President lacked focus - MPs

MPs say the President’s speech fell short on articulating the challenges and solutions to the crises in the country.

Kampala

Lawmakers yesterday criticised President Museveni’s Kyankwanzi speech as diversionary and lacking on austerity measures needed to jump-start the economy.

Addressing NRM Caucus retreat in Kyankwanzi on Friday, President Museveni focused on four major issues: Nationalism, Pan-Africanism, the unavoidability of socio-economic transformation and democratic governance. But according to lawmakers, the President’s speech was “neither here nor there”.

“We expected the President to concentrate on the economy and corruption, the causes of all the problems we see in the country,” Mr Haruna Kyayune (Kyotera) said. “I read his speech and it’s full of rhetoric yet our people are suffering. Lecturing members on ideology at a time when the country needs economic reforms was a mistake.”

NRM MPs in Kyankwanzi who requested not to be named in order to speak freely, said many lawmakers questioned his views on the economy and demanded for quick government intervention to restore economic growth. Others took issue with the President for blaming the economic crisis on the Opposition, the media and environmentalists.

“The President is the one to blame for this economic crisis,” a senior member said. “He has failed to stop corruption and when Parliament helps him, he protects suspects. Some of us came to Kyankwanzi hoping to discuss corruption and economy, the impediments to our growth, and not passing blame. This is where I find the President’ speech lacking.”

Traders last week closed their shops for four days protesting high interest rates on bank loans. However, the President, who concentrated on party ideology, said the economy is robust, adding that the mistakes made by some opposition politicians, the corrupt public officials and the media were responsible for his government’s hitches in the energy sector and the economy.

However, Shadow Finance Minister Geoffrey Ekanya yesterday reminded the President about what Central Bank chief Tumusiime Mutebile told a UK-based newspaper last year. Mr Mutebile told the Financial Times that he had disagreed with Mr Museveni over spending trillions of shillings on jet fighters, which has pushed reserves down from six to four months of import cover.

Meanwhile, sources yesterday told Daily Monitor that of more than 270 NRM MPs, only about 150 MPs attended the retreat. Others led by Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko boycotted the retreat, saying they expect nothing new at it.

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