NATIONAL
Uganda has achieved stability due to a shift in ideology and philosophy, according to the country’s President, Yoweri Museveni.
Speaking to a delegation of military students and staff visiting from Botswana, Museveni stated that Uganda had been a failed state before his National Resistance Movement government came to power 37 years ago. However, by rejecting the politics of identity and instead focussing on the politics of interest, Uganda had become prosperous and peaceful.
Museveni explained that the country’s stability had been aided by the adherence to four principles: patriotism, Pan-Africanism, social and economic transformation, and democracy.
The President also encouraged the delegation to promote politics of interest, and to add value to their raw materials to retain jobs and increase economic benefit.
President Museveni also discouraged the delegation against exportation of their country’s raw materials, explaining that it’s a disaster causing loss of money and jobs in African countries.
“We should add value to our raw materials to benefit more from our resources,” he said.
“We are also introducing the knowledge economy because people here are quite well educated as you saw in the Industrial Research Centre, that was just a small part, there are very many highly educated people, scientists whom the government is supporting to make automobiles, vaccines and all that. Now that is all part of the long stabilisation of the country because you cannot have a backward country with an increasing population and you think that you will have stability, you will get instability at a certain stage. The economy transitioning from raw material production to industrial production is a must,” Gen. Museveni concluded.
The President made the assertion yesterday as he delivered a lecture of opportunity to a delegation of 31 military students and 15 staff members of Botswana Defence Command and Staff College at State House- Entebbe.
