Former Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza has dismissed claims that Uganda is a poor country, arguing that such descriptions stem from poor leadership and mismanagement.
Speaking during the presentation of the 2025/26 Alternative Budget, Kiiza criticized the country’s leaders, accusing them of managing Uganda with a “kiosk mentality.”
“Uganda is not a poor country like many people think or like our leaders want us to believe. Uganda is a nation that has poor managers who manage a nation with a kiosk mentality,” she said.
She further alleged that corruption has become deeply entrenched in the government, to the point of being normalized.
“Because of that, they have to the extent that corruption has been referred to as a corporation. That corruption is kind of now a way of life in Uganda. Museveni’s government has institutionalized it to that extent that when you are not corrupt, actually the system is likely to weed you out. You look alien when you are not corrupt in Museveni’s government,” she remarked.
Kiiza’s comments come amid ongoing debates about Uganda’s economic status and governance, with politicians especially those on opposition pointing to corruption and poor management as key challenges facing the country.
