This morning, I arrived in the United Arab Emirates to join His Majesty William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, the Kyabazinga of Busoga, in Dubai for the celebration of his 12th Coronation Anniversary. The colourful celebration is being held at the Mövenpick Hotel, Dubai, and has been organised by the Basoga in the diaspora to honour the Kyabazinga and celebrate his reign and leadership. His Majesty's 12-year journey on the throne of Busoga has been marked by unity, cultural restoration, and a strong commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Busoga and Uganda at large. I am honoured to join the Basoga community and well-wishers in the diaspora for this historic milestone that celebrates our rich culture, heritage and the enduring institution of Obwa Kyabazinga bwa Busoga. I once again congratulate His Majesty @KingNadiopeIV upon this great achievement and pray that the Almighty God continues to grant him wisdom, good health and many more years of impactful leadership. For God and my country!

Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu and other well-wishers beyond Uganda.   I have seen the millions of messages congratulating me on my 82nd birthday, led by my nuclear family members—Maama, Muhoozi, Natasha, Patience, Kyaremeera and those of my wider family of the NRM, the other Ugandans, the East Africans and those beyond East Africa. Thank you so much.   My social-media handler, Precious Kamwiine, told me that there were 8 million such messages. I thank God for the 82 years. I thank God for the peace in Uganda and the progress—agriculture, oil, other minerals, factories, etc. The present unreliable rains are a reminder that we should not take nature for granted. Those in the wetlands or forests or other protected areas, must get out so that we keep the treasure God gave us.

On a special note, I wish to extend my deepest and most sincere gratitude to the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Hajjat Rukia Isanga Nakadama; the Attorney General, Hon. Dr. Sam Mayanja; and all Honourable Ministers who graciously honoured me with their presence at my Thanksgiving Ceremony. Your presence was not merely an honour; it was a profound demonstration of love, unity, solidarity, and fellowship. Despite your demanding national responsibilities, you took the time to join me in giving thanks to Almighty God for His faithfulness and blessings in my life. Your presence touched my heart deeply and will remain a cherished expression of your kindness and support. I am profoundly humbled and grateful for your compassion, warmth, friendship, and unwavering support. You did not simply attend a ceremony; you came to stand with me as a sister, a colleague, and a member of the wider family of public servants. Your gesture of solidarity is deeply appreciated, and I shall forever treasure the honour and encouragement you accorded me on this special occasion. May the Almighty God richly reward you for your kindness, bless and preserve you and your families, and continue to guide, strengthen, and elevate you in your service to our beloved nation, Uganda.

President Yoweri Museveni has urged Busoga communities to embrace wealth-creation programmes and adopt productive forms of agriculture suited to the size of their landholdings as a means of overcoming household poverty. DETAILS🔗newvision.co.ug/category/new… #VisionUpdates

Yesterday, I was honoured to host His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda, Gen. (Rtd.) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as the Chief Guest at my Thanksgiving ceremony held at Iringa Township Primary School in Buyende District. The Thanksgiving ceremony was organised to thank Almighty God for the gift of life, to express my sincere appreciation to H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for entrusting me with ministerial responsibilities for more than one term, and to reaffirm my commitment to serving the people of Budiope West Constituency and Uganda at large. During the ceremony, I commended H.E. the President for the visible development taking place in Buyende District. I particularly highlighted the significant improvements in the road network and the introduction of the new ferry, which has eased water transport, strengthened trade, and improved connectivity for communities along the lakeshores. I further expressed my sincere gratitude to H.E. the President for reaffirming the construction of the Ambercoat–Mbulamuti–Kamuli–Bukungu Road and for pledging to construct a memorial classroom block at Iringa Township Primary School. I also welcomed his pledge to provide a milk tank and cooling facility to support and promote dairy production in Buyende District. I thanked H.E. the President for his guidance on the management of fishing activities on our lakes, particularly his directive that fishing be managed by indigenous communities, as well as his pledge to provide financial support of more than Shs1 billion for the initiative, based on a case study. I also expressed my appreciation to H.E. the President for directing the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Hajjat Rukia Isanga Nakadama, together with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, to handle the compensation process for persons affected by the gazetted area for the proposed nuclear power plant at Kasaato, Buyanja Sub-County, Buyende District. Following H.E. the President’s departure, I continued with the programme by donating eight (8) brand-new motorcycles to religious leaders—four (4) to Seventh-day Adventist pastors and four (4) to Born-Again pastors—to facilitate their movement as they spread the Word of God across Budiope West Constituency. In addition, I distributed 200 mattresses to elderly women and men as part of my efforts to support their welfare and improve their living conditions. I also distributed hand-operated tractors, which I had lobbied for from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), to five (5) SACCOs at the sub-county level. The equipment will support agricultural mechanisation and contribute to increased production and productivity among our farmers. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to H.E. the President, my fellow Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, Resident District/City Commissioners, their Deputies and Assistants, NRM leaders, the SDA fraternity, the people of Budiope, religious leaders, and all well-wishers for graciously honouring my invitation and gracing the occasion. I remain deeply grateful for the continued support, trust, and encouragement. I reaffirm my unwavering commitment to serving the people with dedication, humility, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility. For God and My Country!

Today, I attended the Thanksgiving Ceremony hosted by Hon. Minister Babalanda @millybabalanda in Buyende District. The ceremony was graced by the Chief Guest, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni @KagutaMuseveni , President of the Republic of Uganda.

I joined my dear Sister and Colleague Minister for Presidency @millybabalanda as she celebrated her election victory today in Buyende. I thank H.E the President @KagutaMuseveni for officiating as Chief Guest and for sensitizing us on wealth creation as always.

Today, I joined the people of Buyende for the Thanksgiving of Hon. Milly Babalanda. I congratulated her and the leaders of Busoga for their work and thanked the Seventh-day Adventist Church for its continued support. I reminded the people of Busoga that the key to overcoming household poverty is wealth creation. They should use their land according to its size and embrace enterprises such as dairy farming, poultry, fish farming and other productive activities, while making proper use of PDM funds. We must move from subsistence to commercial production. The opportunities are there in agriculture, services, ICT and manufacturing.

This afternoon, I received the outgoing High Commissioner of India to Uganda, H.E. Upender Singh Rawat, at State House Entebbe. We discussed strengthening Uganda-India cooperation in science, technology and digital transformation, including the National Payment Switch and technology transfer. I was also pleased with the progress of the National Forensic Sciences University in Jinja, established through our cooperation with India. I wish him well as he concludes his tour of duty and thank him for his contribution to strengthening the friendship between Uganda and India.

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Yesterday, I held a media briefing at a joint radio talk show broadcast across Busoga radio stations, during which I invited all Busoga leaders and Basoga to join me for my Thanksgiving Ceremony on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at Iringa Township P/S, Nkondo Sub-County, Buyende District. I honourably informed my friends, constituents, supporters, and well-wishers that the event will be graced by H.E. President Gen. (Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the Chief Guest. The occasion that will begin as early as 7:00am with prayers, will provide me with an opportunity to thank God and express gratitude for his mercy and favour upon my life thus far. I will also use the occasion to appreciate H.E. President Yoweri @KagutaMuseveni for continuing to entrust me to serve him and my country as Minister for the Presidency. I will also thank the people of Budiope West for electing me to represent them as their MP in the 12th Parliament, as well as the wider Busoga fraternity for the support extended to me throughout my political and public-service journey. During the briefing, I called upon all political, cultural, religious and opinion leaders from Busoga, as well as all Basoga, friends and well-wishers from across the country, to join me on Wednesday for my event, and further called upon leaders across Busoga to work together in the interest of the people they represent; emphasising the importance of unity, coordination and a common purpose in advancing the development aspirations of the Busoga sub-region. I urged Busoga leaders to use the Thanksgiving as an opportunity to collectively thank the President for his leadership and to present outstanding pledges and development concerns in an organised, coordinated and constructive manner, speaking with one voice on issues affecting the people of Busoga. I also reminded the people of Busoga that H.E. President Museveni’s presence at the Thanksgiving will be an occasion of significance not only for me and Buyende but also for the wider Busoga sub-region. I also reiterated government programmes and development initiatives supporting household incomes and socio-economic transformation, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), the Emyooga 4-acre model and other wealth-creation programmes, alongside infrastructure development. Preparations for the event are already underway, with organising committees at district and sub-county levels working closely with local leaders to coordinate the programme and ensure a peaceful and successful celebration. At its heart, the occasion will be a celebration of faith, gratitude, unity, service and development—an opportunity for the people of Busoga to come together, reflect on their shared aspirations and strengthen collective efforts towards the continued transformation of the Busoga sub-region. For God and my country!

Dear friends, I wish to inform you that the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Gen. @KagutaMuseveni, has granted an official burial to the fallen former Minister of Gender and Kumi Member of Parliament during Uganda’s Fifth Parliament, Hon. Albina Opio. Accordingly, the N.O.C are engaging with the bereaved family to organise a befitting send-off for the late Hon. Albina Opio. Our deepest condolences go to the family, friends, former colleagues in Government and Parliament, the people of Kumi, and Ugandans at large. May the soul of Hon. Albina Opio rest in eternal peace. BMB

Today, I joined the people of Busoga to mark the 12th Coronation Anniversary of the Kyabazinga, His Royal Highness William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV at Mayuge District Headquarters, under the theme; "Strengthening Our Cultural Norms and Values for Development." In my address to thousands of fellow Basoga, I expressed sincere gratitude to His Royal Highness Gabula for sending a delegation led by the Prime Minister of Busoga Kingdom, Dr. Joseph Muvawala Nsekere, to represent the people of Busoga at the burial of the late His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro. I also thanked His Royal Highness for visiting Budiope West Constituency on 09th September 2026, where he launched the construction of school dormitories and a kitchen at Kitaidhumba Community Primary School, distributed cocoa seedlings, and advised the people of Budiope to grow coffee and cocoa as long-term cash crops. I commended him for championing youth skilling initiatives across Busoga, an effort that emulates and complements the Presidential Skilling Hubs initiated by H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. In line with Government's efforts to increase household incomes, I encouraged Basoga to take advantage of the different wealth-creation programmes, including the Youth Livelihood Programme, Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM), and the Four-Acre Model as viable pathways out of poverty. I rallied the people of Busoga to participate in the 4th Edition of the Busoga Prayer Week for all denominations, organised by the Busoga Consortium for Development to pray for Busoga and our country Uganda, scheduled to take place from Monday 21st to Saturday 26th September 2026. I further mobilised the people of Busoga to join me on Wednesday, 23rd September 2026, at Iringa Township Primary School, Nkondo Sub-County, Buyende District, as we welcome H.E. the President to officiate at my Thanksgiving ceremony. Congratulations to His Royal Highness William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV @KingNadiopeIV upon your 12th Coronation Anniversary. Long live His Majesty! For God and my country!

Yesterday, I had the honour to officiate at the fundraising ceremony of the DAFAT & NIMO Youth Development Group and Catering Services in Buwenge Town Council, Jinja District. This was a notorious group of youths who had been used by some political actors in Jinja to perpetrate all kinds of violence, which culminated in the tragic death of two people during the shooting incident in Buwenge in the course of the LC1 elections. When H.E. the President @KagutaMuseveni delegated me to convey his sympathies to the bereaved families, I established the root cause of the problem. I subsequently engaged some of these youths and counselled them to reform and embrace a more constructive path. I was pleased to note that they came up with a community-driven development initiative focused on offering services to the people of Jinja and earn a living. This is the spirit of innovation and self-reliance that our nation needs. In my remarks, I conveyed warm greetings from H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, the Secretary to the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, and the entire staff of the Office of the President. I commended the leadership of Jinja District for prioritizing youth empowerment. The youths are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also partners in development today. I thanked the members of DAFT & NIMO for heeding H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s call for hard work as a pathway out of household poverty. By establishing an initiative that seeks to transform their own lives, they have demonstrated patriotism and responsibility, and I thank them for supporting the NRM Government’s transformation agenda. I also applauded the security team of Jinja District for restoring sanity in Buwenge Town Council through mindset-change meetings aimed at curbing criminality. I urged the district leadership to maintain a cordial working relationship with the security agencies and to put behind the differences that emerged during the general elections, in the interest of unity and development. I urged the youth who did not have the opportunity to attain formal education to embrace vocational and practical skills that can transform their livelihoods. Wealth creation and formal education are not the same; what matters is productivity and discipline. In line with Government’s efforts to eradicate poverty, I encouraged the youths to take advantage of wealth-creation programs including the Youth Livelihood Program, Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM), and the 4-Acre Model. I called upon the youth of Buwenge to desist from drug and substance abuse, noting that responsible citizenship and national service require sobriety, discipline, and focus. I also urged women to work hard and not merely wait for support from men. When women become economically empowered, we are able to transform our families, our communities, and the national economy at large. I further appealed to parents to stop sending children to work in sugarcane plantations at the expense of their education. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and to build a better future. As a gesture of support to their development initiative, I contributed 5 million shillings to the DAFAT & NIMO Youth Development Group and Catering Services. For God and My Country.

When we took over Government in 1986, we entrusted administration to technocrats. However, it took a Kenyan Senator to alert me that Uganda was buying petroleum products through middlemen in Kenya. Unbelievable! After intervention, Diesel has come down from USD118 to USD83 per metric tonne, Petrol from USD97.5 to USD61.5 and Aviation fuel from USD114.25 to USD79.25. Today, I broke ground for the 320-million-litre Kampala Storage Terminal in Mpigi. As we develop our petroleum resources, we must strengthen our strategic reserves. I am also happy that H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan sent a delegation as we work with Tanzania and the rest of East Africa to strengthen our petroleum security.

I thank the people of Mpigi for protecting the ekifunjo (papyrus swamp). This is how God made Uganda, and we should keep it that way. We must also find better ways of managing waste, including incineration, which can generate electricity.

Today, I opened a high-level conference for Diaspora and Forced Migrant Communities, held under the theme “Bridging Worlds: Diaspora & Forced Migrants for Shared Prosperity", at the Office of the President Conference Hall in Kampala. The conference brought together heads of diplomatic missions, senior government officials, representatives of diaspora and forced migrant communities, and civil society organisations. In my address, I conveyed warm greetings from His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, and the entire staff of the Office of the President. I called upon Ugandans in the diaspora to move beyond remittances and invest their skills, technology and capital back home, saying Uganda needs them for its next phase of economic transformation. I reiterated that migration is ultimately about people and their search for hope and a better life, noting that the government remains committed to protecting the rights and dignity of every Ugandan, whether at home, abroad, or returning home. I reiterated that Uganda's hospitality is demonstrated by its open-door policy to refugees, which has earned us a global reputation as Africa’s largest refugee-hosting country. This demonstrates the character of our people: we know what it means to need a helping hand, and we believe every person deserves dignity. I appealed to forced migrants whose stay has not been regularized to work with relevant authorities to regularize their status in accordance with Ugandan law. I also cautioned members of the Diaspora to respect Uganda’s laws, just as we expect Ugandans living abroad to respect the laws of their host countries,” she cautioned. I reaffirmed the government's commitment to Ugandans in distress abroad, citing recent interventions to rescue and repatriate Ugandans from exploitation in South Africa and rehabilitation of thousands of returnees at NALI-Kyankwanzi with start-up and resettlement support. I also emphasized the diaspora's critical role in Uganda's development, with Ugandans working outside the country having remitted home approximately USD 2.8 billion (more than Shs 10 trillion) in the twelve months leading up to March 2026. This was an increase from USD 1.9 billion recorded the previous year. I, however, challenged Ugandans in the diaspora to think beyond remittances but also focus on transferring knowledge, technology, skills, partnerships and investments from abroad back home. I also highlighted the Office of the President's facilitation of the Office of the President Diaspora Affairs headed by Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi's importance in coordinating the Diaspora Affairs office with other MDAs to ensure meaningful diaspora participation in the development agenda of H.E. President Yoweri @KagutaMuseveni. For God and my country!

I spent the day in Adjumani, where I first paid my respects to our brother, the late Gen. Moses Ali, at his grave. I paid tribute to him as a wise man and patriot who understood that Uganda’s politics must be about prosperity, not tribe and religion. I also called on our people to remain united.