President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced that the government will establish a processing factory to add value to eggs, aiming to strengthen the economy, improve nutrition, and enhance food security.
According to the President, egg production is increasing, yet the market remains limited. Instead of selling them raw, which are mostly consumed locally, processing them into powder and liquid form will yield higher prices both locally and internationally.
“We need to establish factories to process these eggs into products such as baby foods and nutritional foods for the elderly and the sick, catering to both domestic and export markets,” he said.
The President made these remarks on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, while visiting Ms Akampurira Evas, a poultry farmer and beneficiary of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Bubare Trading Center, Bubare Sub-county, Rubanda County East, Rubanda District.
President Museveni, who is in the Kigezi sub-region on an assessment tour of the PDM and wealth creation programs, emphasized that while boiled, scrambled, or Rolex-style eggs cannot be exported, properly processed and packaged eggs can attract international markets, similar to the dairy industry.
“My people in Nyabushozi started producing a lot of milk—5.3 billion liters per year—while Ugandans consume only 800 million liters. We addressed this by processing the milk into different products, packaging it, and now we export to countries like Nigeria and Algeria. This is what we want to do with eggs and pigs,” he explained.
Speaking to residents, the President reminded the people of Kigezi that the key to overcoming poverty is intensive agriculture. He urged them to use their small portions of land efficiently by adopting the four-acre model with the recommended seven activities. These include one acre for coffee, another for fruits (mangoes, oranges, and pineapples), one for food crops (cassava, bananas, Irish potatoes, or millet), and the last one for pasture for dairy cattle (about eight of them). Additionally, he suggested incorporating poultry for eggs, piggery, and fish farming.
“We have been advocating for this approach since 1996, but people have not taken it seriously,” the President noted, adding that the government has introduced various support programs such as Entandikwa, the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA), the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC). However, many have failed to capitalize on these initiatives to escape poverty.
“We started hearing complaints that our soldiers under OWC were mismanaging the program by favoring their relatives. So, we introduced the PDM to send money directly to parish SACCOs, allocating shs. 100 million per year. I want to thank you for using this money wisely to escape poverty. Please continue,” President Museveni stated.
He also emphasized that demands for roads, electricity, and hospitals do not necessarily resolve household income challenges. While the government can provide infrastructure, it cannot create wealth for every household.
“Whenever you return home, you will find poverty waiting to welcome you back. So, first seek household income, and everything else will follow,” the President advised.
Ms. Akampurira welcomed President Museveni to her home and expressed gratitude for the PDM program, which she said has transformed her life.
“I heard the President in 2022 when he launched the PDM to help Ugandans escape poverty. I decided to benefit from this initiative and started preparing by constructing a poultry house,” she narrated.
In September 2023, Ms. Akampurira received shs. 1 million, which became shs. 990,000 after a bank charge deduction of shs. 10,000. She spent shs. 375,000 to buy 50 young chickens at shs. 7,500 each and used the balance to buy chicken feed and drinking materials.
“After three months, I sold each chicken at shs. 35,000, making a profit of shs. 750,000. I later bought 100 layer chicks at shs. 3,500 each, and in five months, I started collecting eggs,” Akampurira said. After selling off the grown layers, she counted shs. 7,950,000 in profits. She later ventured into piggery, selling each pig at shs. 800,000.
“The PDM has truly benefited me. I sell chicken, eggs, and chicken manure, and I can now afford school fees for my children, some of whom had been staying home. Those who received PDM funds and invested wisely should now be thriving,” she told the President.
The Minister of State for Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (General Duties), Hon. Henry Ariganyira Musasizi, informed President Museveni that over shs. 14 billion has been distributed to SACCOs in 70 parishes of Rubanda.
Hon. Musasizi, also the Member of Parliament for Rubanda East Constituency, stated that the commissioned Mirama-Kabale high-voltage power line will support industrialization in the region. He further discussed with President Museveni the potential for attracting investors to establish an iron ore factory in the area.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President H.E. Jessica Alupo, Ministers, Members of Parliament, officials from the PDM Secretariat, and district leaders.
During his visit to Kigezi, the President will meet more PDM beneficiaries, hold a live media interaction, and address public rallies across the sub-region.