Uganda’s Museveni chest-thumps about economy in nation-wide address
Kampala, Uganda (PANA) – President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda on Thursday delivered his annual State-of-the-Nation Address, painting a rosy picture of the country’s economic prospects.
Museveni, in power since January 1986, has been on a countrywide tour in what critics say is an early start to campaigns for the 2021 elections. He has prioritised household incomes, dubbing his tour across the country as a wealth-creation drive.
“Uganda’s economic growth and development outlook is positive, with the economy projected to grow at, at least, 7% in the medium term, but could even be higher given that we have now sorted out the key constraints to growth,” Museveni told Parliament.
His speech lasted over four hours, stretching into the evening.
Museveni focused on per capita income, throwing about figures going back in time. He said GDP per capita in Uganda was 0.12% between 1951 and 1961, increasing to 1.4% between 1962 and 1970, and then nosedived to -2.9% between 1971 and 1980.
According to Museveni’s figures, per capita income growth rebounded to a modest 0.8% from 1982 to 1985, and then rose to 2.8% during 1986 to 1995, before growing further to 3.6% from 1995 to-date.
He used these figures to make the point that incomes have risen much faster during his presidency since 1986.
For the past two decades or so, Museveni said Uganda was the fastest growing non-oil and non-mineral reliant country in Africa, and fourth in the world.
Museveni threw in a comparison: “No European country, now even the US, EXCEPT West Germany between 1950 and 1980, no other has grown its GDP per capita at a rate of 3% over a period of 30 years.”
The growth, he said, was achieved even as Uganda was surrounded by a number of countries engulfed in civil war – Rwanda (1990-1994); South Sudan (almost all the time); and DR Congo (1996 to-date).
He noted that Kenya, Uganda’s neighbour to the east, also suffered economic stagnation between 1996 and 2002.
Museveni said Uganda’s growth in the past decade or so has been spurred by heavy investment in road infrastructure.
He noted the cost of doing business is still high in Uganda, which he said his government will address by continuing to prioritise investment in energy, transport, water, and ICT.
The bullish Museveni, however, avoided politics and did not address the political situation in the country and relations with Rwanda, her neighbour to the south west. There has been talk of a national dialogue to diffuse the polarization caused by Museveni’s long stay in power, with the Constitution changed two a year ago to remove the 75-year age close which was seen as the only roadblock to Museveni’s continued rule after 2021.
Rwanda has accused Uganda of backing groups that intend to overthrow President Paul Kagame, which Uganda denies. At the end of February, Rwanda shut its border to goods from Uganda and blocked its nationals from crossing the border into Uganda. There have not been any serious publicized attempt to end the three-month feud.
-0- PANA EM/VAO 6June2019
