Kyankwanzi, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has outlined eleven strategic priorities aimed at accelerating Uganda’s economy to grow tenfold, urging leaders to focus on practical, productivity-driven interventions to transform livelihoods.
Speaking on Friday during day four of the ongoing NRM retreat at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, the President said Uganda already has the capacity for rapid economic expansion if it maximises value addition, efficiency, and resource utilisation.
“In your heads, must be how the economy will grow ten times in a short time. The answer is clear—if we organise ourselves around these key points,” Museveni told legislators.
Museveni placed strong emphasis on value addition, particularly in agriculture, noting that exporting raw materials continues to limit Uganda’s earnings.
“We get only about $2.5 per kilo of coffee as raw beans. If we roast, grind and package it, we can earn between $25 and $40 from the same kilo,” he said.
He urged leaders to prioritise industrial processing to increase export value and boost incomes.
The President highlighted the need to transition households from subsistence to commercial production, noting that many rural families remain outside the money economy.
He pointed to government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) as key vehicles for integrating households into income-generating activities.
Museveni called for a shift towards a knowledge-based economy driven by science and innovation. “We must go beyond coffee and cotton and start producing vaccines, automobiles and computers,” he said.
He stressed that industrialisation anchored on technology will be central to long-term economic transformation.
Railway transport was identified as a priority to reduce the cost of doing business. “Rail transport is cheaper than road. If we reduce transport costs, businesses will make more profit and expand,” Museveni noted.
He added that improving logistics systems will enhance competitiveness and support industrial growth.
Museveni underscored the importance of reliable and affordable electricity to sustain industrial expansion, noting that Uganda has already made significant investments in power generation.
On financing, he called for cheaper credit, especially for producers and manufacturers. “We shall provide cheaper money for those involved in production, not for consumption like nightclubs, but for manufacturing and wealth creation,” he said.
The President stressed the need to strengthen revenue collection using ICT systems while tackling corruption, which he described as a major obstacle to progress. “Corruption must be fought. It is one of the key issues affecting our progress,” he said.
Museveni also highlighted cost-effective delivery of social services, particularly in health and education. “A lot of sickness is avoidable. If people immunise, eat well, exercise and sleep under mosquito nets, we can prevent up to 80 percent of illnesses,” he said.
He added that government must ensure access to schools at parish and sub-county levels to improve human capital development.
The President pointed to the growing role of the creative and services sector, including music, sports, and entertainment, as a source of income, especially for the youth.
He also flagged urban development challenges, particularly traffic congestion in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, noting that inefficiencies in urban transport are costing the economy. “Traffic jams cost a lot of money, but we shall solve that problem,” Museveni assured.
He concluded by urging leaders to remain focused on the identified priorities, saying concentrated effort on key sectors will accelerate Uganda’s economic transformation.
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