Kampala, Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni has launched a fierce response directed at veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda after the outspoken commentator questioned the viability of several state-backed industrial projects and suggested the 82-year-old leader was becoming incapable of critically assessing investment proposals.
In a lengthy statement issued on Saturday, Museveni, who recently took the oath for a record 7th term as Uganda’s President, dismissed Mwenda’s criticism as “neo-colonial sabotage,” insisting that despite his age, he remains fully capable of defending Uganda’s economic direction and national interests.
“Mr Mwenda, thank you for declaring me senile and incapable of judging right,” Museveni wrote. “You will, however, discover that at 82, I am still able to defend Uganda and myself with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen,” he added.
The public fallout between the PLU top leader and Mr Museveni comes against the backdrop of a strongly-worded article titled “When old age strikes a leader” authored by Mwenda on The Independent on April 20, 2026, in which he criticised government’s continued financing of high-cost industrial ventures, including Dr Matthias Magoola’s pharmaceutical factory, Nelson Tugume’s coffee processing plant in Ntungamo, and the Kiira Motors vehicle manufacturing project.
In his Op-Ed, Mwenda argued that Uganda’s financially constrained economy was being burdened by speculative “white elephant” projects benefiting a small elite instead of directly empowering millions of small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs across the country.
In one of the most controversial sections of his article, Mwenda linked the decisions to Museveni’s age, arguing that the veteran leader was increasingly vulnerable to influence from ambitious businessmen and political actors surrounding him.
But Museveni responded sharply, accusing Mwenda of deliberately undermining Uganda’s industrialisation agenda and working against the country’s economic transformation efforts.
“You are supposed to be a journalist. Why do you not interview these ‘conmen’ such as Magoola, Senfuka, etc.? They are here in Uganda,” Museveni asked.
“Visit Magoola’s factories in Matugga and Kamuli. Interview people who testify that they were cured by Senfuka’s mixture of herbs. Visit Tugume’s factory in Ntungamo. Visit Professor Muranga’s banana project in Bushenyi.”
The President also defended Kiira Motors, a flagship government-backed automotive project that has faced years of criticism over delays, funding, and production targets. “You are ashamed and you dare not talk about the Kiira Motors because that is a shamer of the neo-colonial agents like Mwenda,” the veteran Ugandan leader charged.
Museveni accused critics of supporting a “neo-colonial” economic model that keeps African countries dependent on exporting raw materials rather than industrialising locally.
Using Uganda’s gold and coffee sectors as examples, Museveni argued that value addition remains critical to the country’s long-term economic survival.
“A kilogram of fully refined gold of the purity of 99.9% goes for USD168,000 while raw gold goes for USD60,000,” he noted. “A kilogram of processed coffee goes for USD25 to USD40 while raw coffee earns only USD2.5.”
The President further pointed to recent growth in Uganda’s export sector, revealing that gold exports had now reached USD7.48 billion following the establishment of multiple local refineries after government banned the export of unprocessed minerals.
Museveni also defended government wealth creation initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), crediting them for boosting coffee production from three million bags to 8.8 million bags annually.
“What caused the boom of coffee from 3 million bags to now 8.8 million bags, bringing into the country USD2.4 billion?” Museveni asked.
The President also accused Mwenda of leaking sensitive internal government discussions, including Cabinet matters, onto social media with the intention of frightening away investors and damaging Uganda’s economic image.
“What could be the real motive of Andrew Mwenda externalizing our internal discussions, including the Cabinet?” Museveni questioned. “It is to scare away our partners because the likes of Andrew Mwenda are worried by the success of Uganda’s economy, now growing at 6.3% per annum.”
Museveni also revived old political battles, accusing Mwenda and others of sabotaging the Bujagali hydropower project in the early 2000s, which he claimed contributed to Uganda’s electricity shortages at the time.
“He was part of those that caused load-shedding in Uganda in 2005 and onwards, having sabotaged our partnership with AES on the Bujagali project,” Museveni said.
Below is Museveni’s Full Response t oAndrew Mwenda
Mr. Mwenda, thank you for declaring me senile and incapable of judging right.
You will, however, discover that at 82, I am still able to defend Uganda and myself with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen.
You are supposed to be a journalist. Why do you not interview these “conmen” such as Magoola, Senfuka, etc.? They are here in Uganda. They are where you can reach them and even the assets they have put on the ground. Visit Magoola’s factories in Matugga and Kamuli. Interview People who testify that they were cured by Senfuka’s mixture of herbs. Visit Tugume’s factory in Ntungamo. Visit Professor Muranga’s banana project in Bushenyi.
You are ashamed and you dare not talk about the Kiira Motors because that is a shamer of the neo- colonial agents like Mwenda. The Do-nothingers like Andrew Mwenda, always running around noisily telling lies, claim to save government money from loss-making projects. Yet, they happily cohabit peacefully and gleefully with the neo-colonial status quo of confining Africa to producing and exporting unprocessed raw-materials where we lose so much value.
The other day I gave the example of Gold where the parasites that abound in Africa export gold at 84% purity and get USD 60,000. A Kilogram of fully refined gold of the purity of 99.9% goes for USD 168,000. How much loss is that? A kilogram of processed coffee, goes for USD 25 to USD 40 depending on the brands and yet for raw materials we get USD 2.5 per kilogram.
The Stubborn old man of Uganda who is senile, banned the export of all unprocessed minerals. There are now 10 gold refineries in Uganda. The gold exports from Uganda have now hit USD 7.48 billion. The great Mwenda is talking about small capital for small holders. Does this great Andrew Mwenda live in Uganda? Have you heard of PDM and the other funds? If you are a patriot, why do you not participate in making them work? Where they have been implemented, they do wonders. What caused the boom of coffee from 3 million bags to now 8.8 million bags bringing into the country USD 2.4billion? As a freedom fighter, I am always stubbornly standing for patriotism, Pan-Africanism, social-economic transformation and Democracy. I am never swayed by traitors and foreign agents. That is how we overcome all the challenges.
What could be the real motive of Andrew Mwenda of externalizing in the social-media our internal discussions, including the Cabinet? It is to scare away our partners because the likes of Andrew Mwenda are worried by the success of Uganda’s economy, now growing at 6.3% per annum. This is not the first time Mwenda has done it. He was part of those that caused load-shedding in Uganda in 2005 and onwards, having sabotaged our partnership with AES (American Energy Service) in the year 2003 on the Bujagali Electricity Project where they were going to produce electricity at US cents 4.9 per Khwr. Ebikokorimo by’enkoko, tebitta Kamunye- the curses of the chicken do not kill the kite. Ugandans, ignore the likes of Andrew Mwenda. They are always trying to sabotage our growth and transformation.
The growth of the commercial dairy industry in the cattle corridor boosting milk-production from 200 million litres to 5.3 billion litres; the banana industry; the fruit industry in Teso, Luwero, Kayunga and Masaka; the Palm oil industry in Kalangala, Buvuma, Bundibugyo and Maruzi; the coffee industry already referred to; the steel industry; etc., are always opposed by the likes of Andrew Mwenda. We have succeeded in spite of their sabotage. Even if we were to make a mistake in the effort to industrialize Uganda, achieve import-substitution and export promotion, it would be better than merely careening on in the neo-colonial doldrums.
We attacked Kabamba two times, not succeeding. On the third attempt, we had great success. Failure from which we learn lessons, is success. With the Banyankore, if a baby is learning how to walk and falling down, we encourage the baby saying: “Siinga abarezi, siinga abarezi, tengerera, tengerera.” We do not do what Mwenda is doing by saying: “The child will never stand.” You, then, become omwinazi (an ill-wisher).
Aluta Continua
Victory is certain.
Signed:
Yoweri K. Museveni
Ssaabalwanyi.
The public exchange has since triggered intense debate across political and media circles, with supporters of Museveni praising his defence of industrialisation while critics argue that Mwenda’s concerns reflect growing questions about accountability, public spending, and the sustainability of state-backed mega projects.
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