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29 August 2025
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI HOSTS US AMBASSADOR H.E WILLIAM W. POPP

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today hosted the Ambassador of the United States of America (USA) to Uganda, H.E William W. Popp at State Lodge, Nakasero. The two leaders engaged in fruitful discussions on trade, bilateral relations, and followed up on the President’s recent phone conversation with the U.S. Secretary of State, His Excellency Marco Rubio. Also in attendance were Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

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28 August 2025
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI REITERATES NRM’S MESSAGE ON POVERTY ERADICATION AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reiterated his call to Ugandans to embrace the National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s message on poverty eradication at household level. This, he said, will enable the nation to achieve the highly desired socio-economic transformation. “There are still 33% of the Ugandan households, who are still trapped in subsistence farming i.e. they work for the stomach only. This is dangerous in the modern era, where all goods and services needed to sustain life must be bought with money,” he said. The President made the remarks today in his message delivered by the Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilization also State House's Deputy Spokesperson, Haji Faruk Kirunda during the 12th Anniversary of Busoga Farmers’ Resource Centre celebrations in Namutumba District. According to President Museveni, the government has put in place the necessary conditions to ensure the profitability of the enterprises that would enable Ugandans to create wealth. “The necessary conditions include the good roads, electricity, peace and security; integration of the Ugandan market to the regional, African and international markets; pursuing policies that favour the private sector, etc,” he noted. “However, these economic advantages, that the NRM has created, must be translated into jobs and wealth for the households, in order for this development to be meaningful. The Parish Development Model and the wealth funds, are aimed at increasing the number of wealth creators engaged in production.” President Museveni further commended the founder of Busoga Farmers Resource Centre, Pastor Dauson Musasizi for his visionary leadership that has enabled the centre to develop and stay active for all those years. “He has been able to inspire the believers to not only work to go to heaven; but also, to work towards achieving prosperity while on earth. It is important to note that human beings have both spiritual and physical needs. The Churches and the other places of worship i.e. Mosques, etc., cater for people’s spiritual needs,” he said. “There are also physical needs for food, water, shelter, medicine, hospitals, schools, clothes, transport, jobs, etc. In a modern economy, you cannot obtain the goods and services, which are necessary to sustain life, without money.” He explained that money-lessness is solved by undertaking a profitable enterprise in one of the four sectors of: commercial agriculture, industries, services and ICT. “These are the four sectors where you can create jobs and wealth. Therefore, I am happy to note that Pastor Dauson Musasizi is following the NRM line of pursuing both spiritual ends and the physical ends. In the process of working for heaven, some of the faithful become negligent about their earthly responsibilities and thereby end up perpetuating poverty in their homes,” he said. “If we have spiritually seen the light, then we must do the same economically. We cannot see the spiritual light yet stay in economic darkness. Jesus Christ left a good example. He was deeply religious; but, also earned his living by working alongside his father, Joseph as a carpenter. He worked for both the spiritual and socio-economic uplift of his family and society. This is what all Christians must emulate.” On the other hand, Haji Kirunda delivered a Shs30 million donation from President Museveni to Pastor Musasizi. On his part, Pastor Musasizi thanked President Museveni for his able leadership and commitment to uplifting the lives of Ugandans through wealth creation interventions. He also revealed that due to their productive work in the agriculture sector, the centre was last year awarded as the best organic farm in Uganda. “Every product you see here on the farm is organic. Even on Labor Day, I was given a medal by H.E the President due to my impact in the agriculture sector,” he said. He also urged leaders to encourage the people to take part in agriculture for purposes of food security and making money out of it. Apostle Alex Mitala expressed gratitude to Pastor Musasizi for his life-changing project impacting on Ugandans. “Those who know us well, know that we don't believe in laziness, we believe in hard work, that's why we are here to celebrate with Pastor Dauson for this milestone,” he said. “It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to sensitize people for a positive outcome and Pastor Dauson has been able to do so.” Mr. Byentaka Tony, Agricultural Engineer- Namutumba, who represented Dr. Apollo Musita, the District Production Officer, said the production department has been in close cooperation with the farm especially during the last four out of the 12 years of existence. “We predicted a viable, sustainable and diversified farm production in the near future. The farm’s steady transformation has been largely determined by the practically oriented and well-focused host farmer Pastor Musasizi. He has been very effective at seeking any possible knowledge and advice from both technical and local farming stakeholders,” he said. “In addition to technical support, the department is planning to provide a large-scale hatchery for boosting poultry production as a demonstration to the local farming community.” Busoga Farmers Resource Centre is a mixed farm located at Namboote village, Nsinze sub county, Namutumba District and it was started in 2013 by Pastor Musasizi out of desire to be an exemplary pastor not depending on offertory. What started as a small project on two acres has now emerged as a mindset change centre where people from Uganda and outside countries come to benchmark on the one-acre and four-acre model. Once a year, a big agriculture camp is hosted at the centre where many come to see and learn, especially those in the Pentecostal circles. Now seated on 40 acres, the centre is envisioned to develop into a university of applied agriculture.

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27 August 2025
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI MEETS NIPPON FOUNDATION OFFICIALS

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today welcomed a delegation from the Nippon Foundation at State House Entebbe. The Nippon Foundation is Asia’s leading grant-maker, based in Japan and cooperating with stakeholders of all levels around the world to confront social challenges. The team was led by Mr. Isao Iijima, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Takeju Ogata, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation. They are in Uganda to commemorate the launch of the Rehabilitation Center for veterans in Mubende District. The Nippon Foundation contributed USD 500,000 towards the construction of the center and the provision of equipment to support soldiers who lost their limbs in combat. Mr. Ogata noted that the Foundation has worked in Uganda for over 40 years, particularly in agriculture and social development, and pledged continued cooperation to strengthen Uganda’s resilience in the face of climate change and other challenges. President Museveni commended the Government of Japan for its long-standing partnership with Uganda, citing its support in building the Nile Bridge and in the road sector. He also praised Mr. Iijima for mobilizing recent donations, which included 2,000 sewing machines from Japanese companies which were donated to veterans and women groups, as well as fire trucks, ambulances, physiotherapy equipment, and prosthetic materials to benefit veterans and women’s groups. The President further appealed to Japan to expand trade ties with Uganda. “What we need most is for Japan to buy our products. We would like to trade with you, and we also wish that Japan removes taxes from our exports,” he said. The Rehabilitation Center project is being implemented with support from the Government of Japan and the Nippon Foundation.

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27 August 2025
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI ENDORSED AS NRM FLAG BEARER AND NATIONAL CHAIRMAN AHEAD OF 2026 ELECTIONS

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially accepted and welcomed his endorsement as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential flagbearer for the 2026 general elections and as National Chairman of the ruling party for the 2025–2031 term. The endorsement, which came unopposed, was announced on Wednesday 27 August, 2025, during the first meeting of the fifth NRM National Conference held at the Kololo Independence Grounds, attended by more than 23,000 delegates from across the country. Accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataha Museveni, the President expressed gratitude to the party and its structures for entrusting him with the leadership mantle once again. “I thank you for entrusting me to be your Chairman of the NRM for the period 2025–2031. Thank you so much,” President Museveni told the gathering. “Thank you for electing me as your flag bearer for the presidential contest for the position of President of Uganda for 2026–2031. I will not let you down. We have got more capacity now than ever before,” he added. He further praised the masses of NRM members across the country, the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the National Executive Council (NEC), and the National Conference delegates for supporting his expression of interest in both positions. The Secretary General of the NRM, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, informed delegates that the party’s top organs, including the CEC and NEC, had unanimously endorsed President Museveni as the sole presidential flag bearer for the 2026 general election. “The Central Executive Committee and the National Executive Council strongly recommended and endorsed His Excellency General (Retired) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the NRM presidential flag bearer, unopposed,” Rt. Hon. Todwong stated. Similarly, the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, declared President Museveni unopposed for both the NRM National Chairperson and Presidential flag bearer positions. “On behalf of the NRM Electoral Commission, I now present to the conference the candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the position of Presidential flag bearer,” Dr. Odoi announced, to resounding applause. Alongside President Museveni’s endorsement, Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo was also re-elected unopposed as the First National Vice Chairperson of the NRM. H.E. Museveni congratulated him, describing him as a “senior cadre of the NRM who has served the party since 1980.” The President also extended congratulations to the newly elected leaders of various NRM party positions. However, he offered a word of caution and advice. “I congratulate you, but I want to give you advice. Be the leaders who solve the solvable problems, and the people will love you. But don’t carry the population on your head. Lead them by using government resources, not your own money. This is where corruption comes about, by trying to fund everything, yet you don’t even have enough money,” H.E. Museveni cautioned. The conference marked a pivotal moment in Uganda’s political calendar, with delegates choosing the leaders who will steer the party through the next five years. A historical and economic reflection: President Museveni also took delegates through a detailed reflection on Uganda’s economic history, from colonial times to the present, highlighting the transformation achieved under the NRM since 1986. He noted that at independence in 1962, Uganda’s economy was narrowly based on six key exports—the “3Cs” (Coffee, Cotton, Copper) and the “3Ts” (Tea, Tourism, Tobacco). This enclave economy covered just 9% of homesteads, leaving 91% of Ugandans in subsistence farming. By the time Idi Amin’s regime collapsed in 1979, cotton, copper, tea, and tourism had collapsed, leaving only coffee and tobacco “limping on.” The economy had been reduced to informal survival mechanisms like magendo (smuggling), kibaanda (forex black market), and kusamula (speculation). The NRM, he said, took on the task of reviving the economy through five distinct phases: Minimum Economic Recovery—restoring collapsed sectors and reforming the economy, Expansion of the Enclave Economy—boosting production of coffee, tea, tourism, etc., Diversification—commercializing subsistence crops like maize, bananas, milk, beef, cassava, and sugarcane, Value Addition—processing raw materials locally to increase earnings and jobs—and Knowledge Economy—moving into sectors such as ICT, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and automobile production. “As a result, Uganda’s GDP has grown from USD 3.9 billion in 1986 to USD 66.1 billion (forex method) and USD 188 billion (PPP method) by the close of the 2025/2026 financial year. The economy of Uganda has expanded 17 times since 1986, despite the corruption and disorientation of some of the actors,” President Museveni said. He projected a qualitative leap towards a USD 500 billion economy, anchored on peace, infrastructure, wealth creation, jobs, services, and markets. The President outlined seven guidelines towards Uganda’s continued progress: peace, development, wealth, jobs, services, markets, and political federation. He emphasized that peace was the foundation of prosperity and cautioned Ugandans to resist electoral friction, noting that the NRM has delivered 40 years of peace, a feat unmatched since pre-colonial times. “Without peace, you cannot create prosperity, which is number one of our historical missions. Through correct politics, emphasizing interests (business, markets, services, etc.) instead of identity (tribes, religious sectarianism, gender chauvinism). This has enabled us to unite our people politically and create strong national institutions such as the army, political parties, police, etc.,” President Museveni said. About Wealth (Obugaiga), President Museveni urged Ugandans to focus on four sectors, namely commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT. Citing success stories like Ijala Joseph of Serere, who earns UGX 1.4 billion annually from just 2.5 acres, President Museveni insisted that wealth creation starts at the family level and later expands to create jobs that stem from wealth creation, not government payrolls. “Government jobs are only 480,000. Factories and commercial farming have created more jobs than the government. Uganda has 40 million acres of arable land, and even if 7 million acres are put to use, the country could generate 500 million jobs,” he said. Regarding strategic security, President Museveni warned that while prosperity was necessary, it was not sufficient for strategic security. With major global powers advancing into space and dominating in four dimensions (land, air, sea, and space), Uganda alone could not match them. “Even when Uganda becomes developed, can it be present in these four dimensions? My answer is no. Africa needs political integration to ensure strategic security,” he remarked. He hailed the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) as a step toward prosperity but emphasized that the East African political federation would consolidate both economic growth and security, leveraging shared language and cultural similarities, especially through Swahili. Al-Hajji Kigongo, congratulated President Museveni upon his unopposed endorsement, pledging continued loyalty and service to the party. “Allow me to congratulate you upon the nomination,” Alhajji Kigongo said. “I’m very happy and thank you very much for what you have done ever since you came here. Thank you for giving us a chance to continue serving this country. We’re not going to let you down.” The conference attracted a broad spectrum of Ugandan leaders and international guests. Among those present were the Vice President of Uganda, H.E. Jessica Alupo Rose Epel; the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among; the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa; the Second National Vice Chairperson, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga; the Prime Minister, Rt.Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, and her Deputy Prime Ministers; former Ugandan leaders, including ex-Vice Presidents Gilbert Bukenya and Edward Ssekandi; Members of Parliament; members of the CEC; among others. International delegations included representatives from Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, China, and the Saharawi Republic, High Commissioners and Ambassadors.

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26 August 2025
COL. NAKALEMA URGES HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

The Head of State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema has today met and held constructive discussions with the leaders of government agencies at SHIPU offices in Kampala. The follow up meeting that preceded the first one held last week, aimed at further laying out strategies on how to strengthen collaborative efforts between agencies to ensure effective service delivery to the people of Uganda. “The continuation of this conversation remains focused on how our collaborative efforts as public sector executives deliver value to all citizens that sustains transformation of households,” she stated. Col. Nakalema made a passionate appeal to them to effectively use their positions to bolster their collaboration that will lead to the transformation of societies in Uganda. “As SHIPU whose mandate rests on coordinating MDAs, my appeal to you is to exploit this exclusive platform to reinforce institutional collaboration that will breed transformational gains for the populace,” she stated. The leaders of government agencies who attended the meeting included Dr. Barirega Akankwasah the Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Mr. Mugabe Robert of Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Dr. Patrick Birungi the Executive Director of Uganda Development Corporation(UDC), Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Eng. Kaijuka Kenneth, the Chief Executive Officer of National Housing and Construction Company Ltd., Dr. Bruce Kirenga of Makerere University, Dr. Chris Mukiza of Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Mr. Osborn Turyasingura of the National Secretariat for Special Interest Groups. According to Col. Nakalema, the leaders of government agencies have to account to the citizens of Uganda what the government has done for the population as well as indicate what plans they have for the socio-economic development of the country. She blamed the unawareness of the government's achievements by the masses to poor communication. “A lot of achievements have been registered by the government for the people of Uganda, but communication has not been very effective to highlight these gains,” Col. Nakalema asserted. She encouraged them to utilize the maximum Radio Stations that she said remain one of the widest dispensation tools, social media, Televisions and various groups to declare their accountability to the masses and also to inform the people of the government's achievements. Participants, therefore, agreed to use every avenue in their disposal to state the accountability of their institutions, plans and also to change the mindset of the people of Uganda, especially the youth, to deeply get involved in activities tailored at accelerating the socio-economic development of the country that will eventually lead to the transformation of their lives.

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25 August 2025
PRESIDENT MUSEVENI TO NRM DELEGATES: FIGHT POVERTY AND CORRUPTION, BUILD THE MONEY ECONOMY

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today opened the 1st Meeting of the 4th National Conference of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, rallying delegates to focus on discipline, fight poverty and corruption, and ensure every Ugandan household joins the money economy. Accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataha Museveni, the President who is also the National Chairman of the NRM, addressed thousands of delegates from across the country gathered to elect special interest group representatives and chart the Movement’s future direction. The conference will see the election of leaders representing the youth, elderly, workers, and persons with disabilities, among others. In his address, President Museveni expressed delight at the youthful composition of many of the newly elected delegates, describing it as a healthy sign of generational renewal within the Movement. He urged them to uphold the NRM’s principles of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, democracy and socio-economic transformation, while taking the party’s vision deeper into households across Uganda. The President took delegates on a reflective journey of Uganda’s economic transformation under the NRM, tracing progress from the days of “minimum recovery” to what he now describes as the country’s “take-off stage.” He recalled the difficult years when Ugandans lacked basic commodities such as sugar, salt, and soap, noting that those days were about mere survival. He explained that Uganda later expanded its economy through cash crops like coffee and tea, diversified into other sectors, and is today producing higher-value products. President Museveni pointed to recent milestones such as the manufacture of vehicles through Kiira Motors, the establishment of vaccine production facilities, and the rise of ICT as evidence that Uganda has firmly entered its industrial age. “We are no longer in recovery; Uganda is in the take-off stage. We are now manufacturing our own cars, producing vaccines, and building an ICT-driven economy,” President Museveni said. Turning to household wealth creation, the President stressed that Uganda’s long-term stability rests on every family joining the money economy. He recalled that in 2013, about 68 percent of the population was still outside the money economy, but recent figures show that 67 percent are now participating. He said the government’s target is to ensure that no family is left behind. To illustrate his point, President Museveni cited the example of Joseph Ijaara, a farmer in Serere who uses a small piece of land to achieve high returns through commercial agriculture. He explained that Uganda’s money economy rests on four pillars — agriculture, industry, services, and ICT — and urged delegates to help their communities embrace at least one of these sectors. “In the past, towns were only filled with shops, but today we are building towns of factories where people work and earn. That is the NRM difference,” he said. The President challenged leaders to return to their communities with a clear mission of tackling the issues that directly affect ordinary Ugandans. “What I want you to take from here is simple: fight poverty in your families, fight corruption — don’t allow people to eat Parish Development Model (PDM) money. Insist that the police fight crime, and where they fail, report them,” he stressed. President Museveni also underlined the importance of social services as the foundation of transformation. On health, he noted progress in the fight against malaria and immunization campaigns but criticized the persistent theft of drugs, which undermines treatment. He reaffirmed the government's plan to expand safe water access to villages across the country. On infrastructure, President Museveni revealed that each district receives UGX 1.3 billion annually to maintain murram roads, stressing that the funds must be properly used. On education, President Museveni made one of his strongest commitments of the day: ensuring free education in government schools. He argued that since parents overwhelmingly prefer government schools, fees must be abolished to allow every child access to quality education. “Once the NRM is voted again, we shall insist on free education in all government schools. Support me so we can fully implement it,” he said. NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong also addressed the gathering, reminding delegates that the NRM is a Movement bigger than any individual and that leadership must always be seen as service, not self-enrichment. He urged them to embody discipline, sacrifice, and responsibility in their work, stressing that elections may come and go, but the Movement and the people remain. Dr. Tanga Odoi, the Chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission, promised to deliver free and fair elections of leaders of special interest groups and the subsequent elections that will follow in the coming days.

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01 September 2025
UGANDA IS NOT HOMOPHOBIC; WE ARE ONLY AGAINST THE DELIBERATE PROMOTION OF THIS DEVIANT BEHAVIOR

On 15th August 2025, four of their colleagues attacked them accusing them of promoting homosexuality tendencies amongst the student community. School administration was quick to react, and the four boys weren’t harmed in any way. Since then, some human rights defenders have castigated government making all manner of accusations. The saddest accusation was that Uganda is beginning to weaponize the Anti Homosexuality Act 2023. On May 2, 2023, the Parliament of Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, which had been returned to parliament for more improvement. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni accented to the bill. Hell broke loose largely from the Global North, which was calling the leadership in Uganda all manner of names. World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the withdrawal of their support, and more sanctions were being planned until President Donald Trump assumed office as President of the USA and things changed dramatically. To them, curtailing the promotion and funding of LGTBQ campaigns within our communities is to commit gross human rights abuses like committing genocide. For the record, Uganda and Ugandans are not homophobic. For clarity’s sake, Ugandans have never killed their few homosexuals that exist within their communities. In fact, they treat them as unfortunate people with deviant behavior and then manage them with care and sympathy. The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 is intended to manage homosexuals in a way that can lead to rehabilitation and restoration. The Act, more importantly, curtails the deliberate campaign of spreading homosexuality among our children. For some time now, some entities from the Western world were funding the promotion of this vice among our poor and vulnerable communities using many uncouth approaches. They take advantage of our poor and needy communities, where they will throw some money, but with clear conditions that the recipients must promote LGBTQ campaigns among our people especially children. Of course, this behavior is not in our norms, and those assigned to promote it on behalf of the global community tend to land into problems that are at times fatal. The values of a society are significant because they determine the contents of its norms, which help maintain social order. Each value has a corresponding norm, or put differently, all norms express social values. Every individual, every family, and indeed, every society has principles and standards that are appreciated and held in high regard, as well as those that are abhorred. In fact, the main social challenges Uganda is facing are drug abuse by the youth and not homosexuality, i.e., alcoholism and drug consumption. However, Uganda has put in place laws and regulations to handle such challenges. Our Penal Code offers effective punitive measures to curtail such challenges. Besides, there are institutions and organizations that are professionally and technically equipped to counsel and guide such victims. Rehabilitation centers have been put in place. There are some that are run by the government and others by private organizations. They tackle such victims of abuse. Butabika National Referral Hospital has been expanded and equipped to handle victims of drug abuse. Therefore, it is not right for human right defenders to keep throwing themselves around with condemnations every time we take decisions that are meant to protect our social values. As a country, we took firm resolutions to refuse the idea of promoting the Gay Agenda to be part of our human development. To those that thought that by freezing us out of their development loans, we would bend on our knees and repeal the Anti homosexuality Act, must have now realized that that was a wrong idea. It is years now down the road and we are going strong economically. Finally, it is a wrong belief among our Western friends to think that to be civilized and humane is to swallow the Western way of life; to be barbaric and cruel is to be non-western. There is a racist tinge in this cultural rhetoric that presents the particular as universal. It echoes the spread of Christianity during the colonial encounter: African religions were called satanic. To have faith was to be Christian. As Africans, we have no identity except as carbon copies of "Western men." The Western effort to shape African nations and societies in their own image is written all over the place for everybody to see. While many Western actors in these endeavors genuinely believe they have our best interests at heart, and while they have many local allies who share their vision, they are not any different from their colonial ancestors who came here claiming to spread the three Cs: Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization. These efforts to shape us according to their fancies show contempt for our uniqueness. Africa needs to be given space to shape its future. The writer is the Acting Executive Director Uganda Media Centre

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30 August 2025
CDF, TAME ERRANT OFFICERS MISUSING SOLDIERS AND FIRE ARMS IN ELECTIONS

As the next election campaign season approaches, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba should reign in on UPDF Generals, and senior officers, serving and retired, who misuse personal guards to meddle in civil elections. Often, these officers who have connections with military installations around the country obtain unofficial soldiers who they deploy in support of their friends or relatives who are candidates. Without appearing to bad-mouth the UPDF, some are said to be on for hire by politicians in election campaigns. It is unclear how the UPDF reached this low point. In the just concluded NRM internal elections we witnessed such illegal deployments of UPDF soldiers in Busia, Gulu, Butaleja and Sembabule districts where they obstructed candidates, their supporters, and police officers on duty. There was a recently retired General from Karamoja who was so notorious in Busia where police officers were so hapless in the face of his bullying. Earlier, the country had watched in consternation and embarrassment when UPDF got overtly involved including the deployment of heavy military war hardware in the Kawempe North parliamentary bye-election, and act that dented NRM support and image too. Like the ongoing cracking of the whip on suspected corrupt officers including several Generals now in custody as investigations roll, errant behaviour by soldiers in civilian elections is bringing the UPDF into disrepute. For avoidance of any doubt, the official known role of the UPDF in securing stability including during elections is not contested. It is also imperative, that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abbas Byakagaba, provides strong and professional leadership and guidance to his officers and men so they can have confidence while in command to calmly withstand bullying and intimidation by these soldiers on illegal personal errands. A timid police officer in command, but unsure of his own orders, trembling and sweating in their uniform before an errant army officer, or irate politician, is a recipe for chaos during an election season, particularly bad on polling day. Similarly, over-board conduct by police officers, especially the District Police Commanders (DPCs) who sometimes take over the role of election officers upon being bribed by candidates, to announce the winners, must be checked. But as the old adage goes, “it takes two to tangle,” and so to have a clean election season, we the politicians, especially candidates and supporters must check ourselves as a collective. While election politics is emotive, in Uganda today, it seems that anything goes, violence, intimidation, blackmail, open bribery, and extortion are all wrapped-up in the name of freedom and democracy. Free speech is a cornerstone of democracy, but we have taken political rabble rousing down the line of slander and defamation against rivals in contests. Harmonization meetings often descend into shouting matches, or break-up even before they start, and so no mutual ground rules to govern the campaigns. Abrasive conduct by candidates and supporters even against the police, law enforcement officers and election officials has become normalized, and so few respect the rules, yet surely Uganda is not a jungle. And with opposition activists on a hostile confrontational path, emboldened by the open mischievous conducts of some elements within NRM, it is hard to see how a trajectory of respect for common rules will be engendered. The NRM is a huge party whose heart beats, but with a weak pulse because those at the centre probably do not feel or believe that they are powerful enough. To bring back discipline in the electoral process, my one pence proposal is that the NRM Secretary General, Richard Todwong, should hand every flagbearer a golden rule on election misconduct. In this era of capricious digital warriors playing by their own rules and constantly conveying mischief, the NRM must, as of necessity, be more alert and two steps ahead to deliver a cleaner election.

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23 August 2025
MUSEVENI, NRM CONFERENCES AND PROTECTING UGANDA’S GAINS OF FORTY YEARS

It has been three months of non-stop political activities in Uganda as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) undertook internal electoral renewal of leaders from the villages to national level that is concluding this coming week with the holding of its National delegates Conference. Hopefully, the vetting will weed out the chaff from the wheat so that NRM restores clean leadership that serves the country purposefully and diligently. NRM last held internal elections in 2015, and skipped 2020 due to the COVID19 global pandemic. The meetings, and conferences began on Wednesday this week with the Central Executive Committee (CEC), its apex organ vetting candidates for national offices including President Yoweri Museveni as presidential flagbearer for the 2026 elections. In open-dirty war, is Speaker Emeritus Rebecca Kadaga, on CEC for two decades seeking to maintain her seat, while the current, Annet Anita Among seem determine to inherit the throne. CEC was followed by the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of eight hundred delegates among them all NRM MPs, NRM and local government Chairpersons and the top leadership at the party Secretariat. Tomorrow 24,845 delegates will swamp Kampala to participate in series of elections to choose national leaders of the eight different leagues comprising Elders, Women, Youths, Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), Workers, Veterans, Entrepreneurs, and Historicals which takes place on Monday. At the conclusion of these elections, the delegates will then participate in the two-day National Conference that will end on 28 August 2025 at Kololo Independence Grounds. These events should provide many opportunities, if not windfall, especially for the middle and lower business communities in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso as NRM delegates whose pockets will be healthy, courtesy of the party, seek accommodation, food, entertainment, transport, and local tourism. Mid-week, NRM unveiled a new portrait of a younger-looking Yoweri Museveni, that will be used for the forthcoming presidential campaigns. Some critics were quick to jeer and sneer, although in the NRM we shall brush it off as being driven mainly by jealousy of potential political bad-losers. Alongside the presidential candidate’s portrait, NRM also launched its forthcoming election campaign theme “Protecting the Gains,” of the last four decades under President Museveni. Over this period, NRM political activities have dominated the ground, media landscape and opinion narratives, which in public relations practice is good. NRM also now seems to have put aspects of election fiasco neatly behind, especially with non-dramatic ways in which its election tribunal handled and disposed off the hundreds of petitions. And maybe, NRM leaders at the top could start considering overall evaluation of its internal elections, including the possibility of amend its constitution to down size its structure, revert to electoral college, and revert to secret ballot elections. With these elections NRM now has close to three million six hundred leaders countrywide, which, if put to effective use should deliver a credible and convincing electoral victory come 12 January 2026. These numbers could also keep in touch with population, mobilize for better uptake of government programs for socio-economic transformation, supervise and monitor effective implementation, and as well detect and curtail corruption incidences early enough, but alas. NRM, could thus, leave its many opponents and detractors including the opposition parties as mere sulking spectators with no credible direction or agenda of their own, although some of them may soon begin to menacingly swing their hockey butts aimlessly. And of course we look forward in disdain to their self-false pompousness as they seek political validation. Nevertheless, as we look towards the nominations for president and parliament by the Justice Simon Byabakama Mugyenyi Electoral Commission, slated in early October for next year’s general elections, NRM as a vanguard party, holding a revolutionary, liberation, emancipation and transformative agenda, must keep to the high expectations it gave Ugandans when it assumed leadership four decades ago.

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16 August 2025
RUNNING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION CAMPAIGN ON A THIN BUDGET

Three months ago when I declared my intention to run for parliament, one UPDF General called me up to say he was sending five million shillings to kick-start my election campaigns for MP Older Persons Eastern Region. He kept his word on the dot. Next, a senior minister called to say his political assistant would deliver three million shillings the next day, and he too kept his word. By the third day since declaration that I was running to get the NRM flag at the national delegates conference due between August 22-28, another senior minister delivered five hundred liters of diesel, and so my campaign got rolling in a non-stop roller coaster. I have so far done all the forty districts, seven municipalities and six city divisions that constitute the Eastern Region electoral area stretching from Jinja to Kaberamaido, Kapelebyong, Katakwi to the hills and valleys of Sebei, Bugisu and Bukedi. Ministers, MPs, NRM comrades, and friends, many of them also running their own election campaigns, keep dropping in some small amounts, mostly what Americans would call small donations, ensuring that my campaign trail does not get glitches.in the last week of July, a senior police officer delivered five million shillings and offered one hundred liters of diesel for the five weeks to the end of elections. Must of the money received has been spent on basic items directly related to the elections like transport cost for self, personal staff, delegates, meeting venues, coordination, publicity and refreshments. I have been able to meet nearly all the delegates in face-to-face consultations at their respective districts. For some, I traveled to their homes where we have had meals with their families. The experience has been so refreshing especially getting to know people up-close. Because of my recent farming activities in Kapelebyong, Teso region seem to treat like a wonderful son of the soil. The thirty-nine years I have been in NRM affairs, starting with being a military trainer and political education lecturer at our institutions, work in journalism, and media, have given me an illustrious name, voice and face recognition that there is no single district NRM I have not found people who already know me. Most of them believe and say I would make a good MP, advocate for Older Persons issues, and indeed strengthen the NRM voice in parliament, but whether they will deliver, will be tested on polling day. In every region and district, I found volunteers among our NRM older persons league committees, who on account of the silence and dumbness of the incumbent, believe it is time to change for a strong, bold, loud and consistence advocacy, lobbying and forward planning for older persons. It is important that we stop treating parliamentary seats for special interest groups (SIGs) as ‘welfare’ for the office-holders as seems to be today, in the case of older persons. We should utilise these seats to boldly raise the voice of older persons especially on health, welfare, sustainable income and security of personal property particularly for the most vulnerable who are increasingly becoming fewer in Uganda’s decision-making platforms. The younger people who constitute the majority in policy-making positions ought to be persuaded to know they will one day become old, vulnerable, and in need of government support unless they plan their personal lives adequately. This election campaign has exposed me to the deep ordeals older persons silently suffer from, and many eventually get buried into the earthly dust without even their own close associates knowing, and it is painful. There is urgent need to start brooding specialised attention to this category of Ugandans especially considering that free labour from relatives and community is becoming scarce as people pay more attention to things that bring income to their households rather than charity.

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13 August 2025
THE WAR ON TERROR IS OURS TO LOSE; THE UN EXPERT REPORT WON’T DERAIL OUR MOMENTUM

In July 2025, the UN team of experts on the conflict in DR Congo presented a report to the president of the UN Security Council alleging that Uganda and Rwanda were supporting the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. M23, is a rebel movement fighting the regime in Kinshasa and have since taken control of a big area of the Kivu provinces in Eastern DR Congo. This rather unfortunate report made far-fetched allegations totally unsubstantiated and full of hearsays. The deployment of UPDF in DR Congo for the Operation Shuja seem to have made it easier for the UN investigators to make many misrepresentations. For the record, Uganda’s deployment in DR Congo was agreed on by the two governments i.e. DR Congo and Uganda and the mandate to be there has been continuously renewed by the government of DR Congo. As a result, the war on terrorism has picked momentum ever since we made the decision to follow the ADF in the jungles of eastern DRC in Dec 2021. Peace has since been established in that region and Congolese are back to their homes going on with their lives. The ADF terrorists weren’t only pausing a threat to Uganda through regular cross border attacks, they were committing genocide on the helpless Congolese citizens in the Ituri Province. Therefore, no amount of UN noise is going to stop Uganda’s war on terror, be it in DR Congo or beyond. Similarly, the UPDF in recent weeks has been engaged in bitter battles with the Al shabaab terrorists in Somalia. Reports coming in indicate heavy losses on the part of Al Shabab. They are losing ground and towns that they had recaptured ever since troop contributing countries downsized their numbers or withdrew completely like Burundi did from now phased out Africa Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2022. This famous quote from former US president could give us a more enriched perspective. “These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against us because we stand in their way. We're not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They're the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies”, President George Bush Junior. This was his speech to the nation 9 days after the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the US. The moral value of this famous quote is that any country worthy of its name must be firm and decisive in dealing with terrorism within its borders and beyond. The hunt for these ADF terrorists therefore has been stretched beyond our borders. As we speak the Uganda Peoples Defense Force ( UPDF) together with the DR Congo national force, FARDC are in Ituri province of eastern hunting down the ADF terror outfit and will eliminate them once and for all however long it takes. Defeating terrorism requires both regional and international cooperation and now that Uganda has both, we can only count days before we extinct these criminals. Cooperation in such operations is so critical. ADF is no longer a rag tag rebel outfit in the jungles of DR Congo. It is now fully allied to international terrorist group of ISIS. When ADF terrorist struck in the middle of Kampala in November 2021, the ISIS publicly claimed victory over the operation. Caution should be made to some of our Western allies who have been hoodwinked by some phony human rights organizations that quite often derail such firm approaches to defeat terrorism. Unfortunately, they tend to find allies in some quarters both within political opposition and their funders in the outside world. For example, some have already begun castigating Uganda’s security agencies on its firmness while handling these criminals. No country has defeated terrorism with kid gloves. Be it the USA, UK, France, Russia, China etc. These countries have had to take strong decisive decisions to counter such terror organizations and those who sponsor them. Finally, no amount of misleading reports from any quarter should derail this struggle. The UPDF record talks for itself. When the NRA which later morphed into UPDF were liberating Uganda from the hands of tyrants, they only relied on Ugandans who clearly understood their cause. After all, the world knows what some African countries especially in West and Central Africa are reaping from not taking firm decisions while handling terrorists. Terrorists threaten our collective security and we must collectively as Africans handle this threat to reaffirm our territorial integrity. Short of that we can only prepare for the worst. The writer is the Acting Executive Director Uganda Media Centre

National News

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PRESIDENT MUSEVENI HOSTS US AMBASSADOR H.E WILLIAM W. POPP

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today hosted the Ambassador of the United States of America (USA) to Uganda, H.E William W. Popp at State Lodge, Nakasero. The two leaders engaged in fruitful discussions on trade, bilateral relations, and followed up on the President’s recent phone conversation with the U.S. Secretary of State, His Excellency Marco Rubio. Also in attendance were Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi, Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

2025-08-29

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PRESIDENT MUSEVENI REITERATES NRM’S MESSAGE ON POVERTY ERADICATION AT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reiterated his call to Ugandans to embrace the National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s message on poverty eradication at household level. This, he said, will enable the nation to achieve the highly desired socio-economic transformation. “There are still 33% of the Ugandan households, who are still trapped in subsistence farming i.e. they work for the stomach only. This is dangerous in the modern era, where all goods and services needed to sustain life must be bought with money,” he said. The President made the remarks today in his message delivered by the Special Presidential Assistant on Press and Mobilization also State House's Deputy Spokesperson, Haji Faruk Kirunda during the 12th Anniversary of Busoga Farmers’ Resource Centre celebrations in Namutumba District. According to President Museveni, the government has put in place the necessary conditions to ensure the profitability of the enterprises that would enable Ugandans to create wealth. “The necessary conditions include the good roads, electricity, peace and security; integration of the Ugandan market to the regional, African and international markets; pursuing policies that favour the private sector, etc,” he noted. “However, these economic advantages, that the NRM has created, must be translated into jobs and wealth for the households, in order for this development to be meaningful. The Parish Development Model and the wealth funds, are aimed at increasing the number of wealth creators engaged in production.” President Museveni further commended the founder of Busoga Farmers Resource Centre, Pastor Dauson Musasizi for his visionary leadership that has enabled the centre to develop and stay active for all those years. “He has been able to inspire the believers to not only work to go to heaven; but also, to work towards achieving prosperity while on earth. It is important to note that human beings have both spiritual and physical needs. The Churches and the other places of worship i.e. Mosques, etc., cater for people’s spiritual needs,” he said. “There are also physical needs for food, water, shelter, medicine, hospitals, schools, clothes, transport, jobs, etc. In a modern economy, you cannot obtain the goods and services, which are necessary to sustain life, without money.” He explained that money-lessness is solved by undertaking a profitable enterprise in one of the four sectors of: commercial agriculture, industries, services and ICT. “These are the four sectors where you can create jobs and wealth. Therefore, I am happy to note that Pastor Dauson Musasizi is following the NRM line of pursuing both spiritual ends and the physical ends. In the process of working for heaven, some of the faithful become negligent about their earthly responsibilities and thereby end up perpetuating poverty in their homes,” he said. “If we have spiritually seen the light, then we must do the same economically. We cannot see the spiritual light yet stay in economic darkness. Jesus Christ left a good example. He was deeply religious; but, also earned his living by working alongside his father, Joseph as a carpenter. He worked for both the spiritual and socio-economic uplift of his family and society. This is what all Christians must emulate.” On the other hand, Haji Kirunda delivered a Shs30 million donation from President Museveni to Pastor Musasizi. On his part, Pastor Musasizi thanked President Museveni for his able leadership and commitment to uplifting the lives of Ugandans through wealth creation interventions. He also revealed that due to their productive work in the agriculture sector, the centre was last year awarded as the best organic farm in Uganda. “Every product you see here on the farm is organic. Even on Labor Day, I was given a medal by H.E the President due to my impact in the agriculture sector,” he said. He also urged leaders to encourage the people to take part in agriculture for purposes of food security and making money out of it. Apostle Alex Mitala expressed gratitude to Pastor Musasizi for his life-changing project impacting on Ugandans. “Those who know us well, know that we don't believe in laziness, we believe in hard work, that's why we are here to celebrate with Pastor Dauson for this milestone,” he said. “It takes a lot of hard work and commitment to sensitize people for a positive outcome and Pastor Dauson has been able to do so.” Mr. Byentaka Tony, Agricultural Engineer- Namutumba, who represented Dr. Apollo Musita, the District Production Officer, said the production department has been in close cooperation with the farm especially during the last four out of the 12 years of existence. “We predicted a viable, sustainable and diversified farm production in the near future. The farm’s steady transformation has been largely determined by the practically oriented and well-focused host farmer Pastor Musasizi. He has been very effective at seeking any possible knowledge and advice from both technical and local farming stakeholders,” he said. “In addition to technical support, the department is planning to provide a large-scale hatchery for boosting poultry production as a demonstration to the local farming community.” Busoga Farmers Resource Centre is a mixed farm located at Namboote village, Nsinze sub county, Namutumba District and it was started in 2013 by Pastor Musasizi out of desire to be an exemplary pastor not depending on offertory. What started as a small project on two acres has now emerged as a mindset change centre where people from Uganda and outside countries come to benchmark on the one-acre and four-acre model. Once a year, a big agriculture camp is hosted at the centre where many come to see and learn, especially those in the Pentecostal circles. Now seated on 40 acres, the centre is envisioned to develop into a university of applied agriculture.

2025-08-28

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PRESIDENT MUSEVENI MEETS NIPPON FOUNDATION OFFICIALS

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today welcomed a delegation from the Nippon Foundation at State House Entebbe. The Nippon Foundation is Asia’s leading grant-maker, based in Japan and cooperating with stakeholders of all levels around the world to confront social challenges. The team was led by Mr. Isao Iijima, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Takeju Ogata, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation. They are in Uganda to commemorate the launch of the Rehabilitation Center for veterans in Mubende District. The Nippon Foundation contributed USD 500,000 towards the construction of the center and the provision of equipment to support soldiers who lost their limbs in combat. Mr. Ogata noted that the Foundation has worked in Uganda for over 40 years, particularly in agriculture and social development, and pledged continued cooperation to strengthen Uganda’s resilience in the face of climate change and other challenges. President Museveni commended the Government of Japan for its long-standing partnership with Uganda, citing its support in building the Nile Bridge and in the road sector. He also praised Mr. Iijima for mobilizing recent donations, which included 2,000 sewing machines from Japanese companies which were donated to veterans and women groups, as well as fire trucks, ambulances, physiotherapy equipment, and prosthetic materials to benefit veterans and women’s groups. The President further appealed to Japan to expand trade ties with Uganda. “What we need most is for Japan to buy our products. We would like to trade with you, and we also wish that Japan removes taxes from our exports,” he said. The Rehabilitation Center project is being implemented with support from the Government of Japan and the Nippon Foundation.

2025-08-27

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PRESIDENT MUSEVENI ENDORSED AS NRM FLAG BEARER AND NATIONAL CHAIRMAN AHEAD OF 2026 ELECTIONS

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officially accepted and welcomed his endorsement as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Presidential flagbearer for the 2026 general elections and as National Chairman of the ruling party for the 2025–2031 term. The endorsement, which came unopposed, was announced on Wednesday 27 August, 2025, during the first meeting of the fifth NRM National Conference held at the Kololo Independence Grounds, attended by more than 23,000 delegates from across the country. Accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataha Museveni, the President expressed gratitude to the party and its structures for entrusting him with the leadership mantle once again. “I thank you for entrusting me to be your Chairman of the NRM for the period 2025–2031. Thank you so much,” President Museveni told the gathering. “Thank you for electing me as your flag bearer for the presidential contest for the position of President of Uganda for 2026–2031. I will not let you down. We have got more capacity now than ever before,” he added. He further praised the masses of NRM members across the country, the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the National Executive Council (NEC), and the National Conference delegates for supporting his expression of interest in both positions. The Secretary General of the NRM, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong, informed delegates that the party’s top organs, including the CEC and NEC, had unanimously endorsed President Museveni as the sole presidential flag bearer for the 2026 general election. “The Central Executive Committee and the National Executive Council strongly recommended and endorsed His Excellency General (Retired) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the NRM presidential flag bearer, unopposed,” Rt. Hon. Todwong stated. Similarly, the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, declared President Museveni unopposed for both the NRM National Chairperson and Presidential flag bearer positions. “On behalf of the NRM Electoral Commission, I now present to the conference the candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the position of Presidential flag bearer,” Dr. Odoi announced, to resounding applause. Alongside President Museveni’s endorsement, Al-Hajji Moses Kigongo was also re-elected unopposed as the First National Vice Chairperson of the NRM. H.E. Museveni congratulated him, describing him as a “senior cadre of the NRM who has served the party since 1980.” The President also extended congratulations to the newly elected leaders of various NRM party positions. However, he offered a word of caution and advice. “I congratulate you, but I want to give you advice. Be the leaders who solve the solvable problems, and the people will love you. But don’t carry the population on your head. Lead them by using government resources, not your own money. This is where corruption comes about, by trying to fund everything, yet you don’t even have enough money,” H.E. Museveni cautioned. The conference marked a pivotal moment in Uganda’s political calendar, with delegates choosing the leaders who will steer the party through the next five years. A historical and economic reflection: President Museveni also took delegates through a detailed reflection on Uganda’s economic history, from colonial times to the present, highlighting the transformation achieved under the NRM since 1986. He noted that at independence in 1962, Uganda’s economy was narrowly based on six key exports—the “3Cs” (Coffee, Cotton, Copper) and the “3Ts” (Tea, Tourism, Tobacco). This enclave economy covered just 9% of homesteads, leaving 91% of Ugandans in subsistence farming. By the time Idi Amin’s regime collapsed in 1979, cotton, copper, tea, and tourism had collapsed, leaving only coffee and tobacco “limping on.” The economy had been reduced to informal survival mechanisms like magendo (smuggling), kibaanda (forex black market), and kusamula (speculation). The NRM, he said, took on the task of reviving the economy through five distinct phases: Minimum Economic Recovery—restoring collapsed sectors and reforming the economy, Expansion of the Enclave Economy—boosting production of coffee, tea, tourism, etc., Diversification—commercializing subsistence crops like maize, bananas, milk, beef, cassava, and sugarcane, Value Addition—processing raw materials locally to increase earnings and jobs—and Knowledge Economy—moving into sectors such as ICT, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and automobile production. “As a result, Uganda’s GDP has grown from USD 3.9 billion in 1986 to USD 66.1 billion (forex method) and USD 188 billion (PPP method) by the close of the 2025/2026 financial year. The economy of Uganda has expanded 17 times since 1986, despite the corruption and disorientation of some of the actors,” President Museveni said. He projected a qualitative leap towards a USD 500 billion economy, anchored on peace, infrastructure, wealth creation, jobs, services, and markets. The President outlined seven guidelines towards Uganda’s continued progress: peace, development, wealth, jobs, services, markets, and political federation. He emphasized that peace was the foundation of prosperity and cautioned Ugandans to resist electoral friction, noting that the NRM has delivered 40 years of peace, a feat unmatched since pre-colonial times. “Without peace, you cannot create prosperity, which is number one of our historical missions. Through correct politics, emphasizing interests (business, markets, services, etc.) instead of identity (tribes, religious sectarianism, gender chauvinism). This has enabled us to unite our people politically and create strong national institutions such as the army, political parties, police, etc.,” President Museveni said. About Wealth (Obugaiga), President Museveni urged Ugandans to focus on four sectors, namely commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT. Citing success stories like Ijala Joseph of Serere, who earns UGX 1.4 billion annually from just 2.5 acres, President Museveni insisted that wealth creation starts at the family level and later expands to create jobs that stem from wealth creation, not government payrolls. “Government jobs are only 480,000. Factories and commercial farming have created more jobs than the government. Uganda has 40 million acres of arable land, and even if 7 million acres are put to use, the country could generate 500 million jobs,” he said. Regarding strategic security, President Museveni warned that while prosperity was necessary, it was not sufficient for strategic security. With major global powers advancing into space and dominating in four dimensions (land, air, sea, and space), Uganda alone could not match them. “Even when Uganda becomes developed, can it be present in these four dimensions? My answer is no. Africa needs political integration to ensure strategic security,” he remarked. He hailed the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) as a step toward prosperity but emphasized that the East African political federation would consolidate both economic growth and security, leveraging shared language and cultural similarities, especially through Swahili. Al-Hajji Kigongo, congratulated President Museveni upon his unopposed endorsement, pledging continued loyalty and service to the party. “Allow me to congratulate you upon the nomination,” Alhajji Kigongo said. “I’m very happy and thank you very much for what you have done ever since you came here. Thank you for giving us a chance to continue serving this country. We’re not going to let you down.” The conference attracted a broad spectrum of Ugandan leaders and international guests. Among those present were the Vice President of Uganda, H.E. Jessica Alupo Rose Epel; the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among; the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa; the Second National Vice Chairperson, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga; the Prime Minister, Rt.Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, and her Deputy Prime Ministers; former Ugandan leaders, including ex-Vice Presidents Gilbert Bukenya and Edward Ssekandi; Members of Parliament; members of the CEC; among others. International delegations included representatives from Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, China, and the Saharawi Republic, High Commissioners and Ambassadors.

2025-08-27

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COL. NAKALEMA URGES HEADS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO STRENGTHEN COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

The Head of State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema has today met and held constructive discussions with the leaders of government agencies at SHIPU offices in Kampala. The follow up meeting that preceded the first one held last week, aimed at further laying out strategies on how to strengthen collaborative efforts between agencies to ensure effective service delivery to the people of Uganda. “The continuation of this conversation remains focused on how our collaborative efforts as public sector executives deliver value to all citizens that sustains transformation of households,” she stated. Col. Nakalema made a passionate appeal to them to effectively use their positions to bolster their collaboration that will lead to the transformation of societies in Uganda. “As SHIPU whose mandate rests on coordinating MDAs, my appeal to you is to exploit this exclusive platform to reinforce institutional collaboration that will breed transformational gains for the populace,” she stated. The leaders of government agencies who attended the meeting included Dr. Barirega Akankwasah the Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Mr. Mugabe Robert of Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Dr. Patrick Birungi the Executive Director of Uganda Development Corporation(UDC), Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Eng. Kaijuka Kenneth, the Chief Executive Officer of National Housing and Construction Company Ltd., Dr. Bruce Kirenga of Makerere University, Dr. Chris Mukiza of Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and Mr. Osborn Turyasingura of the National Secretariat for Special Interest Groups. According to Col. Nakalema, the leaders of government agencies have to account to the citizens of Uganda what the government has done for the population as well as indicate what plans they have for the socio-economic development of the country. She blamed the unawareness of the government's achievements by the masses to poor communication. “A lot of achievements have been registered by the government for the people of Uganda, but communication has not been very effective to highlight these gains,” Col. Nakalema asserted. She encouraged them to utilize the maximum Radio Stations that she said remain one of the widest dispensation tools, social media, Televisions and various groups to declare their accountability to the masses and also to inform the people of the government's achievements. Participants, therefore, agreed to use every avenue in their disposal to state the accountability of their institutions, plans and also to change the mindset of the people of Uganda, especially the youth, to deeply get involved in activities tailored at accelerating the socio-economic development of the country that will eventually lead to the transformation of their lives.

2025-08-26

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PRESIDENT MUSEVENI TO NRM DELEGATES: FIGHT POVERTY AND CORRUPTION, BUILD THE MONEY ECONOMY

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today opened the 1st Meeting of the 4th National Conference of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, rallying delegates to focus on discipline, fight poverty and corruption, and ensure every Ugandan household joins the money economy. Accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataha Museveni, the President who is also the National Chairman of the NRM, addressed thousands of delegates from across the country gathered to elect special interest group representatives and chart the Movement’s future direction. The conference will see the election of leaders representing the youth, elderly, workers, and persons with disabilities, among others. In his address, President Museveni expressed delight at the youthful composition of many of the newly elected delegates, describing it as a healthy sign of generational renewal within the Movement. He urged them to uphold the NRM’s principles of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, democracy and socio-economic transformation, while taking the party’s vision deeper into households across Uganda. The President took delegates on a reflective journey of Uganda’s economic transformation under the NRM, tracing progress from the days of “minimum recovery” to what he now describes as the country’s “take-off stage.” He recalled the difficult years when Ugandans lacked basic commodities such as sugar, salt, and soap, noting that those days were about mere survival. He explained that Uganda later expanded its economy through cash crops like coffee and tea, diversified into other sectors, and is today producing higher-value products. President Museveni pointed to recent milestones such as the manufacture of vehicles through Kiira Motors, the establishment of vaccine production facilities, and the rise of ICT as evidence that Uganda has firmly entered its industrial age. “We are no longer in recovery; Uganda is in the take-off stage. We are now manufacturing our own cars, producing vaccines, and building an ICT-driven economy,” President Museveni said. Turning to household wealth creation, the President stressed that Uganda’s long-term stability rests on every family joining the money economy. He recalled that in 2013, about 68 percent of the population was still outside the money economy, but recent figures show that 67 percent are now participating. He said the government’s target is to ensure that no family is left behind. To illustrate his point, President Museveni cited the example of Joseph Ijaara, a farmer in Serere who uses a small piece of land to achieve high returns through commercial agriculture. He explained that Uganda’s money economy rests on four pillars — agriculture, industry, services, and ICT — and urged delegates to help their communities embrace at least one of these sectors. “In the past, towns were only filled with shops, but today we are building towns of factories where people work and earn. That is the NRM difference,” he said. The President challenged leaders to return to their communities with a clear mission of tackling the issues that directly affect ordinary Ugandans. “What I want you to take from here is simple: fight poverty in your families, fight corruption — don’t allow people to eat Parish Development Model (PDM) money. Insist that the police fight crime, and where they fail, report them,” he stressed. President Museveni also underlined the importance of social services as the foundation of transformation. On health, he noted progress in the fight against malaria and immunization campaigns but criticized the persistent theft of drugs, which undermines treatment. He reaffirmed the government's plan to expand safe water access to villages across the country. On infrastructure, President Museveni revealed that each district receives UGX 1.3 billion annually to maintain murram roads, stressing that the funds must be properly used. On education, President Museveni made one of his strongest commitments of the day: ensuring free education in government schools. He argued that since parents overwhelmingly prefer government schools, fees must be abolished to allow every child access to quality education. “Once the NRM is voted again, we shall insist on free education in all government schools. Support me so we can fully implement it,” he said. NRM Secretary General, Rt. Hon. Richard Todwong also addressed the gathering, reminding delegates that the NRM is a Movement bigger than any individual and that leadership must always be seen as service, not self-enrichment. He urged them to embody discipline, sacrifice, and responsibility in their work, stressing that elections may come and go, but the Movement and the people remain. Dr. Tanga Odoi, the Chairman of the NRM Electoral Commission, promised to deliver free and fair elections of leaders of special interest groups and the subsequent elections that will follow in the coming days.

2025-08-25