(Luweero) – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has a message to leaders who misguide Ugandans: “You better check yourselves, or I’ll help you check out!” This stern warning was issued during a thanksgiving ceremony for Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa in Ndejje, Luweero District, and it seems the President is not holding back words.
With a tone that suggested he was less than pleased, Museveni highlighted the concerning trend of leaders who seem more interested in distractions than in addressing the real issues facing the nation. “I’m tired of the misleaders of our people,” he stated. The President lamented that instead of focusing on wealth creation, some leaders prefer to lead their people astray—much like a chicken crossing the road without a destination in mind.
According to Museveni, while citizens are crying out for essential services like roads and electricity, some leaders are busy spinning tales like a local storyteller. “We told you that all those roads and electricity are what we call development,” he explained, adding that having a nice tarmacked road doesn’t mean you’re wealthy if your home is still filled with hunger and poverty. “It’s about homestead incomes! Forget about the smooth roads. It is the money in your pocket that counts!”
He used the example of areas like Ngoma and Kapeeka, where families may live with potholes the size of swimming pools, yet they thrive because they have embraced the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) wealth creation gospel. “They have cows, they sell milk, and they have a lot of money,” he proclaimed, as if challenging anyone to come argue with a successful farmer at the local market, surrounded by overflowing baskets of produce.
Museveni also criticized the absurdity of complaints about road conditions. “If I rear pigs in Nakusibyaki and put them on a pickup truck, can the pigs complain about the road? I think not!”
While he acknowledged that some leaders are simply not up to the task, Museveni also had a few choice words for Parliament, referring to their reluctance to approve vital projects, like the infamous Bujagali Dam. “Now here there’s paralysis,” he noted, sounding a bit like a frustrated uncle trying to get a game of Ludo going with relatives who keep making excuses.
On the topic of government efficiency, the President shared a story of how he streamlined government agencies, comparing it to getting rid of excess baggage during a long bus ride. Museveni said his new plan involves cutting down on those “parasitic government authorities” that seem to thrive like weeds in the garden of governance. “Imagine 3,000 people using almost the same amount of money as all the other thousands of people.”
He then turned his attention to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), likening them to a stubborn mule that simply refuses to budge no matter how much you offer them. “They are paid a lot of money. The theory is that if you bribe them with a lot of money, they work better; but they don’t,” he lamented.
On a lighter note, President Museveni celebrated Hon. Nankabirwa’s elevation to Canon in the Church of Uganda by presenting her with five Friesian cows. Museveni praised Nankabirwa for her dedication to the NRM and her contributions to fostering unity among Ugandans. He reminded everyone that she is a living example of how hard work pays off—especially if that hard work involves mango farming, as she reportedly harvests up to Shs 60 million from just one acre of mango trees.
“In the 1950s, we had only one Canon in the whole of Ankore,” he recalled, adding that now there are many.
In her acceptance speech, Nankabirwa thanked Museveni for his support and pledged to serve God and the government wholeheartedly. “I’m ready to serve God with the help of my husband,” she declared, perhaps hinting that Mr. Ssegujja should start preparing for a life of divine chores.
