Mixed reactions to Museveni’s address

UPBEAT. Museveni delivers the State-of-the-Nation address yesterday at Parliament. PHOTO BY GEOFFREY SSERUYANGE President Museveni attracted praise yesterday for his determination to solve the country’s energy problems and improve the economy but also drew criticism for ignoring the country’s political challenges. Delivering his State-of-the-Nation address at the opening of the 4th session of the Eighth Parliament, a jovial and bullish President Museveni said the economy had grown despite the global economic slowdown on the back of growth in the industry and services sector. Mr Museveni said despite the global financial crisis, the Ugandan economy remained “alive, well and strong” and had grown at a “robust” rate of seven per cent in the financial year, expanding from Shs24.7 trillion in June last year to Shs29.8 trillion currently. This, he said, was more than eight times the size of economy since 1986. To sustain the growth, President Museveni said the government would go ahead with its planned investments in transport and energy infrastructure, including building a 750megawatt hydropower dam at Karuma along the River Nile. Mr Museveni said the dam, which is estimated to cost more than a billion dollars would be built with or without the help of donors as part of an ambitious plan to double the country’s energy supply. The President’s speech was twice as long as the New Year’s speech he delivered to the country in January. It was warmly received by MPs from the ruling National Resistance Movement who gave him a standing ovation and cheered “no change” as the President, who is planning to run again in 2011 after 25 years in power, left the Parliamentary chambers with First Lady Janet Museveni, Speaker Edward Ssekandi and Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki. Despite the President’s optimism about regional demand from Southern Sudan and Rwanda for Uganda’s manufactured products, and which rose to over $800 million worth of exports this financial year, many MPs remained sceptical about the economy’s ability to withstand the effects of flagging international demand for our exports, a weakening shilling and falling remittances from Ugandans in the Diaspora. The President’s pledge for zero-tolerance to corruption, including his pledge that only the NRM government could fight graft was met with heckling from the opposition benches and uncomfortable silence by many on the government side. Hoima Woman MP Beatrice Byenkya told Daily Monitor afterwards that the government’s failure to apprehend “the big corrupt fish” was telling of the NRM administration’s inequity in curbing the vice that has frustrated the country’s development efforts. “I don’t see what has been done to curb corruption; really I don’t see it,” said the NRM MP. “We have heard this statement about zero-tolerance of corruption for donkey years. All that has been done is curb the small fish, what about the big corrupt fish?” Prof. Ogenga Latigo, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, accused the President of offering lip service and said Mr Museveni “must walk the talk on corruption.” The President’s speech touched on many issues including job creation, health, reconstruction of the war-affected areas of northern Uganda and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army rebels which he said “will never attack Uganda again”. The President also noted that the dispute with Kenya over Migingo Island “can and must be resolved peacefully” but many MPs across the divide – and many of the invited diplomats – were disappointed that Mr Museveni said nothing about the state of democracy or good governance in the country. Prof. Latigo said: “The President has talked nothing about the politics. We expected him to tell us about the electoral reforms and whether the ground is levelled to ensure that the elections shall be free and fair.” Johnson Anders, the Swedish ambassador to Uganda spoke for many when he said: “We want more accountability from the government on fighting corruption and those implicated should be brought to book.” Several other MPs who spoke to Daily Monitor later said the President’s optimism in the economy will be tested next Thursday when Finance Minister Syda Bbumba presents her Budget speech. President Museveni, who had a faint smile as MPs and guests queued to shake his hand at the reception afterwards, will have left Parliament yesterday very pleased with himself and his performance.