President Museveni has reaffirmed the importance of African markets in driving Uganda’s economic transformation, saying the country’s long-term prosperity depends on regional integration, peace and increased production.
The President made the remarks while meeting National Resistance Movement (NRM) local leaders at the National ICT Hub in Nakawa, Kampala. The engagement followed an earlier interaction with NRM leaders in Busoga, which he said highlighted the interdependence of Uganda’s regions and their shared economic interests.
Addressing leaders led by Aminah Nanziri Lukanga, the NRM Woman Member of Parliament flag bearer for Kampala City, President Museveni reflected on Uganda’s shift from import dependence to domestic production, particularly in agriculture and industry.
“Uganda used to smuggle sugar from outside the country. Today, we produce about 700,000 tonnes, yet domestic consumption is only 300,000 tonnes,” Museveni said, warning that without access to regional markets, such production surpluses would undermine industrial growth.
He noted that annual milk production has reached about 5.3 billion litres, while domestic consumption remains below one billion litres, leaving a surplus of more than four billion litres. Similar production surpluses, he added, exist in cement, timber and other sectors.
According to the President, these trends demonstrate why Uganda’s economic progress cannot be isolated from the wider African market.
“That is when we realised that we need Africa. Pan-Africanism is not about emotion; it is about prosperity,” he said.
Museveni linked this economic outlook to the founding principles of the NRM, which he said deliberately rejected identity-based politics in favour of shared national and economic interests.
“For wealth creation, identity is secondary. What matters is what you produce and who can buy it,” he said, citing his own experience in farming to illustrate how markets transcend ethnic and religious boundaries.
He said this approach enabled the NRM to evolve into a national movement capable of fostering unity and sustaining peace.
“When we say the NRM has kept peace, it is because we rejected politics of identity and focused on interests,” Museveni said.
Reflecting on the party’s four-decade journey, the President described peace as the foundation upon which Uganda’s development has been built.
“Without stability, there would be no progress in infrastructure, education, health or wealth creation,” he said.
Drawing from Banyankore cultural wisdom, Museveni explained the concept of okwombeka, describing it as the building of sustainable livelihoods rather than merely physical structures.
“Okwombeka is about building a life—creating wealth, raising families and solving problems at the household level,” he said, urging leaders to prioritise economic activity within communities.
The President commended government initiatives such as Emyooga, Entandikwa, Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM), describing them as deliberate interventions to take wealth creation directly to households.
He also cautioned against a return to identity-driven politics, saying such approaches had historically failed to address citizens’ real needs.
“Regardless of tribe or religion, people want the same things: education, health, jobs and income,” Museveni said, noting that misdiagnosis of national challenges had previously led the country into instability.
The President concluded by reaffirming that Uganda’s future lies in unity, productive labour, regional cooperation and shared values, which he said remain central to the NRM’s vision.
In her remarks, Ms. Aminah Nanziri Lukanga thanked the President for his guidance and reaffirmed the commitment of Kampala leaders to advancing household income and national unity.
“As leaders, we commit to supporting initiatives that strengthen markets, improve household incomes and uphold the values of patriotism and unity,” Lukanga said.
The meeting was attended by NRM Local Council I and II leaders, councillors and other party stakeholders.
