SOROTI, Uganda | President Yoweri Museveni on Monday revisited the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) wartime exploits in Teso, recalling how government forces used gunships for the first time to crush Vincent Otti’s LRA rebel group in Amuria District.
Addressing thousands of supporters at a campaign rally in Soroti City, Museveni said the operation marked a turning point in the fight against insurgency.
“It was here in Teso that we finally defeated the rebels. In Amuria, at a place called Apopong, we used gunships for the first time and they crushed Vincent Otti’s group,” he said.
“Before that, we were chasing the rebels on foot what we called Aibang fighting without sauce. The gunships became our sauce.”
Museveni said the victory in Teso was decisive in restoring peace across Uganda and credited the NRM’s success to both military strength and its ideological commitment to patriotism and pan-Africanism.
“Our contribution is not just the weapons, but the thinking that guides our politics and defence rejecting sectarianism and embracing patriotism,” he noted.
While rallying support for the NRM ahead of the upcoming elections, the President outlined the party’s “seven key contributions” to Uganda peace, infrastructure development, wealth creation, service delivery, market expansion, and free education.
He pointed to major road upgrades linking Soroti to Katine, Dokolo, Moroto, and Kumi, and noted improvements in electricity and water access across the Teso region.
On agriculture, Museveni urged farmers to adopt his “four-acre model,” combining crops such as coffee, bananas, fruits, and dairy to boost income. He said the approach has helped many local farmers become employers and millionaires.
The President also reiterated his call for free education in government schools, saying schools that charge fees disadvantage poor children.
“The private schools can charge, but government schools must remain free for the poor,” Museveni insisted.
He urged the people of Teso to continue supporting the NRM, saying the party’s record on peace and development speaks for itself.
“It was from here that we restored peace to Uganda. Support the NRM to continue building the country,” he said.
Earlier, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among announced that NRM Vice Chairperson for Eastern Uganda Calvin Echodu and Capt. Mike Mukula had reconciled and would now work together for the party’s success.