Summary:
- President Museveni stressed that all regions, tribes, religions, and gender groups in Uganda depend on the country for their prosperity.
BUSIA: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has emphasized the importance of the four core principles of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government in fostering wealth creation and development.
“With these four ideological principles, along with the three historical missions, we have made progress in five key phases: recovering the enclave economy, expanding the money economy, diversifying the economy, adding value to raw materials, promoting industrialization, and entering the knowledge economy,” said Museveni.
The President, accompanied by His Excellency Faustin Archange Touadéra, the President of the Central African Republic, made these remarks while officiating Uganda’s 62nd Independence Day Anniversary celebrations at Busikho Teachers Demonstration Primary School in Busia District on Wednesday.
H.E. Touadéra began his three-day official visit to Uganda the previous day. The celebrations, held under the theme, “Independence Day: A Recommitment to Secure and Fortify Our Destiny,” drew leaders from across the nation.
Museveni stressed that all regions, tribes, religions, and gender groups in Uganda depend on the country for their prosperity.
“When a zone produces goods or services, it relies on other zones for wealth creation. This is why patriotism, our first NRM principle, is essential. Love Uganda, because you need it for your prosperity,” he stated.
He added that Uganda alone was not enough to ensure prosperity, thus the second NRM principle: Pan-Africanism. “We also need East Africa and Africa for a larger market. Love Africa, because it is key to our prosperity,” he emphasized.
The President highlighted that the country could not produce modern goods and services without socio-economic transformation.
“Our third ideological principle is socio-economic transformation, and the fourth is democracy, allowing citizens to hold leaders accountable.” He said.
Museveni also spoke about the NRM’s historical missions: prosperity, strategic security, and African unity, which have been central in transforming Uganda.
He urged Ugandans to focus on adding value to raw materials, noting that Africa has suffered economically from producing raw materials without processing them.
He cited the example of coffee: “Uganda earns only USD 2.5 per kilogram of bean coffee, yet the same kilogram processed into powder can fetch up to USD 40 abroad.”
He criticized the global trade imbalance, where non-coffee-growing countries like Germany earn USD 65 billion from coffee, far surpassing the income of coffee-producing nations.
Museveni outlined Uganda’s efforts to reverse this trend by adding value to local products, such as milk, textiles, and minerals.
Museveni assured Ugandans that the country is entering the knowledge economy, citing advances in automobiles, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and computer assembly.
He also highlighted the government’s focus on improving infrastructure, including railways, to lower business costs.
“With our oil resources, we are funding these projects. By June 2025, our economy is projected to reach USD 57.5 billion by the exchange rate method and USD 163 billion by the purchasing power parity (PPP) method. Before extracting our oil, we are already on a steady path to achieving an economy of USD 500 billion,” he noted.
President Museveni urged citizens to participate in government initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to integrate into the money economy, noting that 67% of Ugandans are already benefiting from such programs.
President Museveni also thanked President Touadéra for joining the Independence Day celebrations and highlighted potential trade opportunities between Central Africa and East Africa.
He called for improving roads between Uganda, Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic and proposed expanding Uganda Airlines’ routes to Bangui to strengthen ties.
The Central African President expressed his gratitude for the invitation and lauded Museveni’s leadership in transforming Uganda.
“We are honored to be here for Uganda’s 62nd Independence Day anniversary,” Touadéra said.
Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, Minister for the Presidency, acknowledged the challenge of some Ugandans focusing solely on subsistence work but praised the NRM for promoting commercial agriculture. She thanked President Museveni for his role in stabilizing and transforming Uganda.
