Leaders in Busoga have unveiled an ambitious strategy to accelerate household income generation and position the sub-region among Uganda’s fastest-growing economies by 2030.
The strategy was launched in Jinja City over the weekend by the Busoga Consortium for Development (BCD), a regional development network seeking to steer Busoga towards middle-income status through commercial agriculture, the Village Development Model, and initiatives that promote agricultural productivity, economic growth, environmental stewardship and social wellbeing.
The BCD Director General, Dr Anthony Mula, said Busoga is the only sub-region operating under a structured long-term transformation blueprint, the Busoga Development Agenda (BDA), which is built around 10 strategic pillars aimed at tackling poverty and underdevelopment. He said the agenda provides a roadmap for coordination in agriculture, education, youth empowerment, industrialisation, infrastructure, technology and international cooperation.
‘The next five years will focus on leveraging regional cohesion to drive agricultural modernisation, value addition, digital learning, youth empowerment and strengthening international trade partnerships,’ Dr Mula said.
He revealed that BCD plans to establish 12 fully operational model villages across Busoga by 2028, with projections of lifting more than 9,000 households out of poverty through organised commercial agriculture and modern production systems. Among the key programmes is a digital teaching initiative due to start this month. The programme is expected to connect at least 50 schools across Busoga to online lessons delivered in real time by specialised teachers.
Dr Mula said the consortium will also expand its school feeding and soya milk initiative to improve learners’ nutrition, attendance and academic performance. In addition, leaders have resolved to strengthen youth skilling and entrepreneurship programmes targeting more than one million young people through local and international partnerships coordinated under Busoga Kingdom and BCD structures.
The Uganda National Household Survey 2023/24 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) showed that more than 7.3 million Ugandans live below the absolute poverty line, earning less than $1 (about Shs3,769) per person per day. The report ranked Busoga as the second hardest-hit sub-region, with 840,700 people living in absolute poverty, after Karamoja’s 937,500. The Third Deputy Prime Minister and chairperson of the BCD ministerial coordination committee, Ms Rukia Nakadama, said Busoga has the potential to become one of Uganda’s leading agricultural and industrial regions if leaders prioritise implementation, accountability and mobilisation of communities towards commercial agriculture.
She urged leaders to embrace government wealth-creation programmes and integrate increased Parish Development Model (PDM) funding with the Village Agriculture Model (VAM) being implemented by BCD. Government plans to increase PDM funding from Shs100 million to Shs200 million per parish. The VAM, launched by Vice President Jessica Alupo in 2024, is currently being piloted in Namayombe Village in Namayingo District, Busana in Kamuli District and Mashaiga in Mayuge District. Ms Nakadama said some villages are already investing in soy growing and poultry projects with support from BCD and China Agricultural University.
Busoga’s cooperation with Chinese institutions has also opened opportunities in agriculture, trade, education and technology transfer. Last November, President Museveni flagged off 11 tonnes of dried chilli from Busoga, making it the first sub-region in Uganda to directly export agricultural produce to China. Meanwhile, leaders from Busoga’s 12 local governments elected Bugiri District LC5 chairperson Davidson Mulumba Kasajja as Governor of the BCD, replacing former Mayuge District LC5 chairperson Bishop Frank Tibagendeka. Iganga District LC5 chairperson Shabiru Isabirye was elected Vice Governor.
Mr Kasajja pledged to promote unity, commercial agriculture and implementation of development programmes to reduce poverty across the sub-region.