By Nathan Eyagu

Soroti City - The National Resistance Movement (NRM) leadership in Soroti City has embarked on a renewed drive to boost urban growth and business development, following its first consultative meeting with the city’s business community held at Mongil Hotel on Friday.

The meeting, chaired by Enomu John, the NRM City Chairperson, brought together traders, entrepreneurs, and local leaders to discuss strategies aimed at improving infrastructure, promoting industrialization, and strengthening collaboration between the business community and government.

In his address, Enomu underscored the importance of unity and collective effort in building a prosperous Soroti City, urging residents to focus on growth rather than blame.

“Let’s grow our city, develop it, and make it a great one for all of us. The President has done a lot—let’s not blame him. Money comes, but our leaders have become too relaxed,” he said.

He highlighted several ambitious development priorities, including the construction of a modern stadium to stimulate business activity, and the creation of a city bypass to decongest roads and prevent traffic-related disasters.

“Our roads are too small. Imagine a fuel trailer getting into an accident—many lives could be lost. A bypass would save lives and improve traffic flow,” Enomu emphasized.

Addressing the health sector, he revealed plans to construct a new regional referral and teaching hospital on 50 hectares of land donated by Soroti University. He noted that the current city hospital, built in 1993 with a capacity of 100 patients, is now overstretched due to population growth.

In addition, Enomu shared NRM’s vision to upgrade the Soroti Flying School into a fully operational airport, a move expected to ease transport, attract investors, and enhance business connectivity in the Teso sub-region.

He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to establishing an industrial park in Soroti City to create jobs for young people and reduce crime.

“We have land but no factories. Once industries come, our youth will have jobs, earn an income, and crime will decline,” he noted.

Enomu encouraged the business community to organize themselves into formal associations with strong leadership structures to benefit from government programs and support.

He concluded by urging traders and business owners to support NRM candidates in the upcoming elections, saying they would act as effective voices for the business community in decision-making platforms.

The consultative meeting marked a significant step in the NRM’s ongoing efforts to engage directly with the private sector and reaffirm its commitment to developing Soroti City into a vibrant regional economic hub.