President Museveni to meet cultural leaders over NRM vision

Entebbe: The President says that the meeting will focus on sharing the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) government’s vision with the cultural leaders.

“We have been active since the 1960s. We started as a student movement, then we became a fighting force because of our internal politics here. We later became a political movement, but we have very strong views that we would like to share with the traditional people so that we don’t clash because, for us, we are very firm. We cannot change,” he said.

President Museveni made the remarks on Monday August 5, 2024 while meeting a group of cultural leaders in Africa led by Umukuka III of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, at State House, Entebbe.

During the meeting, the President implored the cultural leaders to sensitize their people to create wealth and uplift their livelihoods.

He said that as a government, they have always advocated for prosperity among Ugandans.

“Our starting point is a question. Do you want prosperity in Africa or not? If you say you do, then the question is: how will it be achieved? Can it be achieved by begging Europeans? If begging were the solution, Africa would be rich by now because they have been begging for almost 70 years. Begging has not worked, which is why you see crises everywhere in Africa, which means that the issue of prosperity is yet to be addressed,” he said.

“Our view is that prosperity will come from each adult person producing a good or participating in producing a good or a service, selling it sustainably, and getting money; that money will help me get rich and solve my problems.”

President Museveni further explained that prosperity will come from wealth creation, which is why the government sends money (the parish development model) to villages to create wealth for every homestead.

“If you say that is the way to get prosperity, then the next question is: who will buy what you produce? In our analysis, like me, I’m from a tribe that keeps cows.

From the cows, I get milk and beef, and I sell them. When I sell them, I get money, which I use to build a better house and solve my problems. We also produce bananas in my tribe. But the problem I have is that people in my tribe don’t buy from me because they produce the same products as me,” he noted.

“The ones who buy bananas and my milk and beef are the other tribes in Uganda because they are the ones who don’t have what we have. They also have something that we don’t have. You find that Uganda is the one that helps my tribe be prosperous because they buy what my tribe doesn’t buy. That is why we tell our people that the tribe is important, but they love Ugandan patriotism. Why? Because you need it for your prosperity.”

He further noted that when people produce more, they will realize that the local market is not enough, thus the need for the African market.

“That is why we tell our people that we also need Africa to get a market for our surplus goods. That is why our principle number two is pan-Africanism,” he asserted.

“Socio-economic transformation is also crucial. Our people must change. They must become modern. They can’t continue being where they were before.”

President Museveni also cautioned the leaders against the bad politics of dividing people based on tribes, saying that it hinders development.

On his part, the Umukuka expressed gratitude to President Museveni for his unwavering support for the Bugisu subregion.

“I thank you for gracing my inaugural ceremony with your presence through Her Excellency, the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, who ably represented you, and for your support during the burial of the late Emeritus Wamimbi when you directed that he be granted an official burial and my recent Imbalu cultural festival launch, which took place on August 3, 2024, in Mbale City,” he said.

“The success of the Imbalu cultural festival launch was largely due to the support received from the government and particularly from you, Your Excellency. We greatly appreciate your continued steering of this great nation to higher heights through your visionary leadership.”

The Umukuka also thanked President Museveni for developing the country through various initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM).

“As a leader of the Bugisu Subregion, which is my area of jurisdiction, I’m thrilled to report that we have received over Shs100 billion in just one year alone. This has never happened in my lifetime; this is a tremendous achievement, and we are forever grateful for your visionary leadership in implementing this transformative program,” he said.

“The PDM has brought unprecedented development and empowerment to our communities, and we are witnessing a tangible impact on the lives of our people.”

He further pledged that, as a Bamasaba cultural institution, they will continue working tirelessly to ensure the success of PDM and other government programs to build a brighter future for Ugandans.

On the other hand, the Umukuka commended President Museveni for fostering cultural institutions in Uganda through an enabling law.

“Your leadership and vision for a united Africa are truly inspiring, and we are committed to walking this path with you, using our culture and heritage as a foundation for our collective progress.”

His Royal Highness, Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, the President of the Forum of Kings, Queens, and Traditional Leaders in Africa and also the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area-Ghana, thanked President Museveni for his spirit of pan-Africanism and solidarity.

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