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 PRESIDENT'S MEDIA ENGAGEMENT  
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 10:36 PM    |    Good night!

Next up is a group photo with the President and then departure.

Thank you for joining us here. Till then! Good night.

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 10:35 PM    |    'Thank you for your time'

Vision Group's Editor-in-Chief, Barbara Kaija, is invited to give a vote of thanks to the host, Mr President.

"Thank you so much for giving us this evening to address us as the media, but also to address the nation. We appreciate it greatly, " she says.

"Your Excellency, we would also like to request that you give us more such engagements. We know you have a very busy schedule, but when you talk to us and we appreciate the national issues, it becomes very easy for us to do our job.

"I am sure that I speak for my colleagues when I say, this evening we wish we could have [had] a lot more of your time, but we appreciate your national responsibility that you have to do other things.

"We have learnt a lot from you, especially on encouraging the improvement of household incomes. I think most of the radio stations and TV stations and the newspapers have got a form of enterpreneurship programme or farming programme.

"Some of the journalists here have also entered their own personal farming activities to make sure that they can learn on the four-acre model.

"We would like to wish you and your family and Maama a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you very much, Your Excellency."

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 10:32 PM    |    Museveni's Xmas message in 5 points

The President says he has five points.

▪️  On the issue of mounting "pressure" from the West over Uganda's anti-homosexuality law, Museveni says he is not worried, adding that the country's economy will grow regardless.

“The pressures we are getting from outside about the homosexuality law, some of the people may be worried, but me I'm not worried at all. This is because this is an opportunity to clarify one point: that Uganda can stand on its own, and some of us are indigenous people of this area, this is our area for the last 1,000 years.

"We have been active here, the Europeans came for a short period of time and went, our communities are very strong.

“I am confident that we shall manage, and you can see our economy is growing, our inflation is one of the lowest now. And I would advise those putting us on pressure to stop because it is not good for them, we shall prove our point that African countries can stand on their own," says Museveni.

▪️  On the residual terrorism resulting from the conflict in DR Congo, Museveni vows that they will "wipe out" the terror groups and urges vigilance from Ugandans.

“I want to thank His Excellency Felix Tshisekedi [DR Congo president] for allowing us to hunt ADF in Congo and we are doing it very well. We are going to wipe out those groups and their leaders who are in Congo who send these young people to come and die here," adds Museveni.

"In the meantime, even during this festive season, I would like you to be on alert because even the border is open; we don't close it. I discourage the idea of roadblocks because they are blind so somebody from Congo can enter Uganda. What is crucial is the intelligence, which we have.”

▪️ On wealth creation, Museveni tasks Ugandans with creating wealth through commercial agriculture, specifically, from the four-acre model type of farming.

"Wealth creation is not a story. There are people who have woken up and they are good examples."

▪️ On corruption, Museveni says "it is easy to isolate these corrupt people" and that NRM can mobilize the disadvantaged to fight the corrupt.

“The corrupt are the few and the majority are the victims so it is easy to isolate the corrupt people and we shall definitely do it. I want everybody to take part in this fight against corruption because it is the one wasting our time," he said.

▪️  On regional integration. Museveni emphasizes regional integration as a way of linking up with other East Africans in the win-win involvement. He says he grew up supporting neighbouring Kenya by buying its KCC milk and Kimbo (vegetable fat).

"So, everybody must wake up and know that regional integration is the correct way and everybody should implement it fully; not in a selfish way, because that will make us fail."

Museveni then concludes the media engagement thus: "I thank you and I wish everybody a happy end to 2023 and a happy 2024. Thank you for your time.
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 9:56 PM    |    Akii Bua Stadium

President Museveni says before Uganda placed in a bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), he had desired that the Akii Bua Stadium in Uganda's northern district of Lira be renovated.

But after Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania won the bid, adjustments had to be made, with the presence of an international airport a requirement.

Building a new stadium in Fort Portal was, therefore, found more feasible because of the proximity to Kabalega International Airport, which is expected to be operational by next year.

Nonetheless, Museveni says the other stadiums will be worked on with time.

Last month, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among assured legislators from Lango sub-region that government’s plan to construct Akii Bua stadium in Lira district still stands.

He comments relieved the MPs' fears over the stadium’s fate, following its exclusion from those being prepared to host the 36th AFCON edition.
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 9:47 PM    |    Bad roads in West Nile

"We have a plan using refugee money, to tarmac the Koboko-Yumbe-Moyo-Laropi road," he says. "We have already worked on the Atiak-Adjumani-Laropi Road," adding that the road from Nebbi to the border with DR Congo will also be done.

He says to operate within the available budget, the idea is to maintain the rest of the unpaved roads as "good-class murram".

"For each district, we have added sh1 billion for maintenance of the murram roads," says Museveni.


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 9:44 PM    |    On landslides in Bugisu

The question is on the concerns by the residents on relocation from landslide-prone areas in Busigu sub-region in Uganda's east.

The President says he is glad that people in the area "have woken up to the danger", having previously been hesitant to leave the forested areas.

Asked to respond on the relocation plan, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja says the Government is providing sh10 million to the peeople on top of sh7 million by Give Directly, a nonprofit organization operating in East Africa that helps families living in extreme poverty by making unconditional cash transfers to them via mobile phone. 
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 9:33 PM    |    On city potholes

The President also responds to a question on the ubiquitous potholes in the city as opposed to the better roads in the countryside.

He admits that while there is "some bad planning in Kampala", there is also the "overall orientation of our thinking".

Museveni also admits that he has not been so keen on the in-city potholed roads being made a fun of by especially netizens via memes on social media.

He argues that the periphery roads connecting the main compass points of the country are well done but suggests that the bad ones within the city should be "assessed holistically", adding that "our main task was to link the country."

“If we had concentrated on the centre and we did not have that penetration, would that be good? Assess the issue of the roads holistically," he says.

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 9:18 PM    |    'Will you run for office in 2026?'

"We shall deal with that at the right time," responds Museveni, quipping that people should not be weighed down by "blood pressure" over his political future.

He calls for a "rational" discussion on this and similar matters, adding that "the opportunity for transition has been happening every five years for the last 35 years."

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 9:13 PM    |    On illegal land titles

On issuance of illegal land titles in some parts of the country at the expense of the victims, the President wants about three or four of such cases to be reported to the authorities.

He says cancelling of the illegal land titles is not enough. Punishing offenders will instead be akin to killing the root of the problem.

Relatedly, on soldiers reportedly being involved in land matters, the President says he will issue an executive order barring them from getting involved in land matters.
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 9:09 PM    |    On coffee grown in encroached land

"If the Europeans say they will not buy coffee that is grown in forested land or wetlands that are encroached on, then for that I would agree with them," says the President.

"I would agree with them because it is criminal to go in the wetlands [and grow coffee] there.

"If the Bazungu have put that pressure, then I support it."

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 8:56 PM    |    On land reforms

Responding to New Vision's David Lumu's question on the pledged land reforms within this current term of office, President Museveni admits that not much has been done on the issue majorly because the coronavirus pandemic came and necessitated the diversion of attention.

"It is true, we know the issues, but we had to divert a lot of money to COVID, locusts, etc," he says.

"The good thing is that we are moving forward and at the right time, we shall deal with the issue of land.

"The 1998 Land Act was very strong because it protected the bibanja and when you see people being evicted it is because they don't know about that Land Act.

"We also have the issue of the elite not helping the ordinary people. That is part of the problem, otherwise the existing law would protect those people."
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 8:45 PM    |    On Somalia matters

The President responds to a question on Somalia joining the East African Community (EAC) with baggage, including insecurity. He says that even before the Horn of Africa nation joined the bloc, the country was already engaging in some form of trade with the pioneer member states.

"Insecurity, we shall handle it but meanwhile trade is going on," he says.

Last Friday (December 15), Museveni hosted and witnessed the signing of the treaty of accession by Somalia to the EAC in Kampala.  He said the logic behind integrating the EAC is for the prosperity of the African people, strategic security, and the commonalities of the East African people.

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 8:34 PM    |    On reported arrests

The first question put to the President is on the reported arrests and disappearance of people without them being taken to court, which has been a staple in parliamentary debates to the extent that it once led to a walkout by Opposition legislators led by then-Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga.

"Arrests without being taken to court is illegal," responds Museveni. "Anybody arrested should be brought to court within 48 hours."

The President says that if he were a councillor, MP, etc, he would document and then take facts to the minister. He says part of the medicine would be to crosscheck and discipline some of the people who are misbehaving.

But generally, Museveni adds, "the answer for this is for the whole population, especially the leaders, to compile and expose this to the relevant authorities".

“The other day there was a debate in Parliament, where the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, made a statement to answer the issue of people whom they say are missing," says the President.

"I was not following but I came to know that these pro-Opposition people,  when there's an issue, they go to the NGOs to report Uganda that they have arrested and made someone disappear.

"Okay, if someone goes missing, report to the Police station not the NGO. That is why the information doesn't come. If such incidents happen, report to the Police station, document it in your book that you reported, and if action is not taken, then we shall know whom to blame."
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 8:12 PM    |    Engagement gets under way

The presidential engagement with the media is under way at State House. It is a moderated session, with the President's senior press secretary Sandor Walusimbi the moderator, assisted by his deputy, Faruk Kirunda.

Some ministers are also present.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, ICT and national guidance minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa are among those in attendance.

The media participants are from various news outlets, including TVs, radios, print and online.

The President will be taking five questions at a time.
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 8:02 PM  

The President had the same end of year engagement with the media on December 23 last year.

Here is how to transpired.
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 8:00 PM    |    Welcome!

Hello and welcome to this text commentary of President Yoweri Museveni's engagement with the media this evening at State House, Nakasero. It will be relayed live on all Vision Group television and radio channels.