Museveni to address Ugandans amidst worsening economic situation

KAMPALA, UGANDA: President Yoweri Museveni will today, Wednesday, July 20 address Ugandans on the current affairs and the economic situation in the country amidst soaring fuel and essential commodity prices.

The development was confirmed by the Senior Press Secretary to the President Lindah Nabusayi Wamboka in a tweet saying the address will be telecast on all TV and radio stations starting at 8 pm.

“NOTICE: National Address on current affairs by President, Gen.Kaguta Museveni. Date: Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 at 8pm. To be aired live on all TV Stations & Radio Stations,” Ms. Nabusayi tweeted.

Among the key issues, Ugandans expect Museveni to shed light on, include the current economic crisis that has hit the country for a couple of months now, worsening the poor standards of living in the East African landlocked country.

For the past seven months now, Ugandans have been forced to spend twice if not thrice as much to afford necessities like fuel and food, among other commodities.

In his last address on the crises Uganda is dipped in, Museveni blamed Europeans whom he accuses of causing what he called an artificial problem leading to the higher cost of production. Museveni, then, said it was time to stop depending on who he called “mistake makers” in Europe, the United States and Russia – who have caused the high prices.

“The Russians have blockaded the Ukrainian ports,” Museveni said. “And I hear within the ports there are 25 million tons of wheat, the petroleum, and even the fertilizers. Remember, fertilizers are also a problem because they are produced by Russia, I hear. If these people, if they are a bit humble. … We need to advise our friends, the bazungu (whites) to please, find other ways of how to solve these problems.”

Economic analysts advised the President to cut taxes on commodities such as fuel, but he insisted that this will only cripple the economy.

Museveni instead asked Ugandans to be frugal in their purchases of imported goods, stop depending on “rainfall agriculture,” increase production, and use locally made materials.

Currently, fuel is selling between Ugx6400 and Ugx7,200 per litre and the cost is expected to increase, while a bar of soap among other essential commodities is selling between Ugx 7000 and Ugx 10,000, and a litre of cooking oil between Ugx10,000 and Ugx13,000.