Kalangala — Leaders and residents of Kalangala District have welcomed engagements on the NRM 2026–2031 manifesto, highlighting peace, livelihood improvement, and sustainable use of natural resources as key priorities for the island community. Addressing gatherings across the Ssese Islands, the leader noted that the area remains generally peaceful but raised concern over cases of theft, particularly on the islands. He assured residents that the matter would be handled firmly to protect lives and property. Transport challenges, especially ferry services, are featured prominently in the discussions. Residents reported that ferries are few and do not operate at night, limiting movement and economic activity. In response, he pledged to investigate the matter and ensure reliable services, recalling that in the past night, travel across Lake Victoria to destinations such as Mwanza and Bukoba was possible. Economic transformation through agriculture also took center stage. The speaker praised the people of Kalangala for embracing palm oil growing, noting that it has significantly improved household incomes and livelihoods. He encouraged residents to diversify further by integrating palm oil farming with cattle rearing, dairy production, and poultry farming to maximize income and food security. On fisheries, fishermen were urged to abandon the capture of juvenile fish and instead adopt sustainable fishing practices to protect the lake for future generations. He further revealed that cage fishing will be reviewed to ensure it genuinely benefits local communities and supports responsible exploitation of aquatic resources.
The people of Kalangala have shown that when peace is combined with the right economic activities, prosperity is possible. Our role is to address the remaining bottlenecks and ensure sustainable development for all, he said.
The engagement reaffirmed the government’s commitment to listening to communities, addressing service delivery challenges, and promoting inclusive growth as part of the NRM’s 2026–2031 agenda.
