Museveni lectures UPDF officers at State House Entebbe скачать в хорошем качестве

Museveni lectures UPDF officers at State House Entebbe

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers and students undergoing various courses at the Armored Warfare Training School—Karama, Mubende District—to protect Uganda from the divisive politics of identity, which he believes undermines national unity, and urged them to engage in the country’s socio-economic transformation by promoting prosperity through the production of goods and services. Delivering a lecture of opportunity on Tuesday 10th June 2025, at State House Entebbe, President Museveni who is also the Commander In Chief of the UPDF, cited the harmful impact of identity politics in most African nations, notably citing the historical fall of Africa to colonialists that resulted in a significant political and economic decline. “In the last 500 years, Africa has been through so many problems: the slave trade, colonialism, and neo-colonialism. All this was happening because the governance of Africa was weak and lagging, consequently allowing Europeans to take control.” The President expressed satisfaction at the gathering, stating the importance of discussing the UPDF’s role as an instrument of revolution in Uganda and Africa, emphasizing the need for attendees to understand this mission. Taking them through the historic European colonization of Africa, the President hinted at its negative impact on African economic development, Uganda inclusive, and urged them to focus on national interests. Recalling how Africa had gone through neocolonialism, causing economic collapse, President Museveni pointed out that upon coming to power, the NRM government introduced three historic missions (prosperity, strategic security, and brotherhood) and four ideological principles (patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy), resulting in the revival of the economy. The President also urged the army officers to rethink prosperity through self-sufficiency, saying that true economic growth does not depend on aid but on local production and entrepreneurship. By producing a good or service and selling it with ekibaro, communities can generate income, improve living standards, and access essential resources like housing, transport, electricity, and clean water. President Museveni further warned the officers against tribalism and emphasized the need to expand markets beyond Uganda to ensure economic prosperity, advocating for a Pan-African and patriotic approach. He cautioned that producing similar products without sufficient market creation could lead to oversaturation and devalue those goods. “Currently, Uganda is producing 700,000 metric tons of sugar, yet the entire country consumes only about 300,000 metric tons, leaving a surplus of 400,000 metric tons. This means that the sugar market is more of a Ugandan market than solely a Busoga market, where sugarcanes are produced.” Similarly, the President said that dairy production is at 5.4 billion liters, with domestic consumption of only 800 million liters, resulting in a surplus of 4 billion liters. He encouraged the participants to work towards a deeper appreciation for Uganda, East Africa, and Africa in order to create a wider market and seize opportunities within the continent. “The milk we are producing within Uganda is 5.4 billion liters, consuming 800 million liters, having a surplus of 4 billion liters,” he said. “While tribal groups can collectively produce high-quality products, they may struggle to purchase large volumes.” On the issue of sustainable development, the President noted that as Uganda's economy advances, the call for innovation and progress should become increasingly crucial to foster economic transformation. In addition, President Museveni said families must transition from relying on manual labor and embrace skilled work and machinery, emphasizing sustainable development and likening it to a pregnancy that involves change and growth. President Museveni used this analogy to emphasize that just as a pregnancy involves change and growth, so too must the approaches to economic and social development evolve. During the discussion advocating for strategic security through regional integration, President Museveni emphasized the need for Africa to draw upon its historical resilience against slave trade, colonialism, and neo-colonialism and secure itself from contemporary threats. Reflecting on the failed attempts in 1963 to create an East African Federation, he noted that despite the hesitance of leaders like Obote and Kenyatta, who were influenced by European powers, figures like Mwalimu Nyerere and Karume of Zanzibar successfully moved forward to establish Tanzania, which has succeeded for over 60 years. President Museveni pointed out that had the federation been realized, many subsequent issues, such as the rise of Idi Amin, might have been avoided.