Our mission is prosperity and security for Africa - Museveni
President Museveni interacts with officers from Tanzania National Defence College after delivering a lecture at his Country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura District, on on April 19, 2022. PHOTO/PPU
What you need to know:
The President says his government has set out four principles of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, social economic transformation, and democracy.
President Museveni has said prosperity for the people and building strategic security are at the heart of their mission for Uganda and Africa.
The President, who is also the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, made the remarks while delivering a lecture on opportunity to officers from the Tanzanian National Defence College, who are on a tour of duty in the country, yesterday.
The opportunity lecture took place at the President’s country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura District.
Mr Museveni welcomed them to Uganda and gave them a brief history of Uganda, which he said had collapsed completely politically and economically, until it was rescued by the freedom fighters in 1986.
“I welcome you to Uganda. To get a good picture of Uganda, I need to inform you that Ugandan had become a failed state. It had collapsed. This was because of the endless coups. The political governance was collapsing, but also the economy and social services had collapsed,” he said.
The President said as freedom fighters, they formed two missions; one of building prosperity and another of building strategic security.
“When we analysed the reasons for all these conflicts, we came up with two missions that would be assisted with four principles. Our group soon after Independence, detached itself and formed the student’s movement, which eventually rescued Uganda. That student movement identified two missions; how do we build prosperity on the African continent, but also how do we build strategic security that covers all situations,” he said.
The President said people would talk about sectarian politics of region and tribe, which could not solve the problem of prosperity and strategic security.
Stressing his point, Mr Museveni added that when you have a producer and a consumer, then you will need infrastructure such as roads and electricity to enable products reach the consumer.
“For example here in Kiruhura, people produce milk, beef, and grow some bananas. So, they will need to transport them to Kampala. That is where the infrastructure will be needed to take the products. I am prosperous not because of my tribe or religion, but because of the market of Uganda,” he said.
He emphasised that Uganda and Africa must change from the traditional ways of creating wealth to modern ways of using machine power and science.
Responding to their question and concerns of the conflicts in the Great Lakes region, President Museveni said the conflicts are mainly sectarianism and manipulation from foreigners.
The head of the delegation, Brig Gen Nkangaa Juma Sipe, thanked the President for accepting their visit and allowing to deliver a lecture.
“On behalf of the college commandant, and on my own behalf, I want to sincerely thank you for accepting our visit. You gave us a very special treatment. Thank you for your wonderful time and lecture,” he said.
The team later gave gifts to President Museveni and the First Lady Janet Museveni.
