Real Priorities, Real Progress: Museveni Rejects Wasteful Spending

IvanKaahwaReports

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has issued a 7-page policy statement urging a disciplined, focused approach to national budgeting. He calls for abandoning the “scattergun” method of spreading resources thinly across too many sectors and instead channelling investments into core development priorities: roads, electricity, security and wealth creation.

The President has warned against attempting to do everything at once which leads to poor outcomes. He has reflected on 2005, when Uganda’s over-reliance on donor funding threatened development progress citing the abandoned reconstruction of Kampala–Masaka, Kampala–Mityana and electricity lines from Corner Kilak to Patongo–Kalongo–Abim. He questioned why donors opted to support Masaka–Mbarara–Kabale bypassing Kampala–Masaka section that connects the rest.

As domestic revenue improved in 2005, Museveni directed that electricity and roads receive the lion’s share of the development budget. Since then, funding for roads has increased from UGX 374 billion to UGX 4.4 trillion annually and electricity from UGX 133 billion to UGX 2.3 trillion.

The results were tangible: Uganda overcame chronic power blackouts that had plagued the nation since 2005. Today, only Buvuma and Obongi remain unconnected to the national grid.

The President listed key road projects successfully completed using internal resources:

• Kampala–Masaka, Kampala–Mityana
• Soroti–Moroto, Olwiyo–Anaka–Gulu–Kitgum–Musingo (247 km)
• Mbarara–Kikagate, Lyantonde–Kazo–Ibanda–Kamwenge–Fort Portal
• Musita–Mayuge–Namayingo–Busia, Mpigi–Kisozi–Ssembabule–Masaka

Museveni also noted that the Ministry of Works’ UGX 5.912 trillion budget includes non-road projects like the Standard Gauge Railway and Uganda Airlines. He pointed out that only UGX 3.21 trillion is needed annually for proper road maintenance and directed the ministry to correct this imbalance.

Ongoing and upcoming road rehabilitation works:

• Mityana–Mubende–Kyenjojo
• Ibanda–Mbarara, Ishaka–Mbarara, Mukono–Lugazi–Jinja
• Kikorongo–Mpondwe, Nebbi–Arua, Ntungamo–Rukungiri

New road construction projects include:

• Jinja–Budondo–Mbulamuti–Kamuli
• Bwizibwera–Nsiika–Nyakashaka–Nyakabirizi

The President warned against political distractions and budget fragmentation, calling instead for a return to the NRA/UPDF development strategy: “kamu kamu gwe’mugaanda” — bit by bit makes a bundle.

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