Entebbe, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said Uganda’s future remains firmly on course, pointing to sustained peace, steady economic activity, and expanding production as the country marked Christmas celebrations across all regions.
In his Christmas address to the nation, Museveni underscored that Uganda entered the festive season in a rare position of national stability, with uninterrupted security, functioning supply chains, and visible growth in both agricultural and industrial output.
“It is gratifying that Uganda is celebrating Christmas when the whole country is peaceful and there is a lot of agricultural and industrial production. The shops are full and the markets are full,” Museveni said.
He linked the calm festive season to long-term investments in security and stability, arguing that peace has allowed agriculture, trade, and industry to function uninterrupted across the country.
However, the President acknowledged that poverty remains a challenge for a section of the population, estimating that about 30 per cent of Ugandans are still operating outside the money economy.
“Yes, there is still poverty among the 30% still outside the money economy (abakolera ekiddakyoonka, tic me ic keken), but the way-out for them is well laid out and the resources to support the process are available and up-scalable,” he said.
Mr Museveni pointed to government wealth-creation programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, the Ghetto Fund, and the Boda Boda Fund as practical tools designed to integrate subsistence households into commercial production and the cash economy. He stressed that the focus now must be on proper implementation rather than policy formulation.
On corruption, the President warned that misuse of public resources persists largely due to under-reporting, insisting that enforcement mechanisms remain effective when cases are brought forward.
“The corruption by some of the executors is only because it is not reported. Once corruption is reported, it is stamped out. Do you remember Kazinda?” he asked, referring to former Permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Geoffrey Kazinda who got convicted on graft charges.
Museveni also placed Uganda’s progress within a continental perspective, calling for peace and deeper cooperation across Africa to secure markets and long-term security.
“The future is bright. Let us pray for peace in the whole of Africa and more economic and political integration in Africa to continue to solve the problem of markets for our products and services and strategic security,” he said.
He concluded by extending festive greetings to the nation, wishing Ugandans a peaceful Christmas and a prosperous year ahead as the country looks toward 2026.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
