When Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni speaks, you listen. Not because of his achievements, but because he is the oldest Head of State in the region. He has seen leaders come and go.
On Wednesday, July 30, at State House, Nairobi, Museveni called on his regional counterparts to embrace leadership that is focused on change, not legacy, nor popularity.
Speaking during the signing of eight Memoranda of Understanding between Kenya and Uganda, the Ugandan Head of State said, “Ni wakati wa kuamka na kufanya mambo iliyo na akili,” translated to “it is time for leaders in the region to wake up and become change-makers. To lead with purpose.”
According to Museveni, the growth of modern economies is anchored in production and a ready market. Without these two, he said, countries are in serious trouble.
“Modern economies are built on the production of more goods and services. And when you produce, the next question is: who buys? If you don’t answer that and you say you are a leader, then there is a serious issue. Therefore, here, I can see we are waking up to talk about the market of East Africa or Africa.”
Using the United States and Latin America as examples, Museveni painted a picture where, despite Latin America having more resources, it still relies on the US.
According to him, the solutions to Africa’s problems lie within the continent. “You are still talking about who is president…whoever is president will face those problems,” he said, if those problems remain unresolved.
“As East Africans, we should wake up to this issue. We have countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Ethiopia, all without access to the sea. So? And people are not working to solve that. You’re not solving the issue of the market; how will you develop? I am very happy to be here and discuss these issues, because how can you have the sitting room and bedroom of a country in another country?” posed Museveni.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a funding crisis in many African countries, mounting debt, and a recent wave of withdrawals by global partners like the US from institutions that support Africa, including UNESCO.
Museveni is in the country for a one-day official visit, in which he oversaw the signing of eight MOUs between Kenya and Uganda on various sectors, including agriculture, tourism, and mining.
