AMURIA, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni has paid a glowing tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the Arrow Boys of Teso, describing the local self-defence militia as instrumental heroes in restoring peace and stability to the region.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Amuria District, the President, accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, praised the resilience of the Teso people and their partnership with the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
President Museveni recalled key moments from the insurgency: “You people of Amuria and Teso are witnesses to what happened here,” he said. “There is a place called Apopong where the UPDF destroyed Kony’s army. That was the turning point of the war against Kony. In Anyara, Kalaki, we killed one of the notorious rebels called Tabuley. I want to thank the Arrow Boys who joined me in bringing peace here.”
The Arrow Boys, a local self-defence group armed with rudimentary weapons, were crucial in defending their communities and aiding the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in driving the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) out of Teso in the early 2000s.
Peace as the foundation for progress
President Museveni underscored that peace remains the essential prerequisite for Uganda’s progress. “Without peace, no development can take place. That’s why we always emphasize peace first. It is the reason you can now talk of roads, schools, hospitals, and electricity,” he stated.
The President then highlighted major NRM investments in Teso infrastructure, noting that tarmacked roads like Soroti–Katine–Otuboi–Lira and Soroti–Katakwi–Usuku–Karamoja have already improved connectivity.
He announced plans to close remaining infrastructure gaps by upgrading key routes, including the Katine–Ochero, Soroti–Amuria–Achanipi–Otuke, and Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Bugondo roads.
He humorously connected his knowledge of the local infrastructure to the war effort: “When I tell people in Kampala about those roads, they don’t know them. But I know them because I used them when I was fighting Kony,” he said, drawing applause.
Further development progress cited included:
- Water access: Significant improvement in safe water access, with 401 out of 528 villages in Amuria now having boreholes.
- Education: Expansion of education facilities, with a pledge to ensure every parish has a government primary school and every sub-county a secondary school.
- Healthcare: Plans to upgrade numerous Health Centre IIs to Health Centre IIIs, and the elevation of Wera Health Centre III to Health Centre IV, complete with a new theatre at Orungo. “We are working to ensure that every Ugandan has access to quality health services within a reasonable distance,” the President pledged, committing to using ICT to track medicines and combat staff absenteeism.
Call to join the money economy
Shifting to economic policy, President Museveni appealed to the public to leverage the prevailing peace to create wealth. He noted that while efforts to bring Ugandans into the “money economy” were successful, “twelve years ago, only 32% of Ugandans were engaged in wealth creation. The rest were outside the money economy. I am glad that through our efforts, that figure has now dropped to 33%. I now appeal to the remaining 33% to join the journey of modern wealth creation,” he urged.
He cited four key sectors—commercial agriculture, industry, services, and ICT—as the engines of transformation, reminding supporters that “When we talk of roads, schools, hospitals, and security, it is the wealth creators who make these possible through the taxes they generate.”
First Lady Maama Janet Museveni also addressed the rally, thanking the Teso people for their loyalty to the NRM and calling for unity.
“We are proud of you—you look beautiful in yellow. We are one big NRM family,” she said. “On voting day, ensure that every family member and neighbor turns up to vote for the NRM so that we can continue building a strong and united Uganda.”
The President concluded by reaffirming his commitment to consolidating the NRM’s four decades of gains and steering Uganda toward a high middle-income economy before endorsing NRM candidates for the upcoming elections.
