According to the President, the volume of eggs is increasing yet the market is not enough, and instead of selling them raw, which are often consumed locally, processing them in the form of powder and liquid will fetch higher prices locally and internationally.
“We need to establish factories to process these eggs into products such as baby foods and nutritional foods to feed the elderly and the sick for the whole country and also for export,” he said.
The President made the remarks on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, while visiting Ms. Akampurira Evas, a poultry farmer and beneficiary of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Bubare trading center, Bubare sub county in Rubanda county east, Rubanda district.
President Museveni, who is in the Kigezi sub region on the assessment tour of the PDM and wealth creation programs, said whether boiled, scrambled, or mixed with chapati, commonly known as Rolex, cannot be exported, but once properly processed and packed, it can even attract international markets, like is the case with the dairy industry.
“My people in Nyabushozi started milking a lot of milk—5.3 billion liters per year, yet Ugandans can only consume 800 million liters. What we did was process the milk into different forms and pack it, and now we are exporting to countries like Nigeria, Algeria, and the rest. This is what we want to do with the eggs and the pigs,” he explained.
Speaking to the residents, the President reminded the Kigezi people that the only medicine to poverty is intensive agriculture by using their small portions of land but going for products with high returns under the 4 acre model and the recommended seven activities, which include one acre for coffee, another acre for fruits (mangoes, oranges, and pineapples), another one for food crops for the family (cassava, bananas, Irish potatoes, or millet), and the last one for pasture for dairy cattle (about 8 of them). On top of this, one can add on poultry for eggs in the backyard, piggery and fish farming.
“This is what we have been preaching since 1996, but the people don’t care,” the President noted, adding that the government has been introducing support programs starting with Entandikwa, the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), but people did not pay attention, thus failing to get out poverty.
“We started hearing complaints that our soldiers under OWC are mismanaging the OWC program by extending support to their relatives. We now introduced the PDM and said, Let’s send you the money directly through your parish saccos by giving you shs. 100 million each year. I want to thank you for using this money very well to get out of poverty. Please continue,” President Museveni stated.
He also urged that demanding roads, electricity, and hospitals may not necessarily solve their household income problems, saying that the government can provide tarmac roads, extend electricity, schools, and hospitals, among other infrastructure, but it cannot create wealth for every household.
“Whenever you return home, you will find poverty waiting and warmly welcome you back. So, please, seek first household incomes, and the rest will be added unto you,” the President said.
On her part, Ms. Akampurira welcomed President Museveni to her home and expressed gratitude for the PDM program, which she said has changed her life.
“I heard the president in 2022 when he was launching the PDM to get Ugandans out of poverty. I also said I want to benefit from this money. I started preparing myself by constructing a poultry house,” she narrated.
In September 2023, Ms. Akampurira received shs. 1 million, which later became shs. 990,000 after deduction of bank charge of shs. 10,000. She later spent shs. 375,000 and bought 50 young birds of chicken each at shs. 7500. She used the balance to buy chicken feed and drinking materials.
“After 3 months, I sold each at shs.35,000 and got shs. 750,000 as profits. I later bought 100 layer chicks at shs.3500 each, and in 5 months I started collecting eggs,” Akampulira said, adding that after selling off the grown-up layers, she counted shs. 7,950,000 million as profits. She later added on piggery and sells each pig at shs. 800,000.
“This PDM has really worked for me because I’m selling chicken, eggs, and chicken manure, and I’m now able to pay school fees for my children, some of whom had sat home. Those who got money for the PDM and know what to do must now be rich,” she informed the President.
The Minister of State for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Ariganyira Musasizi, informed President Museveni that over shs. 14 billion has been distributed to the SACCOs in 70 parishes of Rubanda.
Hon. Musasizi, who is also a Member of Parliament for Rubanda East constituency, said the commissioned Mirama-Kabale high-voltage power line will facilitate industrialization in the region. He also engaged President Museveni on the identification of potential investors who can establish an iron ore factory in the region.
The ceremony was also attended by the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, Ministers, Members of Parliament, officials from the PDM Secretariat, and district leaders.
While in Kigezi, the President will visit several PDM beneficiaries, hold a live media interaction, and address public rallies in the sub-region.
Story By PPU
