BY OUR REPORTER
The Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Manager, SPA Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has launched a countrywide seed distribution exercise aimed at supporting farmers with planting inputs as the rainy season begins.
The initiative kicked off in Maddu Town Council, Gomba District, and is designed to equip farmers with seeds and other agricultural inputs while encouraging communities to refocus on production now that the election period has ended.
Speaking to farmers and local leaders amid heavy rainfall, Namyalo, popularly known as Museveni’s “Chief Muzzukulu,” noted that farmers had endured prolonged drought conditions that had disrupted agricultural output and affected household livelihoods. She explained that the ONC had scaled back some of its empowerment activities during the election season but was now redirecting attention toward work, production, and improving household economic wellbeing.
“We have finished the election period and now it is time for work,” Namyalo told the gathering, urging farmers to make full use of the rains to return to their gardens and boost production.
She said the ONC had provided maize and bean seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs to support farmers through the planting season, and called on beneficiaries to use the inputs as intended and to work collaboratively to translate the support into higher yields and improved incomes. She added that agriculture remains a key pathway for strengthening household incomes, particularly when farmers have access to timely inputs and make the most of the planting season.
Namyalo also called for greater unity among farmers and local leaders, stressing the need for communities to work together to maximise the benefits of government and other development interventions. Her remarks came as local leaders urged that the empowerment programme be expanded beyond agriculture to include practical skills training and equipment to help young people and women start income-generating ventures.
NRM Chairperson for Maddu, Julius Kibirige, commended Namyalo for prioritising farmers in the area, noting that the town council comprises 19 villages in need of interventions to improve household incomes. He pointed to Greater Maddu’s continued support for the NRM and President Yoweri Museveni, and appealed for the community to also benefit from skilling programmes and stronger economic support — including greater access to vocational training and women’s empowerment initiatives such as sewing machines and other equipment to help women launch small businesses.
Maddu Town Council Mayor, Alali Muhiirwa Kabaleega, also thanked Namyalo for extending agricultural support to local farmers, while calling for increased attention to youth empowerment through equipment such as popcorn-making machines, bricklaying tools, salon equipment, and sewing machines to help young people create their own employment opportunities. He echoed calls for residents to take advantage of the rains to resume productive work, stating that with the political season over, focus should now shift to production and economic development. “The political season is now over; it is now time for working,” he said, calling for unity among residents regardless of political differences.
Responding to these appeals, Namyalo said the agricultural support would be complemented by additional empowerment interventions, including equipment for welding, bricklaying, and other vocational activities. She urged local leaders to help identify community members who are willing and able to make productive use of the equipment, stressing that empowerment programmes should target individuals committed to building sustainable livelihoods rather than simply distributing resources without follow-through.
The planned interventions are expected to expand the ONC’s empowerment agenda beyond agricultural support to include vocational skills training and small-scale enterprise development, with particular focus on youth and women.
The seed distribution drive comes as farmers across Uganda prepare their gardens for the new planting season, with access to quality inputs remaining essential to sustaining agricultural production nationwide.