Alebtong, Uganda | The Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Alebtong, Mathias Lutwama has intensified grassroots engagement across the district, calling on citizens to embrace government economic programs under the Parish Development Model, prioritize environmental preservation, and harness youth potential for long-term socio-economic transformation.
In a series of community mobilization activities held from 5–7 August 2025, Lutwama, accompanied by Assistant RDC Okello Jimmy and respective LC3 Chairpersons, led sensitization drives in three key subcounties, Amugu, Angetta, and Akura, reaching hundreds of citizens in parishes such as Abungatini, Atelelo, and Kayi.
During an engagement in Abungatini Parish, Amugu Subcounty, Lutwama encouraged residents to make full use of the Parish Revolving Fund, which he described as offering the lowest interest rate globally for low-scale farmers.
He noted that UGX 300 million had already been disbursed in the parish, with young people being prioritized during allocation.
He said the youth had responded positively and were now actively participating in political mobilization in support of President Museveni’s leadership.
The sensitization also addressed crop prioritization, with a particular focus on fish farming.
According to the Deputy RDC, villages such as Ali, Adonyi A & B, and Acom were well positioned to benefit from the high profitability of aquaculture in the region.
In Atelelo Parish, Angetta Subcounty, the RDC’s team conducted a community service delivery session at Awalidyer Centre, where they emphasized the importance of proper post-harvest handling and storage techniques, as well as the financial benefits of participating in organized farmer groups.
Lutwama commended the efforts of maize farmers in villages like Teogada, Agamrwot, and Aminoner, stating that the quality of their produce was commendable and suitable for East African markets.
He said proper storage and collective enterprise through farmer groups had become critical for achieving sustained income and gaining competitive access to larger markets.
While meeting with locals of Kayi Parish in Akura Subcounty, Lutwama raised concerns about increasing cases of wetland encroachment.
He advised farmers that although agriculture was a pathway to wealth, it must be practiced within environmentally acceptable limits.
He reminded them that Uganda’s Environment Act prescribed up to 12 years of imprisonment for individuals found guilty of cultivating in protected wetlands.
The same session also focused on identifying high-performing farmers for linkage to larger credit facilities through successful Emyooga groups.
Lutwama explained that the multiplier effect of such loan access could significantly improve household incomes when guided appropriately.
Citing recent demographic data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, which indicates that 74% of Alebtong District’s population is aged 30 and below, Lutwama convened a youth stakeholders’ dialogue in Amugu Town Council to promote economic engagement among the youth.
Following the meeting, 70 young people reportedly joined new or existing enterprise groups, having been inspired by what the RDC described as a message grounded in the aspirations of the NRM Manifesto.
He noted that the youth represented Uganda’s most valuable resource and that his role, alongside government structures, was to help them become productive, self-reliant, and patriotic citizens.
Lutwama said the success of government programs would depend on integrated planning, evidence-based oversight, and consistent communication with the grassroots.
He added that translating policy into real change at parish and village levels remained a core priority for his office and the broader district leadership.
He concluded that the efforts seen over the past week were only a beginning and that continued collaboration with communities would yield even more significant results in the months ahead.
