Museveni lashes out at NRM bigwigs over elitism
Speaking out. President Museveni, also doubles as chairman of the ruling NRM party. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Mr Museveni who urged his party members to be agents of change, said issues such as land evictions are rising because party legislators and others have failed to mobilise the masses.
President Museveni has criticised his party officials and the elites for fighting government programmes aimed at alleviating the suffering of the ordinary masses.
Mr Museveni made the remarks while addressing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party central executive committee at State House Entebbe last night
He said when he started a move to meet the urban poor youth in Kampala and Wakiso slum areas, he was ridiculed by NRM officials who wanted everything channelled through them.
“Youth and low income people have been ignored by the elite NRM. When we lost them, I went to look for them and I was being attacked by the NRM structures. They were asking me why is Museveni looking for the youth, we are here. That is why the NRM won in Kampala,” he said.
He added: “I really demand that the NRM leaders avoid the politics of elitism. This is not our heritage. In Luweero, when we were fighting we were with the people. We did not go through the churches, clan leaders, we went directly to the people.”
Mr Museveni who urged his party members to be agents of change, said issues such as land evictions are rising because party legislators and others have failed to mobilise the masses.
“I thank all the NRM members for the wonderful work they have done during the elections. Stop being enemies among yourselves. When I see people being enemies among themselves I get disturbed. Our only enemy is the one who tries to block our forward movement,” he said.
He also warned that government will deal decisively with those he accused of making trouble.
“I have been hearing that some people want to cause trouble [fail scientific elections]. We shall remove you because we are monitoring everything,” he said.
Govt programmes
Mr Museveni also warned those fighting the Universal Primary Education programme and other government initiatives that they are headed for tough times.
“There are many families that cannot afford to send their children to school. I don’t want to hear this issue of beginning to charge fees by the elite. Then the issue of drugs being stolen from the health centres, we are going to work on the computer programme to address the issue,” he said.
The President said the Shs260b allocated to the Youth Livelihood Programme is not enough.
“The money we have been using for foreign travels should be put into emyoga. When we do this, NRM we will be very strong and unassailable.”
Covid-19 warning
Mr Museveni also expressed anger at those violating government guidelines on public gatherings, saying that the national taskforce will deal with them.
He singled out Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zake whom he accused of misleading the masses.
“Now some people have been joking with this problem of coronavirus. I will address the country next week on this issue, but I will be an enemy if I stand here and talk about the election and not about the deaths, because if you die you will not come back,” he said.
