KFC, was founded by Col Sanders in 1952, But why did it come to Uganda in 2013 after 61 years?

By Ben Ssebuguzi 

In my last article titled: PDM is an antidote to inequality in wealth, I emphasized that President Yoweri Kaguta Museven’s wealth creation policy and programs including PDM, Emyooga, ONC start-up kits, industrial skilling among others are deliberate. They are not for pleasure and merry-making but for the common good of our country. 

They are deliberate in such a way as to make sure that at least every homestead is involved in the money economy through the buying and selling of goods and services. If each household can afford to earn basic income to meet their basic needs, the better. 

The President’s satisfaction is to see homesteads affording to earn money to pay for water, UMEME, buy bread and sugar, pay school fees/requirements, and afford health care among others. This even leads to the consumption tax increasing further and generally, the whole resource envelope expands. 

Furthermore when the resource envelop increases it also means we shall be reducing the budget deficit hence low public borrowing and consequently increase in service delivery and development. In other words, the public has no legitimacy to cry over uncontrolled borrowing when they are not engaged in economic activities that spur the growth of our GDP.

It should be recalled in my last article that when per capita income increases, we are able to attract Multinationals like Kentucky Fried Chicken which many of you know as KFC to start a franchise in Uganda. 

KFC business people made feasibility studies to establish if Uganda has good prospective population to afford their services. I’m sure they considered the parameters like an increase in the number of the working and middle class and the quality of our population in terms of quality of life, among others. It had to take KFC more than 60 years to come to Uganda probably because Uganda then was marred by insecurity and political instability, lack of a good investment regime and shallow economy among others. 

Subsequently, the coming of KFC doesn’t only come with employing many graduates but also buying chicken products from our local farmers on top of paying taxes and supporting other financial sectors like insurance, and banking among others hence scaling our economy to greater heights. 

In conclusion, PDM and Emyooga are an economic mix because PDM beneficiaries are helping  KFC meet reliable suppliers for chicken products hence a competitive price for farmers’ produce. In other words, our President is right when he over-emphasises wealth creation of each household rather than always talking about politics like our counterparts because wealth creation has a multiplier effect on the economy. After all, we are able to create more jobs for Gen Z and Bazukkulu. 

The writer is the Head of Research at President Museveni’s Office of the National Chairman