President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed leaders of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to step up the fight against corruption and poverty in their communities.

Speaking at the launch of the 1st meeting of the fourth National Conference of the NRM at Kololo Independence Grounds on Monday, the President urged delegates to spearhead economic transformation by mobilizing Ugandans into productive sectors.

“Fight poverty using the four sectors of the economy including agriculture, factories, and services. Fight corruption in your area. To steal PDM money is not good. Don’t allow people to pay for jobs. Trap those people and we arrest them,” Museveni said.

Museveni emphasized that government is committed to infrastructure development, revealing that Shs 1.3 billion is being disbursed annually to every district for road maintenance. “We don’t want to see bad roads,” he noted.

The President further called on leaders to support free education under Universal Primary Education (UPE), which he said remains a cornerstone for lifting families out of poverty.

The Kololo gathering has attracted more than 10,000 NRM delegates, convened to elect new office bearers across various party leagues, including elders, women, youth, workers, entrepreneurs, veterans, and historical members.

According to NRM Electoral Commission chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi, elections for these positions are scheduled for the opening day of the conference.