President Museveni Rallies Kiruhura, Kazo Farmers Towards Profitable Zero-Grazing Dairy Farms

KIRUHURA; President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged residents in the cattle corridor to abandon traditional free-range grazing and adopt intensive, commercial dairy farming as a pathway to greater household wealth and national prosperity.

Addressing thousands of residents at Nyakasharara playground in Kiruhura District on Friday, President Museveni said the vast rangelands in Kiruhura, Kazo and the wider cattle corridor remain underutilized under traditional practices.

He argued that zero grazing and other modern, high-yield systems would unlock far higher productivity and incomes.

“You people of Kiruhura, Kazo, and the entire cattle corridor, thank you for responding to our message on working and grazing cows for wealth creation. But do not stop,” he said. “Free-range grazing wastes land. On one square mile, you manage only 130 cows. With zero grazing, the same land can sustain thousands.”

The President, who was accompanied by First Daughter Pastor Patience Rwabwogo, said the cattle corridor has the potential to become Uganda’s largest milk-driven economic hub if households fully commercialize production.

He cited several model farmers who have built highly profitable enterprises on small pieces of land.

He singled out Joseph Ijala, a former taxi driver running an integrated 2.5-acre farm with 10,000 layer chickens and a zero-grazing dairy unit.

Ijala collects about 310 trays of eggs daily and earns over Shs 3 million per day, plus milk sales that push his monthly income to about Shs 6.8 million.

“Ijala keeps eight cows on one acre. If that were a square mile, he would keep over 4,000 cows,” Museveni said, urging farmers in the cattle corridor to replicate such intensive practices.

He also highlighted the example of Richard Nyakaana of Kana Farm in Kabarole District, who operates on 1.2 acres, producing eggs, milk, feed and manure.

With just six cows, Nyakaana produces about 120 litres of milk per day and earns approximately Shs 20 million in annual profit.

Another model farmer, George Matongo from Ngoma in Nakaseke District, produces more than 900 litres of milk per day despite operating far from tarmac roads and electricity.

Museveni said Matongo’s estimated Shs 21 million monthly earnings demonstrate that wealth comes from enterprise and mindset, not from physical infrastructure alone.

The President reiterated that since the mid-1980s, the NRM government has worked to move Ugandans into the money economy, later introducing the four-acre model to guide families on viable commercial enterprises.

He encouraged residents to grow pasture for zero grazing, noting that Kiruhura, already one of Uganda’s leading milk-producing districts, can further increase output through intensification.

He stressed the distinction between public development and private wealth, saying government will continue to provide roads, electricity, schools and health facilities, but families must take responsibility for generating their own incomes.

“Development is for all of us, but wealth is yours as a family,” he said, pointing to the growth of industrial parks that are providing jobs for thousands of Ugandans.

Museveni also reviewed service delivery in Kiruhura, noting that the district has 74 government primary schools, 165 private primary schools, 7 government secondary schools and 11 private secondary schools.

On health, he announced that Akayanja Sub-County will receive a new Health Centre III to address service gaps.

In neighbouring Kazo District, the President emphasized that peace and unity remain the foundation of Uganda’s progress, crediting the NRM government for ending sectarian divisions and building strong security institutions.

He outlined key infrastructure achievements, including roads linking Lyantonde, Kiruhura, Kazo, Ibanda, Kamwenge and Fort Portal.

He assured residents that more services would be delivered, including water from Katonga and the upgrade of Kazo Health Centre IV to hospital status.

He further revealed that construction of the road through Kyegegwa and Hapuyo would commence soon following agreements with Chinese partners.

Museveni used the rallies to again underscore the difference between development and personal wealth, urging citizens to embrace commercial agriculture and improved animal husbandry.

He encouraged large-scale animal feed production and other high-output practices, saying Uganda’s strength in coffee and milk offers a solid base for prosperity.

“Uganda is fortunate to have abundant coffee and milk. Our farmers are already benefiting, and we no longer import milk from Kenya,” he said, attributing the improved performance in agriculture partly to government interventions such as Operation Wealth Creation.

He further cited job creation in industrial parks, noting that Mbale Industrial City employs about 12,000 people, while Namanve Industrial Park provides work for more than 44,000 Ugandans.

The President concluded by calling on NRM supporters and all residents in the cattle corridor to remain focused on wealth creation at household level, saying this is the surest route to sustainable prosperity.