Museveni’s famous quotes since 1980

ON LEADERSHIP
Cleanliness in leadership is one of the rarest commodities in Uganda.
Weekly Topic June 6, 1980

Even leaders can turn into bad people. If something falls in milk, you must not let it stay there – but remove it before the milk gets bad. We should be careful. We must not only praise ourselves, but critic ourselves too or, the movement fails.
The Monitor June 10, 1997

ON HIS SOCIAL LIFE
I last danced in 1966 and some poor dancers spoilt the whole thing by stepping on my toes.
Speech at Rushoroza Parish in Kabale district
The Monitor January 05-08, 1996

ON HIS DETRACTORS
There are some people who go calling me a war monger; implying that I am in love with war whether it is there or not. What I have said during my previous rallies was in response to the UPC speeches from other districts in which they talked of a certain party which was going around telling people that whether they voted for that party or not, it would still be in power.
Speech at Nyakaseke pitch Kabarole District
Uganda Times, July 22, 1980

ON PERSONAL INTEGRITY
When I was the minister of Defence in 1979/80, my in-laws used to bring me milk and flour from Buhweju. That was my food since the salary was not enough to buy food in Kampala.
Monitor interview June 26, 1997

I was saddled by all types of unclean people in the UNLF government. Otherwise, things would have looked much better than they are today. Some unclean people are responsible for the suffering of the people of Uganda.
Speech at a rally in Masindi District
Uganda Times, July 15, 1980

ON POLITICS
Bad politics in Uganda produced bad governments which have plunged the country into the present crisis.
Speech at a rally at Kawempe, Kampala
Uganda Times, August 3, 1980

I am a freedom fighter. I would feel insulted if you called me a politician. Politicians here in Africa do not have a good reputation.
Interview with the Time Magazine October 12, 1989

Africa is tired of leaders who cling to power against the wishes of the masses.
Speech at the UPM fundraising at Fairway Hotel Kampala
Uganda Times, November 10, 1980

ON UPM PARTY
UPM was founded to remove the ‘Marijuana’ of confusion from the heads of Ugandans.
Speech at a rally in Gulu District
Uganda Times, October 6, 1980

ON HEALTH
It is horrible to see that hospitals in the country have no drugs. It is the duty of every government to provide drugs, sugar, salt and other essential requirements.
Speech at a rally in Masindi District
Uganda Times, July 15, 1980

ON EX- PRESIDENT JULIUS NYERERE OF TANZANIA
I am happy when I speak of Nyerere because – I am his supporter. I said he was the greatest blackman that ever lived. There were other black men such as Mandela, Nkrumah; but Nyerere is the greatest black man that ever lived. Mwalimu is unique. We shall continue coming to Namugongo every June 1 to pray for the beatification and eventual canonisation.
Speech at Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, Kampala
New Vision, June 2, 2011

ON AGRICULTURE
The UPC government minister used to go around telling the youth to go back to the land. Why didn’t these ministers go to land themselves?
Speech at a rally in Masindi District
Uganda Times July 15, 1980

ON CORRUPTION
Uganda’s causes of disunity mainly spring from fears that public officials are cutting up the national cake among themselves. During the last 12 years, most people especially the top brass had been grabbers.
Speech at a news conference in Kampala
Uganda Times, September 10, 1979

Using a government position to a mass wealth is high treason. If the UPM is not going to be supported because it denounces such methods of getting rich, let it be.
Speech in Bushenyi and Mbarara districts
Weekly Topic August 27, 1980

ON ECONOMY
It is criminal for MPs to earn shillings four million when the primary teacher is earning shillings seventy thousands per month.
The Monitor June 27, 1997
ON EX-PRESIDENT OF ZAIRE (DRC)
The big mistake of Mubutu was to involve himself in Rwanda. So it’s really Mubutu who initiated the programme of his removal. Had he not involved himself in Rwanda, I think he could have stayed just like that; as he had been doing nothing to develop Zaire but stay in what the call power by controlling the radio station and so on.
The Monitor August 11, 1997 adopted from his interview with the New Yorker newspaper.

ON EMPLOYMENT
Because of poor planning, we say we lack trained man power when there are jobless professions walking on the streets.
Speech at Makerere University
Weekly Topic August 22, 1980

ON RWANDa PATRIOTIC FRONT ARMY
I told (Juvenal) Habyarimana those boys are very dangerous. Some of them like Fred (Rwigyema) were our best fighters.
A military solution is not possible because those boys are very experienced militarily – and I doubt whether they can be defeated.
Interview with Africa Events magazine of November 1990
I took two positions: to support the RPF so that they are not defeated on one hand and engage Habyarimana so that he agrees to negotiation. That is how the Arusha talks begun.
Speech at the RPF 15th anniversary in Kigali
ON FRED RWIGYEMA
Rwigyema kept telling me about his homeland and discrimination.
Speech at the RPF 15th anniversary in Kigali
ON WAR SITUATION
It is like a cinema.
Uganda Times, January 10, 1980

ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Freedom of speech is a right of the people and not a favour from the government.
Speech at UNLF public rally
Uganda Times, February 28, 1980

The rights of the people are sovereign. The people are the sovereign power in the land. Anybody who does not recognise that ought not to be in power.
Press conference in Nairobi Kenya, Daily Nation December 18, 1985

It is not enough to speak of freedom of speech and freedom from arrest. People must have freedom from hunger, disease and leaking roofs.
The Star October 24, 1987
A government that subjects its citizens to humiliation and desperate solutions is not worth the name and should hence be removed. It was the violation of this cardinal principle by Amin that forced Ugandans to take to arms to liberate their motherland.
Speech at Ishaka, Bushenyi District
Uganda Times July 16, 1979

ON WORLD PEACE
Peace is not consolidated by unprincipled compromises with murders and crooks. That is why I could not accept to talk to crooks like Amin and De-Klerk.
Remarks to South African president De-klerk about Uganda hosting and training ANC fighters
The Monitor June 10, 1997

ON NATIONAL UNITY
Let’s not wait to use guns. We can use the tongue; so why not get the unity we desire?
Speech at a rally in Mbarara District
Uganda Times, January 7, 1980

ON VIOLENCE IN UGANDA
Violence in Uganda was not started by the people; but by those in power in 1964. The government started killing the people at Nakulabye.
Speech after signing the Nairobi peace agreement
Daily Nation, December 18, 1985
By using violence against the state inspired violence, we were able to establish equilibrium where the people in power must be persuaded once and for all, never to violate the rights of the people.
Speech after signing the Nairobi peace agreement
Daily Nation, December 18, 1985

The people of Uganda did not start violence. I was not a soldier. I was an intellectual. Why did I become a soldier? I became a soldier to save myself and my people against state inspired violence.
Speech after signing the Nairobi peace agreement
Daily Nation, December 18, 1985
People were killed in 1964, our people were killed in 1966, our people were killed in 1969, Amin killed our people from 1971 to 1979, Milton Obote killed our people from 1981 to 1985 and the military council has been killing our people even recently. I don’t blame General Tito Okello personally and that is why I am willing to talk to him.
Speech after signing the Nairobi peace agreement
Daily Nation, December 18, 1985

ON EUROPEAN HYPOCRISY
Some of these people cannot know that you are angry until you tell them that you go and eat your mother’s something, something.
Press conference at signing of the anti-homosexual law at State House, Entebbe February 24, 2014

ON JUBA PEACE TALKS AND JOSEPH KONY
If Kony does not sign, he will come back horizontally and not vertically. You know what that means.
News conference at State House, Entebbe
Sunday Vision, August 3, 2008

ON DR. KIzZA BESIGYE’S ROLE IN LUWEERO WAR
Suppose Besigye or Bata had not come to the bush, would NRA have triumphed in the war of resistance? Certainly, we would have triumphed because we were winning before they came.
His letter in the Sunday Vision May 3, 2009
We received Besigye because he came. We would have gone on even if he had not come. Kony has been in the bush for 22 years. He has never had a trained doctor in the bush. Kony has failed to achieve victory because of other reasons; not because he lacked a doctor.
His letter in the Sunday Vision May 3, 2009

ON PATRIOTISM
Ugandan would have to be taught how to fight against dictatorship. Don’t fear anything. Amin used to say he feared nobody but God; but where is he today?
Speech at a rally in Bushenyi
Uganda Times July 9, 1980

We cannot continue to teach these children cockroaches, frogs, German and French and not teach them about loving their country.
Address to Mpigi District school teachers
Sunday Vision, March 8, 2009

ON ALCOHOL
For me I don’t drink and I don’t want people to drink, but those who drink are at the forefront of paying taxes. For every bottle of beer they drink, there is a tax. Because beer is a luxury, drinkers are voluntary tax payers.
Address to Mpigi school teachers
Sunday Vision, March 8, 2009
ON MEETING Kabaka RONALD MUTEBI
It’s not a favour for me to meet Kabaka Mutebi or him to meet me. As long as he is the Kabaka he is obliged. I am here running the whole of Uganda.
News conference at State House, Entebbe
Sunday Vision, August 3, 2008

ON GLOBAL ECONOMY
There is tremendous potential in Africa. Africa is a continent of the future. Just like India and China have become super powers, in the next 25 years a lot of changes will have taken place here.
Address to Indian Investors in Kampala.
Sunday Vision, July 1, 2007

ON HIV/AIDS
The AIDS virus is easy to control. It depends on personal responsibility. There is an urgent need to control loose sex.
Address to the congregation at Namirembe Cathedral on December 25, 1993.

For the young people, the idea of okuroza (tasting) is very dangerous. If you do not keep your virginity, there will be permanent mistrust. The youth must wait till they find a partner they trust. If you don’t, you will drown in search of temporary pleasure. I don’t believe in these things that when you see someone you faint because of love.
New Vision July, 2004

ON BUGANDA
When the people of Buganda made a wrong choice of forging an alliance with the UPC the unfortunate consequence was the 1966 crisis which made them regret.
Speech at a rally in Mukono north, Mukono district
Daily Monitor, May 24, 2010

ON HIS DAUGHTER PATIENCE’S LONG HAIR
I’m allergic to women treating their hair. African women should not have long hair like Indians. All other girls in my home including Janet listened to me except Patience.
Speech at Patience Kokundeka Museveni’s give-away ceremony July 20, 2002

ON UGANDA/RPF RELATIONS
Uganda did not stand aloof while those criminals were butchering people here like others did. We stood with our brothers, the RPF to save the rest of the people whom the killers did not get.
Speech on April 7, 2004 at the 10th Rwanda genocide memorial ceremony in Kigali, Rwanda

ON DEMOCRATIC PARTY
I joined DP in 1960 but I quit in 1970 because I saw that they were going no-where. They are still where I left them.
New Vision, April 5, 2004

ON homosexuality
We reject the notion that homosexuality can be by choice. When I was fighting after the Bill was passed, I didn’t’ know I was fighting a wrong war. I cannot understand why a person cannot be attracted to the beauties of women and go for men,”

Daily Monitor, February 25 2014