President Museveni has said time for excuses is long gone, noting that the country can no longer afford complacency.
Museveni made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon after swearing-in for the seventh term that runs until May 2031.
The president said this new term is not one for sleeping but working hard.
“This term we don’t want people to sleep and make scapegoats yet the medicine is here. No more excuses. Everybody should engage in wealth creation which will create jobs,” he said.
Praising NRM’s fundamental change for Uganda, Museveni said since coming to power, his government has been preaching the gospel of wealth creation to fight poverty.
“Families that cared to listen to our messages and advice have gone out of poverty. Look at the real-estate explosion along Kampala- Entebbe area .All those are new houses you see are built by Ugandans, not foreigners. Yes, there are still poor people, but there are also rich Ugandans who listened to our message,” he said.
Museveni said in order to achieve this change, his NRM government started by rejecting sectarian politics based on tribe and religion which he said has united the country.
“When we rejected the politics of sectarianism and identity based on tribe and religion, that is why we continue to win in the first round because the majority of people support us. We have never had anything below 50 percent because we emphasised politics of unity and not identity.”
He also talked of infrastructure development under the NRM in form of roads, electricity, schools, health centres and many others in the last four decades.
Museveni was however quick to point out that despite the infrastructure development, it doesn’t necessarily translate into wealth into pockets of Ugandans.
“Some people talk about roads, railways and electricity but never talk about wealth. This is a mistake. From the beginning, we have been telling Ugandans that development is good, but wealth must also be there. Wealth is created by individuals.”
He encouraged Ugandans to invest in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and ICT, describing the sectors as the foundation for wealth creation and job generation.
“If you want wealth, join these four sectors,” he said. “It is wealth that creates jobs. You cannot have many jobs without wealth. Don’t deceive yourselves; you cannot have jobs without wealth.”
“If you produce wealth, who will buy your products? That is why from the beginning we were clear that you cannot talk about development without markets. We must unite Africa so we can have a market to absorb the products we produce.”
“The problem now is for you to do your part.Your part is in two areas: be part of wealth creation and, once you do this, you will create jobs.
