Held a lively, engaging meeting with over 1,000 leaders from Tooro sub-region this afternoon at Kalya Courts Hotel in Fort Portal town. Our discussion lasted over three hours and I thank the leaders for turning up in large numbers.

Whereas the NRM government has done well in restoring and maintaining security, built new roads etc, we must now deal with homesteads that are still engaged in subsistence lifestyle. The 63% must be brought into the money economy.

For this to happen, we must appreciate where the opportunities lie. They are in commercial agriculture, industries, services and ICT. Leaders must guide the people in this direction, helping them identify which sector to play in.

For commercial agriculture, we are preaching several approaches. First is our four-acre model that I have explained time and again. An acre for fruits, another for food crops, one for animals, and also pastures.

Those with less than four acres, largely focus on animal husbandary and projects like poultry rearing. For the cows, do it on zero-grazing basis to use the land maximally. Those with big chunks of land can engage in growing cash crops like tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, tea and others.

For the services and industries, the government is doing everything to make the business environment conducive. We have invested in security, infrastructure, and now working towards making credit cheaper. Tooro region has great tourism potential which you can exploit.

The government is going to mobilise resources to implement these wealth creation programmes. We already have Operation Wealth Creation, youth and women funds. We shall lobby Parliament to increase allocations to these funds.

I continue to urge you leaders to keep mobilizing, and educating our people on this subject of wealth creation. Thank you for turning up and being a great audience.

 
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