual motivation and undertaking, development is a responsibility of the government. Hajjat Bayega informed President Museveni that the family earns approximately Shs 37 million per year as profits from coffee, cocoa, poultry, and selling milk, highlighting insecurity as a major challenge after the relocation of the police station from Ssekanyonyi. The President also gave 1 million shillings to each of the 10 PDM beneficiaries in Sekamuli parish who had gathered to listen to his wealth creation message. He also donated Shs 5 million to rehabilitate the village mosque and Shs 5 million to the Anglican bishop of Luwero. Earlier in Wobulenzi, President Museveni visited Nakayenga Damalie, a PDM beneficiary involved in poultry with over 400 chickens and five (5) pigs, all as a result of the Shs 1 million PDM funds. As of May 6th, 2025, a total of Shs 61.716 billion had been allocated to the 240 PDM SACCOs across the 3 districts in Greater Luwero, with Luwero receiving the highest amount (Shs 25.972 billion), followed by Nakaseke (Shs 18.257 billion), and the least being Nakasongola (UGX 17.486 billion) due to its fewer parishes. According to the 2024 Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) population census, Greater Luwero has a total population of 1,093,714 people, settled in 8 constituencies, 48 sub-counties (including divisions and town councils), 241 parishes, and 1,428 villages. On the other hand, in response to concerns raised by the local community regarding market vendors operating in wetland areas, President Museveni directed the relocation of the Kikoma roadside market, Wobulenzi Town Council. He committed to purchasing land for the new market site and tasked the NRM Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja with overseeing the implementation of this plan. President Museveni’s visit to the Greater Luwero underscores his commitment to promoting economic empowerment and sustainable development for the people of Uganda. By fostering community engagement and providing essential resources, the NRM government aims to elevate the socioeconomic status of all Ugandans.