In his New Year Message delivered at his Country Home in Rwakitura on December31, 2017, President Yoweri Museveni blasted religious leaders for failing to do what they are supposed to by meddling into politics.
“Some of our religious people are so full of arrogance. They talk most authoritatively on all and everything even when they have not bothered to find out the truth,” Museveni said.
He added: “What is clear is that some of these elements have left undone what they ought to have done and did what they ought not to have done and there is no truth in them.”
The Head of State also praised the 317 MPs who voted to lift age limits, likening them to NRA heroes.
“I want to salute the 317 MPs who defied intimidation, malignment and blackmail and opted for a flexible Constitution to deal with the destiny issues of Africa instead of maintaining Uganda on the path of unimaginative, non-ideological, neo-colonial status quo. By so doing, they enabled us to avoid the more complicated paths that would have been required. We cannot kukonesa (under-cook or badly cook) the destiny of Africa,” he said.
He added: “The 317 MPs have played a crucial role at this historical junction (masanganzira) just like the 28 cadres of Montepuez, Mozambique played in the formation of the Fronasa Army, the 43 fighters with 27 rifles played when they attacked Kabamba and the 232 MPs of the 7th Parliament played in opening up the term limits that have enabled Uganda to cover more ground. Those liars who talk about “life-Presidency” of Museveni should be exposed for what they say. They are either un-informed individuals talking about things they do not know or evil schemers who do not want Uganda and Africa to succeed.”
Full Speech
Greetings to all the Ugandans. I congratulate you on finishing the year 2017 and entering the year 2018. The year 2017 had a number of challenges for us. One challenge was crime where our young women were targeted by criminals. A total of 23 young women were killed. These murderers were taking advantage of a gap in our security infrastructure in the form of absence of cameras in the towns and along the high-ways and also inadequate forensic equipment (tracing criminals through blood-samples, finger-prints etc.) This was due to many priorities in terms of budgeting and the fact that in the past the main challenges had been rural terrorism (Kony, ADF) and cattle rustling. This is where we had laid emphasis, which resulted in the total defeat of those challenges. Nevertheless, using the old Police methods of following clues, relying on eye witnesses etc., the suspects in the 4 areas (Nansana, Kawempe, Entebbe and Wakiso-Bulago) of the killings were arrested and are being prosecuted. Meanwhile, we have been working systematically to resolve the issue of the artificial eyes in the cities, towns and highways and of improved forensic systems. This new year will see us close those gaps for- ever.
Even the old Police methods could have unearthed those criminals earlier. However, some laxity had crept in with some elements in the Police failing to do what they should have done. Vigorous corrective measures were taken and are being taken to ensure that the Police Force is totally free of infiltration by criminals or any other non-patriotic elements.
Battle Against Bad Fishing
Again, on the crime side, the other effort in the year just ended was our battle against the bad fishing. Unbelievable as it may be, these criminals, in the form of illegal fishermen, had almost killed our ancient fishing industry. The ancient Banyankore mythology informs us that Mugasha (whom the Baganda call Mukasa) was a Muchweezi, the dynasty that ruled Uganda between 900 AD and 1400 AD, whose area of residence, like the residence of all the other Bachweezi, was the present-day Ssembabule District (Bigo bya Mugyenyi, Ntuutsi etc.). The Bachweezi dynasty had brought stability to much of Uganda for about 500 years as already pointed out. Either before the collapse of the Bachweezi dynasty or after, Mugasha (Mukasa) went from Ssembabule to the Ssese Islands and became a fisherman. The Bassesse and other Baganda started referring to him as the Lubaale we Nyanja (the spirit of the Lake). The Banyankore know him as one of the Bachweezi. The other Bachweezi are: Wamala Ruhaanja njojo ebuunga (praise – name – ekikubyo), Ndahura (Ndawula in Luganda), Mugyenyi, Isiimbwa (Ssimbwa), Kagooro (mainly used in Tooro and Bunyoro) etc. Some say that Mugarura of Kisozi was also a Muchweezi. I am, however, not sure about this because I never heard of Mugarura until I started living in Buganda in the Resistance war.
Hence, those illegal fishermen, for selfish and criminal reasons, had destroyed that ancient industry. The authorities concerned were just watching. That is when I decided to deploy UPDF in the month of February, 2017. Although the UPDF personnel are also accused of some excesses (such as beating people), nevertheless, the Lake has now been saved. The fish are back in the Lake. On the 15 of January, 2018, I will meet, again, the NRM MPs from the Islands and from the Landing sites on the main-land to agree on the way forward.
We must answer three questions: “Who should be on the Lake, Why and how? It cannot be correct to allow the flooding of the Lake (omujjuzzo) with uncontrolled numbers of human beings. The Lakes are like a mining area (ekiroombe) or natural forest (ekibira). People are extracting products put there by God in the interests of all Ugandans, including those who are not fishermen. Allowing people on the Lake, therefore, must be in a deliberate, disciplined way. People who argue that everybody must be allowed on the Lake because we are all Ugandans are enemies of our country. The Lakes, just like Kilembe mines, are a common resource for all Ugandans (present on the Lakes and away from the Lakes). The people to be allowed there in a fishing role must be those that are needed there to do fishing correctly and sustainably, nothing more, nothing less, possibly starting with the indigenous Bataka who have looked after those Lakes for millennia, empowered with means, if necessary. Other Ugandans from other areas should be allowed if their role is needed. Other Ugandans should be allowed to stay on the Islands to operate bars, run shops, operate tourist hotels, or even just reside there; but not to fish. Fishing must be regulated.
Those who spend time blaming the Army for some mistakes here and there should be reminded that the original mistake was bad fishing. This is the original sin. Concentrate on that. If there was no bad fishing, the Army would never have been deployed on the Lake. The Army must, however, also perfect their methods.
What is shameful and contemptible is for the criminals trying to politicize their crime by saying that they will fight NRM because the NRM is stopping them from destroying the Lakes of Ugandans. Those are good fights we welcome. The leaders must also be careful not to aid and abet crime for cheap popularity reasons.
It is like when we fought UA, UNLA, Kony, ADF or the Karimojong cattle-rustlers. They were blaming us for stopping them from killing Ugandans. Why were we stopping them from killing Ugandans? They had a right to kill Ugandans, to loot their property and rape our women. These criminals think they have a right to destroy our Lakes. We are ready to rehabilitate these criminals, either near the Lakes or away from the Lakes; but bad fishing should stop and will stop. In my opinion, if we want a strong country and economy, a leader who hobnobs or aids and abets criminals like the ones involved in bad fishing, should lose the leadership position and should be disqualified from such leadership position for a number of terms. These should be the areas of Constitutional clean-ups if we want a strong economy and country.
Security of Ugandans Assured
On the side of security, I want to, again, assure Ugandans of their security. In order to send a message to the terrorists, the UPDF launched an air and Artillery attack on ADF who continue to freely use Eastern Congo to train, recruit and send assassins in Uganda like the ones who killed a number of Sheikhs last year. They got their punishment. If the Congolese Government so decides, we can assist them to uproot the ADF from that area. In the meantime, the border population should feel assured that any ADF who try to enter Uganda in force will remain here in a horizontal state. That is what happened in 2007. 100 ADF infiltrated the Semliki area. Within 2 weeks, only 13 went back. Their situation will be worse this time. The attack on Friday, 22nd December, 2017 should have shown the ADF that Eastern Congo is not heaven. It is reachable. If the region (the Great Lakes) decides, Eastern Congo can be pacified by combined efforts.
The other season, we had La Nina (little rain). There were shortages of food in some areas. Overall, however, Uganda had enough food. That shock spurred us on our previous intention to start irrigation efforts so as to insure our agriculture against the erraticness of the weather. There will be two efforts in this connection. One effort will be to assemble or manufacture solar powered water – pumps in Uganda. Prof. Joseph K. Byaruhanga of Makerere University, Faculty of Technology, has already produced a proto-type. Besides, we agreed with Rikki Verma of UK to assemble and manufacture solar powered water-pumps in Uganda. These water pumps will be bought by the Government to give to villages or by the capable large-scale farmers. Apart from the micro-irrigation I am talking about, there are also efforts to establish larger scale irrigation schemes, using our God-given engineering of the massive Rwenzori, Mount Elgon, the Kigezi highlands and the Agoro ranges. This is apart from the mighty Nile River. In the current budget and plans, the Government intends to start the following irrigation schemes:
(a) Doho Phaze II in Butaleja District;
(b) Mubuku Phaze II in Kasese District;
(c) Wadelai in Nebbi District;
(d) Tochi in Oyam District;
(e) Ngenge in Kween District;
(f) Igogero Naigombwa in Namutumba District;
(g) Katete in Kanungu District; and
(h) Kawumu in Luwero District.
Every year, more will be added. All these are in addition to the long established ones of Mobuku, Doho, Agoro, Olweny schemes which the Government rehabilitated recently. This will stabilize agriculture.
Subsistence Farming Remains High
In agriculture, however, we remain with the problem of 68% of the homesteads that remain in subsistence farming. Our Baganda people have a saying: “Nantabulirwa yasaabala na bwabbumba” – the one who does not listen to advice tried to cross the Lake in a clay- boat and, of course, drowned in the Lake because the clay-boat disintegrated. I tackled the problem of subsistence farming, together with some of my Comrades that died in our wars, way back in 1966, using North Ankole as a trial area. Although we were interrupted by the Amin period and the Luwero war, by 1995, our pilot scheme was complete. I was able to travel around the whole country advising the Ugandans about this. That is when I was using the slogans of “Kulembeka”, “Aigaakipi”, “Jolo-pii”, “yii okuza”. I also used the terms “ekibaro”, “cura”, “otita”. In short, my message after the successful pilot we carried out in North Ankole was as follows if the families were to go from poverty to prosperity:
(1) Go from subsistence farming to small scale
commercial farming;
(2) As you do so, ensure that you use ekibaro,
amair, cura, otita so that you avoid the mistake of growing maize, cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, looking after the indigenous cattle, enterprises that only make money when you undertake them on a big scale;
(3) Get Government support in terms of seeds or
breeding material for these;
(4) Halt land fragmentation at inheritance and
Instead form family companies where the children divide shares (emigabo) instead of the physical division of land and assets which renders everything uneconomic;
(5) Use improved agricultural materials and
methods – improved seeds, contour farming on hill-sides, water catching trenches, drip irrigation using plastic bottles etc., etc.
The crops we recommended were: clonal coffee; fruits (oranges, mangoes, pineapples, apples and grapes); food-crops (bananas, cassava, irish potatoes, millet); zero – grazing friesian cattle; with pigs and poultry in the back yard (emaanju, ekanyima, ezigati, inge ot). The families that live near the wetlands should help us to preserve those wetlands so that we preserve the water for irrigation and also the swamps grass (ebigugu) for mulching your improved gardens. The edges of the wetlands (emiiga, emyegyego) should be used to make fish ponds. A fish pond of 50 meters by 100 meters can give us Uganda Shillings 80m per year. This is a much more profitable and safer use of the wetlands than growing potatoes in the centre of the swamps. Use the edges more profitably as you preserve the centre of the swamp for the sake of the environment and also the economy (irrigation). All these ideas are captured in the booklet I, eventually, wrote in September, 2014 entitled: “From Obwiiriza to Amatafaari” – “From grass-thatched huts to permanent buildings”; which is here. It is available for all those interested in the Bookshops.
Once every homestead that had land in the rural areas does what we advised, that will leave the urban families that do not have rural land. The ones who have small pieces of rural land that cannot profit from coffee etc., can grow onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, do poultry and piggery.
Once I shared my experience with the Ugandans in 1995 as far as rural social-economic transformation was concerned, I was sure the concerned leaders would take it up. However, after some years, I realized that, apparently, leaders do not easily get new concepts. I, therefore, decided to directly start model Parishes, to directly roll-out my experience. These model Parishes are now there: Ruharo in Bushenyi, Kisozi in Gomba, Kikoni in Ntungamo, Ndangaro in Rubirizi, Rwengajo in Kabarole. The effort here was to get as many homesteads as possible in the Parish to go to commercial farming. In order to further drive the point home, I recently started my own State House Model Farms in Kawumu and Kityerera. I will soon start another one in Barlege. The TV’s will show you some of the pictures. In my model farms I even use crude irrigation techniques of the plastic water bottles and within 12 months of commencement, I was harvesting big bananas. NRM leaders, please, let us get moving. Using OWC resources, let us ensure that as many homesteads as possible get involved in money-generation through commercial agriculture. When the families are empowered, they will not pester you for handouts and you will stop getting in debts to fund commercialized politics.
As for the urban families, as I pointed out in my State of the Nation Address last year, Uganda is already a very rich country. What is the proof? The proof is that we spend US$7billion every year importing carpets, curtains, furniture, electrical equipment, electronics (TVs, radios etc.), motor-bicycles, phones, cars, synthetic hair, transformers for electricity etc., etc. This spending power by us contains two elements that we need badly: wealth (obugagga, obugaiga, lonyo) and jobs (emirimo, tic). Each year we are exporting wealth and jobs worth US$7bn. This figure was only US$92.28m. in 1986. There is, therefore, no doubt that Uganda is getting richer. The figures do not lie. We are, however, exporting much of this wealth and the many jobs. We also lose money, wealth and jobs by exporting raw-materials in unprocessed forms e.g. unprocessed maize, timber, unprocessed coffee, lint cotton, hides and skins etc.
Ending Youth Unemployment
The Government is ready to organise all our urban youth to stop this ekyejwiiso (haemorrhage) of wealth and jobs by the two channels: excessive imports of products that can be made here and exporting unprocessed raw-materials.
Madam Nakyobe’s Wandegeya classes will be intensified and decentralized to the Kampala Divisions and will also be spread to the regions. Support for the Ugandan Scientists will be intensified and support for the groups that want to do maize-milling and artisan groups will be intensified. We are going to build Artisanship Parks in the Divisions of Kampala in addition to the one of Abaita-Ababiri. The NRM MPs, please concentrate on these programmes for your Constituencies and put to shame those that maliciously malign you and me. The effort above is to turn every adult Ugandan into a commercial farmer, an owner of a service with (transport, shop etc.), an owner of an artisan unit or a small factory or a worker (omukozi, lutic) in one of them. We should, ultimately, get rid of idleness and parasitism (dependency).
The other effort, already underway, is to attract more FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments). Using our abundant raw-materials; agricultural resources; fresh water resources; forest resources; good climate; tourism resources; a highly educated population; good infrastructure in the form of more electricity, better roads, a planned modern railway, the ICT backbone, a vast telephone network and an expanding network of piped water; we have already attracted big factories for milk, beef, textiles, fish-processing, cement, gold refining, sugar production, plywood manufacture, leather processing, coffee roasting, phosphates processing, integrated steel industry, recycled steel, plastics, fruit processing, steel fabrications etc., etc. In addition, we are going to develop more industries around gold (such as jewellery), copper (transformers, cables, electric appliances etc.), wolfram, tin, coltan, cobalt, etc., etc.
Given what we have already done and what God gave us, our future is very bright whatever the enemies of Uganda say. I know this because I have actively participated in these efforts for the last 50 years plus
I did not know that Uganda would be so high ranking but I knew that having solved some of the strategic bottlenecks, Uganda’s transformation was unstoppable. No wonder the internal enemies of Uganda were very desperate as you saw recently. That is why in 2006, I put down my foot firmly and insisted on prioritizing transport, electricity generation and transmission in addition to defence. I congratulate the NRM MPs of the 7th Parliament for agreeing with me on this in the Statistics House Conferences of that time. You can now see the results.
Even on the side of Health, there have been dramatic changes so much that, apparently, it is now the non-communicable diseases that are killing more Ugandans than the communicable ones. Communicable diseases are the ones where one infects the other through breathing, touching, intimacy etc. The non-communicable ones are the ones where you cannot infect the other person.
These are the cancers, hyper-tension, accidents, heart diseases etc. The 43% of the deaths are now from non-infectious diseases. From 1986 to 2000 these only accounted for about 8%. Deaths from malaria now account for 26.8%; diarrhea only 1.4%; TB only 0.25%; etc. Therefore, the preventive measures we have taken, incomplete though they still are, have already altered the disease pattern in Uganda. Ugandans are now suffering more and more from the diseases of prosperity (heart diseases, diabetes, hyper-tension, cancers, obesity) than from the diseases of backwardness (malaria, diarrhea, worms, TB, eye diseases, mal-nutrition, jiggers, plague caused by flees, cholera, trachoma, kwashakor, etc., etc.). We have mainly relied on immunization and malaria control to achieve this. We would achieve more if our health workers could emphasize hygiene, improved nutrition, good life-style etc. Alcohol has been one of the major causes of road accidents contributing to 1.1% of total death in Uganda. Malaria prevalence has declined from 40% in 2009 to about 19% in 2016. This decline was due to the wide-spread use of treated bed-nets. We need to carry out a serious campaign against the causes of cancer, hyper-tension, kidney diseases, accidents etc. Those causes are:
(1) Sedentary Life-style;
(2) Excessive consumption of alcohol;
(3) Cigarette smoking;
(4) Over-eating leading to excessive fat gains;
(5) Excessive consumption of sugar products;
(6) Drunk-driving; etc.
Inspite of some gaps that one may find in the Health sector, there are areas of strong performance like the results of immunization alluded to above. Same exemplary performance can be seen in controlling dangerous epidemics like ebola and marbug. The recent marbug outbreak in Sebei was promptly brought under control. Earlier on, on three or so occasions, the dangerous ebola was brought under control promptly. You all heard the huge damage that disease caused to sister countries in West Africa.
It is, therefore, commendable that the Medical Services in Uganda are right on the mark when it comes to these dangerous epidemics.
Having dealt with some of the domestic issues, I need to advise Ugandans to look at the strategic goals of our dear Africa which has been tormented for so long because of internal weaknesses exploited by rapacious foreigners. As I pointed out in my Mzee Mandela speech on the 31st of August, 2017 at Makerere University, by 1900, the whole of Africa had been colonised except for Ethiopia, the only African country to defeat the invaders completely, at least for some time. This was a vote of no confidence in the traditional leadership of Africa – kings, chiefs, clan leaders, magicians etc. Other Peoples that were colonized never survived colonialism. They were exterminated – the Red Indians, the Aztecs, the Incas, the Caribes, the Aborigines of Australia etc. The Africans, since they do not easily die, survived the horrors of colonialism. By that time our elders, led by the ANC that was founded in 1912 in South Africa, had five strategic goals: to regain independence; to attain democracy for the first time since there was no democracy under the chiefs or under colonialism; to work for the prosperity of our people for the first time since we had missed out on the industrial revolution in Europe through the economic integration of Africa so as to unite our fragmented markets and be able to stimulate the growth and the attraction of industries; to guarantee our strategic security through the political integration of as much of Africa as possible in the form of political federations like the East African Federation; and to guarantee the survival of our identity as Black People without losing our languages, culture, customs, foods etc., to avoid becoming Black Europeans.
The Church of Uganda Prayer Book on page 5 “Zabuli Ekitabo Kyokushaba” has got a good piece of quotation which the late Rev. Karyahwari used to recite in his deep voice. It says “they do not do what they ought to do and do what they ought not to do and there is no truth in them”.
This quotation applies to some portion of the political class, the Clergy, Academia and the media. To some of those elements, the five strategic goals do not exist. What, apparently, matters to them is political power for the political groups they fancy. Instead of working for the independence of Africa, they are always in cahoots with foreigners – encouraging the latter to meddle in our affairs. The real democracy we fought for provides that: “all power belongs to the People”, they are the ones to decide their destiny through universal suffrage at regular intervals or through their elected representatives. Some of the elements, however, mainly working with foreigners, try to impose pseudo-democracy where the power of the people is constrained by term limits, age-limits, even educational qualifications.
Religious Leaders Attacked
On economic integration of Africa to guarantee our prosperity, you will never hear of a word from these false prophets. No radio talk-show, no lecture in a lecture theatre, no sermon in a church supporting what is crucial for our survival as Africans. On the issue of political integration in Africa for our survival as a free People, not even a whisper. These elements are totally absent in this area. On the issue of our identity, I do not even know the stand of these elements. Especially those who say they are religious, they could do well to remember what Jesus taught us in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verse 5. It says: “Blessed are the humble for they shall inherit the earth”.
Some of our religious people are so full of arrogance. They talk most authoritatively on all and everything even when they have not bothered to find out the truth. This is assuming they do not have evil intentions which would be worse. That would make them into the Kayaffas, the Chief Priest, that betrayed Jesus. This is in the Book of Matthew Chapter 26 Verse 57 – 75. It says: “And those who had laid hold of Jesus led him away to Caiphas the High Priest where the Scribes and elders were assembled. Now the Chief Priests, the elders and the Council sought false testimony against Jesus to put him to death”.
What is clear is that some of these elements have left undone what they ought to have done and did what they ought not to have done and there is no truth in them. As for the NRM cadres who are being reviled and maligned by some elements, remember what Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 5 Verses 11-12. It says: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets that were before you”. Therefore, NRM cadres and all patriots; false accusations are nothing for we transcended the firing squads of Idi Amin, the extra-judicial killings, the imprisonments, the losing of comrades in battles, etc.
Going back to the unwavering path of the Patriots and the Pan-Africanists, I am happy to remind Ugandans that, working with our brothers and sisters in East Africa, we have revived the EAC. Space does not allow me to enumerate the benefits that come to Ugandans as a result of this revival. The negative elements say nothing at all on these radios, TVs, lectures, sermons on such a crucial issue. More could have been done, but “enyama ntono okayana eri munkwawa”, “when somebody gives you little meat, you quarrel after securing firmly the little he has given you”.
On the issue of political integration, we the Pan-Africanists will never give up on that effort; to do so is for Africa to commit suicide. The present small states, former colonies, will never guarantee our future even when they are developed countries. We have written endlessly on this but those “who do what they ought not to do” have no time to waste with such ideas. 99% of their time is on pseudo-democracy and malignments of patriots.
Well, 99% of our time for the last 52 years is on real democracy, patriotism, Pan-Africanist and Social-economic transformation. This is what we tell all and sundry politely. Let us all discuss these issues because they are vital for our survival.
Mr. Kabushenga using the platform given to him by the Government specializes in writing trivialities. The Monitor Paper is always working for non-African interests. Nevertheless, recently, Mr. Kabushenga was persuaded to publish, in his Christmas Paper, the Uganda Argus of the 6th of June, 1963. I will never forget that issue of the 6th of June, 1963. I was in S3 at Ntare but already very much involved in politics. I had never been so happy nor have I been so happy since as I was happy on that day and for some months afterwards.
The headlines on the front page of the paper, with the pictures of Mzee Kenyatta, Mwalimu Nyerere and Mzee Obote, shouted: “Federation This Year”, “Top-level talks end in Nairobi”. Ugandans this is the Photostat copy of that happy newspaper issue. Has any of our media houses that are supposed to “inform”, “educate”, “entertain”, ever mentioned this to you? After a few months the devil that is always the enemy of Africa had killed this effort.
Had this effort succeeded, East Africa would possibly today be where India is. Certainly, there would have been no Idi Amin, the genocide in Rwanda would never have been allowed to take place, the endemic problems of Burundi would have been contained, the problem of South Sudan would have been easier to solve and even the problem of Somalia would have been solved. Can you believe that the Foreign Minister of Somalia attended this Nairobi meeting as an observer, waiting for the Federation to take off so that Somalia joins? Can you believe that, according to Mr. Rwamgoolam, the leader of Mauritius, who was also in Nairobi at that time, said that Mauritius could have joined that Federation from after its independence? What a missed opportunity!!
Therefore, Ugandans, young and old, I would propose that we discuss the five strategic goals of Africa seriously: independence, real democracy not just the peripheral forms of it, economic integration of Africa for our prosperity, political integration of Africa for our strategic security and safeguarding our heritage and identity, along, of course, with other topics like the football clubs of Europe, European singers etc. Only the other day my grandchildren were teaching me how to play cards (kyaanisi); but I also talked to them about the NRM struggle.
317 Mps Who Voted ‘YES’ For Age Limit Saluted
I want to salute the 317 MPs who defied intimidation, malignment and blackmail and opted for a flexible Constitution to deal with the destiny issues of Africa instead of maintaining Uganda on the path of unimaginative, non-ideological, neo-colonial status quo. By so doing, they enabled us to avoid the more complicated paths that would have been required. We cannot kukonesa (under-cook or badly cook) the destiny of Africa. The 317 MPs have played a crucial role at this historical junction (masanganzira) just like the 28 cadres of Montepuez, Mozambique played in the formation of the Fronasa Army, the 43 fighters with 27 rifles played when they attacked Kabamba and the 232 MPs of the 7th Parliament played in opening up the term limits that have enabled Uganda to cover more ground. Those liars who talk about “life-Presidency” of Museveni should be exposed for what they say. They are either un-informed individuals talking about things they do not know or evil schemers who do not want Uganda and Africa to succeed. When Mwalimu was advocating for the East African Federation, some would malign him saying that he was ambitious and he wanted to dominate East Africa. Mwalimu is now long dead. What would have happened if the other leaders had gone along with his vision? Whom would have East Africa benefitted? Obviously, we who are here and the future generations. This myopia must be exposed. I heard some people talking of “greedy” politicians. Greedy for what? What material benefit do I get from being involved in Government? In the last 52 years, I have either been working for no pay or for little pay. May be those people talking mean “greedy” for sacrifice.
The 317 MPs, should deepen their understanding of the NRM ideology, get out of careerism and become durable soldiers for the African Revolution. This is a good beginning for them. The NRM leaders should boldly and persistently mobilize the masses to get out of the poverty but to also catapult Africa out of the fragmentation and weaknesses. It is interesting that while President Trump, whom I like so much because he says things “like they are” as the Black People in the USA used to say, is talking of making America great again, as if it is not great already, many elements in Africa are either not bothered about making the continent great or are actually agitating for further weakening it through sectarianism and other phoney schemes of pseudo-democracy and modernization. We resisted other forms of disorientation and this one must also be resisted.
On a happy note, I noted that some of the elements that had been hurling insults at the NRM, struck a more positive note during Christmas and called for reconciliation. The NRM always goes for principled reconciliation and that is a good note to end on. However, I cannot end without calling on the media to be relevant in Africa’s struggle for survival. Yes, they can talk about sports clubs, foreign sports, foreign cultures; gambling; but let them also talk about the strategic goals of Africa: independence, democracy, economic integration for prosperity, political integration for strategic security and preserving our identity as Africans. It is both their moral and legal duty to do so.
I congratulate everybody and wish you a successful 2018. The future is bright. Ignore and expose the confusing agents.
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
