I will not be intimidated by Besigye, Mbabazi to quit, says NRM’s Museveni

You are promising youth jobs but will they have a minimum wage?
The most important thing is to create jobs. If there are many jobs, the price of labour will go up. If there are no jobs, even if you put up a minimum wage, people will not get employed. There will be minimum wage in the law but no jobs on the ground. We are creating jobs by improving the infrastructure and electricity such that investors can find it cheaper (to do business) and hence employment.

One of the candidates in the race has promised to pay Shs1m to secondary school teachers and Shs600,000 to primary school teachers. What is your take on this?
Primary school teachers are currently paid Shs160,000. If you say that you will pay them Shs600,000, it would mean that they will get Shs96 billion every month and in 12 months, it will cost Shs1.2 trillion. That means that you will not upgrade West Nile roads. You don’t only pay teachers… You must also pay soldiers and health workers. Promising such pay is irresponsible.

Your young brother, Amama Mbabazi, as you refer to him is traversing the country, saying that the manifesto NRM is using was designed by him. Secondly, your main political rivals Dr Kizza Besigye and Amama Mbabazi say that you are a power hungry leader who cannot win a free and fair election, organised by the independent Electoral Commission. If the Electoral Commission organises a free and fair election and you lost, would you hand over power peacefully?
Yes, why not? I am a cattle keeper. Saying that I cannot leave power is false. I won elections in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. If the Electoral Commission is biased, why is it that I lose in some constituencies? Here in West Nile, I lost until the last election. The fact that we lose in some parts means that the Electoral Commission is not biased. Secondly, I am mission hungry but not power hungry. East Africa must unite to form the East African federation. We have formed the East African community but we need a federation as well. No one can intimidate me on this.
In 2001, Besigye ran out of the country and he left people suffering. For example, Kony was killing people in the north, cattle rustlers were killing people in Karamoja and there was ADF in Rwenzori region. In fact we have made a lot of developments. Our tarmac roads can now go up to Sudan, Kisoro, Bundibugyo, among others. If People like Besigye had a target, I would leave them but they don’t have a target. I don’t want to abandon Ugandans unless people themselves abandon me. When these people were suffering it’s when Besigye started saying that, ‘Museveni agende.’ Besigye and Mbabazi don’t want to work with people with more experience like me. He wants us not to work on roads and dams and he wants us to work on wages. Why can’t we first do permanent projects instead of paying wages as Besigye claims.

You have been in power for nearly 30 years. The official age limit for one to be president is 75 years which ideally means that this should be your last term. Are you ready to abide by this? Secondly, there are former combatants, the Ombachi war massacre, UNRF2 and Kony war victims. Opposition is using this as a campaign tool to get votes from people. What plans does the government have to compensate these people?
We are compensating the UNRF2. Some money is put on compensation but we put more money on things that benefit the whole country. If we finish the Oraba road for example, all people will use it. We need to start with things that will benefit everybody. Those people who say that we should not have fixed the roads and electricity are totally wrong.

Mbabazi was in Fort portal and he said that he didn’t have any hand in Brigadier (Noble) Mayombo’s death. He is now challenging the (government) to release the (probe) report on Mayombo’s death. What is your comment on this?
Mayombo died a natural death which was clear. His family got a report. His father was still alive and I discussed it with him and I know it was natural death but if his family needs it published, we can do it because the report is there.

West Nile has border conflicts for example South Sudan and Uganda-Congo border and people have been calling you to resolve this issue. What have you done?
There are no conflicts because the colonial treaties separated Uganda from Congo and Sudan. If journalists read, I think in schedule two (of the Constitution), it shows how borders are prescribed. South Sudan and Congo have got problems and when they settle, we shall settle this matter.