Poor mindset blamed for persistent poverty in Bunyoro Subregion
Despite possessing valuable resources like fertile land, residents in Bunyoro continue to struggle with poverty
KAKUMIRO, November 13, 2024 – Political leaders in the Bunyoro Subregion have been urged to address the negative mindset that is contributing to high levels of household poverty in the area.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development [MOFPED], the poverty rate in Bunyoro stands at 9.7 percent. Despite possessing valuable resources like fertile land, residents in Bunyoro continue to struggle with poverty, a situation that, according to State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama, is largely driven by a mindset that does not prioritise income-generating activities.
Byamukama made these remarks during a meeting with Resident District Commissioners [RDCs], district chairpersons, and National Resistance Movement [NRM] chairpersons from Kibaale, Kagadi, Kakumiro, and Kikuube districts. The meeting held days ago was a preparatory session ahead of President Museveni’s visit on November 15, during which he is expected to launch the four-acre farming model.
The four-acre model promotes agricultural diversification by dedicating one acre to coffee, another to fruit trees, the third to food crops for household consumption, and the fourth to pasture for livestock.
Minister Byamukama emphasised the critical role of local leaders in shifting the mindset of the people, urging them to encourage both social and economic transformation. He pointed out that the region’s poverty is partly due to a lack of proper guidance and leadership.
“If you are a leader and fail to lead by example, your people will remain poor. The only way to bring about a rapid change in mindset is for us, as leaders, to get actively involved in sensitising the people so that they can participate in economic activities and lift themselves out of poverty,” Byamukama said.
To illustrate the potential success of the four-acre model, Byamukama took fellow leaders on a tour of his Kamanyire Four-acre Model Farm, which he said generates Shs 70 million every month. The farm includes over 20,000 poultry, bananas, coffee, more than 100 pigs, and six dairy cows. President Museveni is scheduled to visit this farm as part of his upcoming tour, before officially launching the campaign to promote four-acre model in Bunyoro.
Byamukama expressed hope that the four-acre model would help local people with small plots of land overcome poverty, particularly through the government’s Parish Development Model [PDM], which aims to transition rural households into the money economy.
On his part, Amlan Tumusiime, the RDC of Kikuube District, emphasized that the four-acre model will not only help reduce poverty but also address food insecurity. He urged small-scale farmers to avoid planting sugarcane on their limited land, suggesting that sugarcane cultivation should be reserved for larger plots.
“If we can mobilise people with small pieces of land and show them how they can make money using the four-acre model, we can help them move away from growing sugarcane and make more productive use of their land,” Tumusiime said.
Maj. David Matovu, the RDC of Kakumiro District, praised President Museveni’s initiative, calling the four-acre model a potential “magic bullet” for the region’s socio-economic transformation. He noted that if the local population embraces the model, they will be able to generate wealth and improve their standard of living.
Meanwhile, Peter Banura, the Kikuube district LCV Chairperson noted that the promotion of the four-acre model comes at a pivotal time, as Bunyoro is experiencing significant oil and gas development activities. He pointed out that embracing this farming model could enable the region to produce and supply food to the workers in the oil and gas sector.
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