President Museveni has said corruption within government wealth-creation programmes persists mainly because it is not reported, stressing that once exposed, it is decisively dealt with.
In his Christmas and New Year message to Ugandans, President Museveni said abuse of government resources by some programme implementers survives due to public silence.
“The corruption by some of the executors is only because it is not reported. Once corruption is reported, it is stamped out. Do you remember Kazinda?” the President said.
Museveni, together with First Lady Janet, congratulated citizens upon celebrating the birth of Christ, noting that Uganda is marking Christmas in an atmosphere of peace and stability.
“It is gratifying that Uganda is celebrating Christmas when the whole country is peaceful and there is a lot of agricultural and industrial production. The shops are full and the markets are full,” he said.
The President acknowledged that poverty still affects about 30 percent of Ugandans who remain outside the money economy, whom he described as abakolera ekiddakyoonka.
“Yes, there is still poverty among the 30% still outside the money economy, but the way-out for them is well laid out and the resources to support the process are available and up-scalable,” Museveni said, citing government interventions such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, the ghetto funds and the boda boda fund.
He emphasized that the success of these programmes depends not only on funding but also on accountability, urging citizens to report corruption whenever it occurs.
Looking ahead, Museveni expressed optimism about Uganda’s future, saying, “The future is bright,” and called for prayers for peace across Africa.
“Let us pray for peace in the whole of Africa and more economic and political integration in Africa to continue to solve the problem of markets for our products and services and strategic security,” he said.
He wished Ugandans “a happy Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful 2026 and beyond,” urging unity, vigilance against corruption and active participation in government programmes.
