With due respect to President Museveni: Dear Your Excellency, kindly retire

I am one Ugandan who will continue to say that President Museveni has failed to get the Ugandans to the "Promised Land," instead of telling those people who are trying tocomfort those suffering because of the bad politics of the day, the best he can do for this country is to leave in peace. This country can be afar better one for many of us, but for sure, whatever President Museveni, he reached his pick and it is simply diminishing returns. It is best to see this country in peace by leaving that powerful office,we shall be most grateful. the problems of the day,the poverty,the corruption are a creation in his administration that could have been fought. We have to be open to our leaders. A human being has a span and now because he has exceeded the span for which he can viably be President,that is why he is going into issues of traditional leaders, etc. When out there you see the poverty unleathed on the people, you just pray toGod that somebody peacefully takes over.
William Kituuka

Friday, 6 August 2010

President Yoweri Museveni has advised religious and traditional leaders in the country to avoid making hate statements that can divide Ugandans, 256news.com reports. It is not the first he is giving the warning but recent events show no heed from those he aimed at.

The President was meeting a group of businessmen, mechanics, timber traders and opinion leaders from Katwe, a suburb of Kampala City. The group’s umbrella organization is known as Katwe Metal Fabricators Cluster and Ndeeba Timber Dealers. The meeting took place at State House Entebbe.

“When I hear what some of our religious and traditional leaders say on FM radio stations, and the statements they make, they are hate statements that can divide Ugandans”, he said.

Uganda has constitutionally recognised traditional leaders in several regions most significant of which are Buganda, Bunyoro and Busoga.
Some of the leaders in these kingdoms are behind the biggest opposition to President Museveni's 24 year old government.

Some religious leaders have also of recent made expressions that border on plain partisan politics.

The President observed that all leaders must concentrate on issues that can unite Ugandans and programmes that can improve their welfare.

Mr. Museveni said that those who make hate statements have opportunities of making oversees trips. They have the opportunity of regular travels to Europe and Dubai and they would be more informed about the need for development.

The President urged leaders of Uganda to give guidance and advice on developmental programmes. He said that areas that need support are those which help the welfare of the people. He, however, noted that a country cannot develop if its leaders do not realize the need for unity and peace. He also said that areas such as infrastructure e.g. power generation are necessary to steer development.

Museveni reminded the delegation that his government has solved many problems that characterized the country before 1986 when the NRM government came to power. He gave the example of electricity and said that power generation has risen from 60 Megawatts in 1986 to the current 600 megawatts. He disclosed that although power is available it is very expensive. This, he said, is why government decided to subsidise power generated from diesel to make it cheaper.

He promised that with the completion of Bujagali power dam and other dams elsewhere in the country, more power will be generated and made cheaper. He assured industrialists, who are the biggest energy consumers that the current high power tariffs are a temporary problem because government has already undertaken construction of more power dams using funds that are internally generated. He, therefore, cautioned Ugandans to take politics seriously.

“Politics is not a simple matter as many people believe. If you make a wrong choice you suffer”, he said.

The President pointed out that people should evaluate what leaders say and relate them with their problems.

“Do not fall for their nice suits; evaluate their statements with your problems and how you will benefit from what they say”, he said.

The President gave the group Shs.20 million to buy tool boxes for the mechanics. He also pledged a lorry to timber traders to help them reduce costs in doing business. He also promised to assist them in their tree planting programme.

Mr. Museveni directed Government to buy the garage owners land in order to assist acquire a permanent place. Katwe metal fabricators cluster is composed of artisans and technicians with 800 firms that offer employment to over 3,000 people from both the elite and non-elite sectors.

The leader of the group, Omulangira Juma Kayima, told the President that some the group members were formerly working for the opposition. “They confessed to us that they were peddling lies against the government to undermine it so that they can come to power”, he disclosed.

He told the President that electricity was irregular and expensive which, he added, created more trouble for the government.

“When the government, through the State House political mobilization programme, gave us a generator and tools, the situation changed because it has improved their working conditions and those who were fighting us are busy campaigning for the Movement and have been elected to party posts”, he disclosed.