Who would refuse learning from Museveni’s vast wisdom?

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OPINION

By David Serumaga

Based on the popular proverb, “If there is honey, the bees will come from nine mountains away,” people are naturally drawn to good leadership.

This saying resonates with the current debate in which some opposition members and supporters have criticised the Mawokota South Member of Parliament, Senior Counsel Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Whip in Parliament, and other leaders from the National Unity Platform (NUP), People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and the Democratic Party (DP), among others, who met President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on 5 February 2026 at State House, Entebbe.

A few members from FDC condemned Hon. Nsibambi for allegedly betraying their party, arguing that they did not send him to meet President Museveni. However, these FDC members and other immature opposition politicians forget that people like Hon. Nsibambi hold leadership roles beyond their party positions.

This means that Hon. Nsibambi and his team did not break any law by meeting President Museveni in their individual capacities. They were engaging on issues of national importance, such as peace and reconciliation, which are vital for the development and stability of Uganda, especially after the general elections that left tempers high in some sections of the population.

For years now, I have been hearing claims that a number of opposition leaders secretly meet the Fountain of Honour for their individual gain. The good thing is that Hon. Nsibambi and his team decided to take a picture and share it publicly, which shows that they had nothing to hide.

I also wonder why the same opposition members kept silent when Gen. Salim Saleh sent messages and letters threatening to cut off the support he had been giving to the Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago.

Those same opposition members also said nothing when the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Annet Anita Among publicly thanked President Yoweri Museveni for providing nearly one billion Ugandan shillings to facilitate the medical treatment of the Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon. Betty Nambooze, abroad, as well as allowances for her husband and another person to act as her caretakers.

The unique leadership of President Museveni as a Pan-Africanist and a great strategic thinker on Uganda’s peace, development, and Africa’s unity has made him increasingly respected not only on the continent but across the world. He is among the African statesmen widely credited with championing African unity.

Beyond Uganda, President Museveni has been at the centre of peace-building efforts, turning State House Entebbe into a key venue for negotiations and dialogue. World leaders continue to engage with him not merely because he is Uganda’s President, but because he is a living library of global politics, security, and development.

There are many reasons why progressive leaders are eager to hold discussions with President Yoweri Museveni. He is a man of strong convictions and rare courage. He takes bold decisions and places national interest above personal comfort and safety. He is a results-oriented leader whose calling to politics is rooted in a deep and unwavering commitment to finding lasting solutions to society’s challenges.

In 1986, he inherited a country and an economy in ruins. The colonial enclave economy had virtually collapsed by the time the NRM took power. Under Museveni’s leadership, the NRM introduced socio-economic policies aimed at addressing key challenges, including insecurity of persons and property, extra-judicial killings, and severe shortages of essential commodities.

Museveni has ensured security, democracy, and the delivery of social services for the betterment of Ugandans. Maintaining peace and security across a country, from border to border, is not a task for the weak.

Under Museveni’s leadership, the size of the economy has grown at a higher speed since 1986. Uganda’s GDP per capita has quadrupled, while Ugandans today live healthier and longer. Children no longer die from many preventable diseases due to immunization and are enjoying free education.  

Infrastructure has greatly improved, with a significant expansion of the tarmacked road network. Electricity shortages are no longer a major problem; instead, the country is now working to absorb surplus power generation. Telecommunications have also improved, with almost every adult owning a mobile phone, students are now enjoying e-studies, and the internet has become a source of income for a number of youths.

Museveni has made Uganda safer to the extent that the country now hosts about 1.5 million refugees, unlike in the past, when Ugandans themselves left Uganda and filled refugee camps across the world.

During his presidency, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have played a vital and positive role in promoting peace in Somalia, South Sudan Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. President Museveni is also a strong advocate of African unity and integration.

One of Museveni’s most widely recognised achievements is his government’s successful campaign against HIV/AIDS, making Uganda a global success story in the fight against the virus. Under his leadership, Uganda also overcame the COVID-19 pandemic through bold and decisive measures to limit its spread.

Based on the above record of who President Museveni is, even if it were me and I received his call, I would not hesitate to respond positively. Not even the Kampala traffic jam could stop such a meaningful and transformative engagement.

To those criticising Hon. Nsibambi and his team, it is clear that much of this noise is for media visibility and relevance. Yet among you, who would truly refuse a chance to learn from Museveni’s vast experience and wisdom?

The writer works with Uganda Media Centre and a student of law