President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today underscored the importance of wealth creation in developing the country and shifting away from past reliance on mere infrastructure projects
He made the remarks while meeting with the leaders in Ankole sub-region at Bushenyi Boma grounds in Ishaka-Bushenyi Municipality.
President Museveni began by highlighting the challenges faced by developing countries, including the wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Somalia and others.
“What we are focusing on now is understanding why such conflicts occur,” he said.
The President argued that leading a nation requires proper diagnosis, similar to a medical approach.
“Leading our country is like being a doctor. If you do not diagnose the right disease and provide the corresponding treatment, there’s a problem,” he explained.
Reflecting on the 1960s, President Museveni recalled the four key priorities of development, wealth, skills and jobs.
“Back then, infrastructure developments like roads, electricity, schools, and hospitals became symbols of progress. But I urge the leaders to focus more on wealth generation because wealth and development are different,” he said.
President Museveni used his own experience as examples, saying, “In 1968, I started with cows in Rubaya and later bought land in Rwakitura. I was looking for wealth, not just development.”
He further illustrated his point by sharing the story of Joseph Ijara of Serere, who started small with 2.5 acres of land and later expanded into a flourishing poultry farm that now generates millions of shillings.
The President also mentioned Mrs. Deziranta Tumusiime and Mr. Kenneth Ayesiga, who transformed their lives by leveraging modest investments in businesses like piggery and food supply.
“We need to embrace these success stories. Wealth creation starts from grassroots-level initiatives,” President Museveni affirmed.
He pointed to the government’s initiatives such as Entandikwa, NAADS, Emyooga, Operation Wealth Creation and Parish Development Model which inject funds directly into communities.
“Through the Parish Development Model (PDM), beneficiaries get their own money to use as they see fit. This money won’t return to Kampala. It is a revolving fund, continuously supporting local development,” he emphasized.
President Museveni also called for more funding, acknowledging that the distribution of beneficiaries across parishes may require tailored amounts to meet diverse needs.
The President also addressed the concerns of land fragmentation.
He discussed the need for families to share and carefully use inherited property whereby they shouldn’t divide land rather use it productively and benefit from shares.
President Museveni also talked about the ongoing challenges in the agricultural sector. He requested full support for a government irrigation program to mitigate effects of the drought.
“This program is essential. Those in wetlands must relocate to allow us to better manage resources for food production and water distribution,” he said.
“Additionally, we must invest in processing industries for agricultural products,” he added, referring to creating value chains with the likes of egg production, milk, butter, and yogurt.
On the issue of infrastructure, President Museveni noted that many people in urban slums still live in poverty despite access to modern amenities.
“We cannot confuse modernizing infrastructure with improving wealth distribution,” he said.
On the other hand, President Museveni encouraged the youth to pursue careers in science and technology.
“We need more scientists, engineers, doctors, and agricultural experts if we want to build a strong economy. Storytellers can’t feed the country,” he said .
President Museveni further emphasised that the nation must overcome sectarianism and focus on wealth creation and economic sustainability, particularly in sectors such as commercial agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and services.
“I urge you to prioritize wealth creation over irrelevant politics. The promotion of jobs, skills, and wealth informs our national progress,” he noted.
The President concluded by encouraging all Ugandans to participate actively in the nation’s economic transformation efforts, stressing that collective action is necessary to overhaul Uganda’s economy sustainably.
On her part, the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo lauded the President for his dedication to transforming Uganda, emphasizing that his leadership has significantly developed the economy, education and the infrastructure.
“This is a historic moment for the leaders and people of this subregion. Your presence here today is a long-awaited homecoming, and it means a lot to the people of Ankole,” H.E Alupo said.
“Allow me to sincerely thank you for setting aside everything else to come and connect with your people, sharing with them your passion for transforming Uganda into a prosperous nation,” she said.
