The President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, addressed his people on New Year’s eve. He delivered a speech regarding several issues in Uganda and he unveiled the country’s priorities in the welcomed year.
The speech by the president began with a congratulatory note to his nation on completing 2022 and then he wished all a prosperous new year.
Museveni talked about three topics in his speech, the high cost of commodities and possible shortages, crime, and okukongora (Idling around while others are working).
According to him, the Ukraine war and the sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russian oil and other items are the main reasons for high commodity prices and shortages. They have chosen not to take sides in the conflict which avoided the conflict.
They have avoided negotiating with friendly Russia for cheaper oil, as India has done because they are friends with the USA and all other Western countries.
President said that to avoid the issue, they are quietly stepping up diplomatic relations. He added that they are trying their best to cope with the issues regarding shortages.
Museveni talked about his concern about the shortages and he claimed that the cause of the shortages is the lack of rain in the past season. So the country has made plans to employ more irrigation to protect their agriculture from unpredictable weather.
Additionally, they have made decisions to make goods like soap-making materials like palm oil rather than importing them from Malaysia and Indonesia.
As a result, locally produced goods might be plentiful while imported goods may be in short supply. Although the cost of the gasoline required for the transportation of imported goods might be expensive, the goods will be available.
The president mentioned that the concern is not only excessive commodity prices but also potential shortages. According to him, the first to be defeated is the shortage.
Museveni added that they are not going to wait until the global conflicts end and the fuel prices drop, they are going to increase the manufacturing of electric automobiles to have a transition from gasoline vehicles.
Museveni claimed that electric buses, cars, and piki pikis are in development. Uganda had signed several investment contracts with investors to provide electric vehicles and remove the gasoline vehicles.
Regarding the security issue in Uganda, Museveni ensured his people that no terrorist organization or criminal organization can withstand the UPDF’s combined power with that of the Uganda Police, the intelligence community, the Ugandan Prison Services, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and the general public’s vigilance.
Then he talked about the attacks that Uganda witnessed in 2022 and how the suspects of the attacks have been arrested by Ugandan police.
Most operations that Ugandan police have conducted to arrest the criminals who murdered and attacked people from Uganda, were a success according to Museveni.
He claims that the police and the investigation teams are efficient enough to save the country from security issues and crimes.
He added that in a country like Uganda, where there is high security and an organized system, one can’t escape the judiciary system after committing a crime.
Last year, a group of people led by Mao, a criminal arrested in Uganda, were attacking and killing people from the nation. The group which attacked Ugandans was a group of seven ADF members. The group had brought all their weapons from Congo.
The investigation regarding this group of attackers has ended in Congo. These criminals feel the strain on ADF in the Congo is too high, therefore, they are carrying out these attacks in Uganda to collect money for ADF there. They also naively believe that these attacks would compel them to leave Congo.
Museveni said that the anti-NRM members have recently engaged in additional immature behavior, which further demonstrates their desperation. The electricity pylons are cut in this instance.
The NRM is being praised for its targeting of these pylons. The parasites that despise African power can’t endure an African economy that is as prosperous as Uganda, Museveni added.
The president argued that there are some jobs in the public sector that help to build wealth.
Security providers such as the army, police, etc. wealth production is impossible without them, doctors, engineers, veterinarians, and other members of the scientific community contribute to wealth creation by promoting their health and providing scientific backing for the initiatives of wealth creators.
Also Read:- Uganda’s Public Debt Has Reached A Dangerous Level
If they have the correct perspective, some social scientists also contribute to wealth development.
According to the president, the four areas that generate wealth must be highlighted. The four areas are commercial agriculture, industry, services, and ICT.
Museveni argued that if the government of Uganda builds a road near one house that doesn’t mean the government will take care of everything that follows for the family. For the development of the nation, a family or an individual should grow.
The people of Uganda need to have a source of income so that they can buy consumer goods such as sugar, clothing, petrol for vehicles, etc. each of these items has an imposed tax on them.
So that when an individual buys a product, the tax will be gone to the government fund which is later used for the development of the nation.
President said that every house contributes to their nation’s wealth used for its development and also for the production of consumer goods. So providing and finding jobs for the Ugandan people, increasing irrigation in the country, and giving high security are the three major factors that Museveni took as priorities in 2023.
Read More:- Florence Kasumba: Uganda’s Very Own Superwoman?
