ROAD TO JAN 15 ! In MUKONO, M7 promises alternative routes to deal with traffic menace, crush PDM looters

Mukono – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to fast-track alternative road networks around Kampala to ease traffic congestion while vowing to crack down on the theft and mismanagement of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds in Mukono District.

Addressing a massive campaign rally at St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Naggalama Grounds in Mukono on Friday, President Museveni said heavy traffic from Mukono, Wakiso and other neighbouring districts had made it necessary for government to prioritise outer ring roads and inter-district connectors that allow vehicles to bypass Kampala altogether.

“We need roads that allow vehicles to avoid Kampala city. Because of the heavy traffic, we want most cars to pass outside the city instead of all traffic being forced to go through Kampala,” Museveni said.

He noted that government has already invested heavily in major highways and is continuing to upgrade strategic links, including the Kampala–Jinja highway. He said the Mukono–Kampala section has been completed and assured residents that the remaining stretch from Mukono to Jinja will also be finalised.

The President cited completed and ongoing projects such as the Kayunga–Kangulumira–Jinja road, Mukono–Katosi (Bakunja) road and the Kayunga–Baale–Galiraya road, describing them as key arteries for trade and congestion reduction.

Responding to concerns raised by Mukono District NRM Chairperson Hajji Haruna Ssemakula over congestion along the Mukono–Kampala corridor, Museveni said feeder and connecting roads like the Misindye–Kiyunga–Naggalama–Zirobwe road are already included in government plans.

“We need roads connecting Mukono to places like Zirobwe, Seeta, Namugongo and Nansana so traffic does not have to pass through Kampala,” he said, adding that rapid urban expansion has turned the Northern Bypass into what is now effectively a central route.

Beyond infrastructure, President Museveni expressed strong concern over persistent complaints of PDM fund theft and mismanagement in Mukono, allegedly involving some parish officials and SACCO leaders.

“The money is there. I am sending it and it is reaching the villages, but some people are diverting it,” Museveni said, urging residents to actively participate in parish SACCO meetings and hold leaders accountable.

He warned that any SACCO committee elected without a proper general meeting is illegal and said the PDM National Coordinator, Hon. Galabuzi Ssozi, would be dispatched to establish whether PDM committees in Mukono were lawfully constituted.

Museveni also criticised apathy, particularly among sections of the youth, saying failure to engage in leadership processes enables corruption to thrive.

“You may find that a general meeting was called, but you didn’t bother to attend, especially you, the youths,” he said, adding humorously that enjoyment must come after work, study and national service.

Official figures show that Mukono District and Municipality, with 97 parishes, have received Shs34.59 billion under PDM, of which Shs28.52 billion has been disbursed to over 31,000 households.

While campaigning on the NRM manifesto, Museveni reiterated that infrastructure and social services must go hand in hand with household wealth creation, urging residents to embrace commercial agriculture, enterprise and the Four-Acre Model to fight poverty at family level.

The President was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, senior NRM leaders and Cabinet ministers. Maama Janet called on residents to turn out and vote for NRM candidates in the January 15, 2026 elections, saying the party has a proven record of building a stable and prosperous Uganda.

NRM leaders described Mukono as a strategic electoral battleground and expressed confidence of improved performance in the 2026 polls.

The First National Vice Chairperson, Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo, rallied the crowd to support Party candidates from top to bottom.

The Second National Vice Chairperson (Female), Anita Annet Among, hailed the President for being hardworking and kind-hearted to the extent of paying hospital bills for opposition critics.

Hon Rose Namayanja-Nsereko, the Deputy Secretary General, listed key regional gains in education, health, water and sanitation as well as industrial parks.

She said the Party had also gained in terms of support as reflected in the rallies so far held in Buganda.