By President Museveni has said that he is confident Uganda will play a major role in the world economy, citing the success of the two international conferences Uganda hosted—the G-77 plus China and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
In a televised speech on Thursday night, in honor of the 38th anniversary of the National Resistance Army/Movement’s (NRA/M) victory, President Museveni thanked Ugandans for their hospitality to the visiting delegates. He revealed that a deputy minister from Russia had told him that only superpowers could pull off such conferences. Although he acknowledged that Uganda is still a long way from becoming a superpower, he said that the groundwork has already been laid for this accomplishment.
“In addition to the immense gathering, let us recognize the infrastructure we have developed, partly for this occasion but also to improve our country’s overall infrastructure. Consider the New Terminal constructed by the UPDF Engineering Brigade and the Conference Centre built by Sudhir’s Company, utilizing government funds,” Museveni stated.
President Museveni emphasized that 1,918 delegates from 129 countries were present, including sixteen presidents, nine vice presidents, sixteen prime ministers, and seven representatives from the Special category. These dignitaries arrived in Uganda via 32 private jets and airlines, and together they represent 80% of the world’s population, or about 6.6 billion people.
Museveni reiterated that people should not only focus on potholes in Kampala but also acknowledge the progress made in upcountry roads like those from Kisoro to Nimule and Busia-Busuunga in Bundibugyo. He said that no task is beyond Uganda’s capabilities and that it is just a matter of prioritizing.
The President highlighted the successes of security interventions, such as anti-livestock theft and disarmament operations in Karamoja, as well as Operation Shujaa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Museveni gave the country confidence that the government is committed to ensuring the security and well-being of Ugandan citizens, investors, and visitors. This includes bolstering the capabilities of security agencies to address emerging threats, addressing discipline issues within the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police, and Uganda Prisons Services
“We possess the capacity to achieve anything without corruption. I have instructed the Engineering Brigade to commence preparations for building the Standard Gauge Railway, rather than solely relying on external assistance,” he declared.
He added that the security infrastructure improvements made by the government will eradicate the residual weaknesses that ADF terrorists use to launch cowardly assaults on civilians.
