Kololo, Kampala: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged NRM leaders to lead their communities by example through proper use of government programs instead of using personal money, warning that such practices fuel corruption and greed.
Addressing delegates at the opening of the NRM National Conference at Kololo, Museveni said political leadership should not be about “carrying people on your head” but rather guiding citizens to utilize initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga to lift themselves out of poverty.
“This is where corruption starts,” the President cautioned. “When people are forced to use their own money to meet political demands, it breeds greed and misuse. Leaders must guide communities to leverage government programs.”
Tracing Uganda’s economic journey
Like it was in his Monday address at the opening of the SIGs conference, Mr Museveni revisited Uganda’s economic history, recalling that in 1962, only 9% of homesteads were economically active beyond subsistence, while 91% lived hand-to-mouth.
He pointed to the collapse of cash crops like cotton and tea, alongside the decline of tourism during Idi Amin’s regime in the 1970s, as major setbacks to national growth.
The President outlined five phases of Uganda’s economic evolution; recovery and revival of coffee, tea, and tourism, diversification into crops like maize, cassava, bananas, fruits, and vegetables, value addition to reduce dependency on raw exports, knowledge economy transition with locally produced vehicles and industrial innovations, and ambition for upper middle-income status, targeting GDP growth from $66 billion to $500 billion.
Peace, development, and wealth creation
Museveni stressed that peace and stability remain the foundation of progress, crediting NRM with maintaining security for over two decades. He drew a distinction between development (roads, schools, and hospitals) and wealth creation (commercial agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and services).
“A modern society depends on brain and skill-based productivity,” Museveni said, citing mechanized agriculture, piped water, and electrification as vital shifts from manual labor.
The President tasked NRM leaders with prioritizing wealth creation and the fight against corruption, warning that accountability must remain central to the ruling party’s agenda if Uganda is to achieve sustainable prosperity.
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