Rwakitura: Congratulations on surviving Corona and ebola. Also, congratulations for surviving other problems, such as the high commodity prices etc., hardships notwithstanding. As I always tell you, if you maintain peace and listen to the guidance of the NRM, there is no obstacle, we cannot overcome.
Besides, Uganda’s economy is expanding both quantitatively and qualitatively. Picking five examples is enough to illustrate this. The 5 examples are the following: coffee, milk and tea. Coffee production in 1986 was only 2 million, 60kgs bags; it is now producing 8.5 million bags, targeting hitting 12 million bags soon. Tea was 3 million kgs in 1986. It is now 60 million kgs. Milk was a mere 200 million litres per annum; it is now 5.3bn litres per annum. The portion that comes to the factories, is 3.6bn litres.
Fourthly, cotton is no longer being exported as just lint cotton. The shirts I put on, are from Uganda’s cotton, made by fine-spinners. Fifth example, is that of Kiira Motors, where the Uganda Scientists supported by, sometimes, government funding, are addressing the issue of Electric- mobility by making electric cars, buses, etc.
Therefore, there is nothing that we aim at, that we cannot achieve. The only delaying factors have been the phenomenon of the parasitism by some careerist politicians and civil servants (abakola kipakasi) andintroduce corruption in the process of implementing government programmes such as: PDM, Emyooga, micro-finance etc. These should not be tolerated and will not be tolerated. Otherwise, the sky is the limit.
I have, since the colonial times, seen the parasitism of unpatriotic civil servants and extension workers such as vets and medics at the expense of we the wealth creators (the cattle-keepers, crops farmers, artisans, fishermen etc.) by taking bribes and selling government drugs. Policemen taking bribes from the wakadalas (taxis).
After independence, some of the politicians have joined the corruption. Before Independence, the few politicians that were around, such as IK Musaazi, had no access to power (decision-making). Hence, they had no opportunity to be corrupt or otherwise.
It is, therefore, a great shame that those elected by the wealth creators, betray them and become corrupt- stealing government money, taking bribes to provide service etc. The list of wealth creators has now lengthened to include: cattle-keepers, crops farmers, artisans, fishermen, manufacturers, traders, service providers, building contractors, etc., etc.
All these wealth creators are suffering because of the parasites in the form of some corrupt civil servants and politicians. However, this suffering is artificial. It is because the victims of corruption do not report. If they report, the corrupt will be crashed.
Foreign investors and other service providers are being harassed by these parasites for bribes. Just report. It is easy to eradicate this vice. The war is between the genuine wealth creators (farmers, manufacturers, fishermen, service providers) on the one hand and the parasites in the form of some corrupt civil servants, now joined by some politicians who sell decisions for bribes.
Happy Easter.
Signed:
Yoweri K. Museveni Gen (Rtd).
PRESIDENT REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
