President Yoweri Museveni on Monday turned the usually calm Serere District into a scene of excitement and promise as he unveiled a long list of government projects that he said would transform the area in his next term. Addressing a sea of supporters at the district headquarters in the heart of Teso sub-region, Museveni outlined a sweeping plan that included tarmacking key roads, upgrading health centres, improving water and education infrastructure, and expanding access to electricity. The mood was charged with optimism as residents cheered each pledge, many seeing it as long-awaited recognition for a district that has often felt left behind in the country’s development drive.

Standing before the crowd in his trademark wide-brimmed hat, Museveni said the government had already secured funding to begin major road works in the district. “We have the money already available for Kumi–Ngora–Serere–Kagwara road. They are getting the contractor to do it. What is crucial in government is to get the money. When it is there, the rest is easy. That road will be done,” he said. He also revealed that plans were underway to upgrade the Lira–Soroti–Serere road, which he described as a “shorter route” that would boost trade and connectivity across Teso. His message was clear: with peace secured under his government, the focus was now on tangible development that people could see and feel.

The president reminded his audience that peace was the foundation of all progress, recalling how far the country had come since the days of insurgencies and cattle raids. “I remember when raiders were coming up to here from Karamoja and how Lakwena came and disturbed you seriously, but we defeated all of them. There is now peace in the whole of Uganda. This is the first time Uganda has peace in a long time,” he said to applause. He emphasized that without stability, no meaningful development could take root, and that the security the National Resistance Movement (NRM) had brought must never be taken for granted.

Turning to health care, Museveni outlined an ambitious plan to improve medical services across the district. He noted that while Serere already had two health centre IVs and ten health centre IIIs, three sub-counties were still without health facilities. “In the coming term, we are to upgrade one of the health centre IVs to a district hospital and upgrade Omagoro HCII in Kyere Sub-County to a health centre III. We shall also construct new health centre IIIs in Kidetok Town Council, Kadungulu, and Ocaapa Sub-Counties,” he said. He added that construction of a new general and surgical ward at Serere Health Centre IV was already underway. Museveni also vowed to intensify efforts to eradicate malaria, improve drug distribution, and curb absenteeism among health workers, a problem he said had slowed down service delivery in many parts of the country.

Education was another key theme in Museveni’s address. He pointed out that Serere currently has 98 government primary schools and 12 government secondary schools. With 70 parishes and 15 sub-counties, the president said the goal was to ensure that every parish has at least one government primary school and every sub-county at least one government secondary school. He cited the construction of two new seed secondary schools, which upon completion will reduce the number of sub-counties without a government secondary school to just three. “The plan is to have a government primary school per parish and a government secondary school per sub-county,” he said, pledging to close the remaining education gaps so that no child in Serere would have to walk long distances to access quality learning.

Museveni also lauded the district’s progress in providing clean water, saying that 235 of Serere’s 277 villages—about 85 percent—now have boreholes. He promised to extend clean water to the remaining 42 villages. The president highlighted several ongoing urban water projects, including the Serere Town Council Piped Water Supply and Sanitation Project serving nearly 26,000 people, and other similar projects in Ocapa, Kyere, and Kasilo. He said government was constructing a new system in Agule Parish, which would serve both domestic and institutional needs once completed. Plans were also underway to build piped water systems for Kidetok Town Council, Kadungulu, and Mugarama. “Water is life,” Museveni said, “and we shall not stop until every home has access to clean and safe water.”

On electricity, the president expressed satisfaction that almost all sub-county headquarters in Serere are now connected to the national grid, with only two remaining. He pointed to other ongoing development projects such as the Ongor Small Scale Irrigation Project in Atira Sub-county, the Opapa Irrigation Scheme in Kateta Sub-county serving 32 acres, and the Owiiny Valley Dam in Bugondo Sub-county. These, he said, would enhance agricultural productivity and help farmers mitigate the effects of drought.

But Museveni’s speech wasn’t just about government projects, it was also a reminder of personal responsibility. Shifting his tone, he urged residents to embrace the culture of wealth creation instead of waiting for government jobs or handouts. “This has been our message for long but you find people don’t attend to it. They focus on this and that but ignore our message of wealth creation,” he said. He recounted the story of Joseph Ijara, a former taxi driver from Serere who turned his life around after adopting Museveni’s “four-acre model” for small-scale farming. “He started with poultry and now he is wealthy. He didn’t go to China or America. The wealth he has built is here in Serere,” the president said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Museveni concluded his address by encouraging residents to take advantage of government initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to lift themselves out of poverty. He revealed that Serere District had so far received Shs21.5 billion under PDM, benefiting over 21,000 households out of 70,000. The district’s 54 Emyooga SACCOs, with 7,027 members, had also received Shs2.8 billion to support income-generating activities. “Government will do its part,” he said, “but each one of you must also play your role. Use these opportunities wisely, and you will not remain poor.”

As the sun set over the Teso plains, the crowd dispersed, some still talking excitedly about the new roads, others about the hospital upgrade or the promise of clean water. For many in Serere, Museveni’s words offered not just pledges but a renewed sense of hope that development might finally be catching up with their long-forgotten district. Whether those promises become reality, however, remains a story for another day.