Highlights of President Museveni’s State of the Nation Address

“I congratulate the Honourable Members of Parliament on your election on 14th January. Pastor Kayanja told me that the 14th of January is a special day in the Bible.
Later on, I checked, I found out that it was the day of the Passover. The Electoral Commission, in selecting that date might have been guided by God.

I need to remind the country about the challenging year of 2020 pronounced as tweny tweny by some of the bazukulu.
It came with locusts, floods, floating islands, etc. Soon after, COVID-19 came in. I am happy to report to you what everybody knows. Uganda didn’t only cope with these challenges but also the economy managed a small expansion of 3%.

On account of the tough measures against COVID-19 we took early, we avoided what happened in many countries. However, with the widespread recklessness now, we are entering a second wave. Somebody in a cabinet meeting said we should stop exporting sanitiser. That is okuhemuka. As a true Munyankole and a Christain, I can’t do that. You suffer with your friends. I share the hardships with my partners. The ecocentrism in the world is good for us the Panafricanists. It is easy for us to arouse even the indifferent that Africa should take care of itself.

Many years ago, I proposed that government scientists should start with UGX 4 million when they join the public service. This is because we want to retain the large number of scientists we have trained so that they can help us. Paying our scientists well is not a favor to them it is a favor to the country.

Our appeal is for everybody to get involved in the money economy. As you have seen, even modest waking up of sections of our people generated a lot of production. Some of this production, fortunately, has big international demand. The Iranians came here and they wanted to buy all our maize because we have very good relations with them. The problem was ourselves – the negligence in handling foods. Are we balogo who give bad things to people to eat?

We had a long discussion in Kyankwanzi with the new MPs. I hope the way forward is clear. Let all the leaders stop confusing people by sending contradictory and diverting messages.

In addition to our long-term goal of building a modern standard gauge high-speed railway, we are rehabilitating the meter-gauge railway for current use.

Our aim is to make all homesteads wake up. On the side of industries, we shall continue to deal with the cost of manufacturing in Uganda.

We are talking to the USA, China, and Cuba for the COVID-19 vaccines. I am sure we shall agree with at least one of them. Ebola is our disease. Why should somebody come and take our disease? We should make the vaccine and benefit from it. God will reward the few outsiders who helped us with the COVID-19 vaccines. I am praying for them. I will tell you the full story at some stage, I don’t want to give out secrets now.

The cost of electricity is distorted by the mistakes of some of our actors without my knowledge.

Corruption has become a real enemy and it starts from the Ministry of Finance. I have the story and you will see. That is how I moved in on the people of Uganda Airlines who thought they were too smart. A corrupt person is not a political asset but a liability.

The recent shooting of Gen Wamala showed the poor cooperation of the police. The cameras that I put in place did their work. Why didn’t the camera managers alert the patrol police to chase these individuals?

Henceforth, the police are directed to stop using mobile phones and go back to using radios that are open to all police stations so that they can respond promptly.” President Museveni

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