President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised the significant strides made in education, health, and infrastructure in West Nile, describing the region’s transformation as evidence of Uganda’s steady progress under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government.
Addressing a campaign rally in Nebbi District alongside First Lady and Education Minister, Maama Janet Museveni, the President reflected on Uganda’s early post-independence years to illustrate how far the country has come.
“In 1961, when I was at Ntare School, there were many boys from West Nile because there was not a single A’Level school in the entire Northern and Eastern Uganda. There were only six A’Level schools in the whole country. Today, Nebbi alone has eight A’Level schools,” Museveni said, drawing applause from the crowd.
He noted that such expansion in education demonstrates the NRM’s commitment to equitable development and human capital growth. The President also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen healthcare services in the region, revealing that ten of Nebbi’s sixteen sub-counties now have health centres, with plans underway to establish facilities in the remaining six.
On infrastructure, Museveni celebrated the full electrification of West Nile, saying the region’s connection to the national grid “marks a new era of economic opportunity and industrial growth.”
“With electricity reaching all the way to Koboko, we are unlocking the potential for factories, agro-processing, and small industries to flourish,” he added.
The President urged the people of Nebbi to support the NRM in the upcoming elections, arguing that continuity of leadership is key to sustaining Uganda’s march toward a high-income economy.
Museveni’s remarks come at a time when Uganda’s economy is projected to grow by over 6% in the 2025/26 financial year, driven by infrastructure expansion, oil sector investments, and steady agricultural recovery. However, experts caution that income inequality, youth unemployment, and regional disparities remain major challenges.
The government’s push for industrial parks, rural electrification, and vocational training aligns with its Vision 2040 target — transitioning Uganda into a middle-income country. Yet, analysts say achieving this goal requires not just investment in infrastructure, but also reforms in governance, export diversification, and value addition.
West Nile’s connection to the national grid is widely viewed as a turning point, especially for a region that has historically lagged behind. With improved electricity access and educational expansion, districts like Nebbi could become new hubs for agro-industrial development — a key pillar in the NRM’s economic transformation agenda.