We are not here to joke, says Museveni

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President Yoweri Museveni has told Ugandans that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government is not in power to joke, emphasising the discipline required to safeguard the country.

He made the remarks on November 14, 2025, during a media engagement with journalists from the Bukedi sub-region at the State Lodge in Mbale city.

“You have seen our army staying in grass huts; why do we stay in grass-thatched houses? Because we want to defend our country, we are not here to joke,” he said.

Museveni, who is seeking another five-year mandate in the 2026 general election on the NRM ticket, questioned what government can prioritise when resources are limited.

“Do we build skyscrapers to sleep in, or do we buy weapons to shoot anybody who wants to come here? So, we buy weapons and you find we don’t have nice accommodation, but we are able to defend the country. This is the discipline; It would be good if all the other groups got it,” he said.

He reiterated his point about resource constraints, noting that Uganda must prioritise investments that generate broader national benefits.

He stressed the principle that incremental progress leads to long-term gains. “We believe in the principle that one by one makes a bundle, but some of the other people want to touch this and that, and that is why we end up delaying important projects like the construction of Nabumali–Butaleja–Namutumba Road,” he said.

Museveni cited the recent strike by arts teachers seeking salary enhancements as an example of competing demands.

“We have been telling people that you people, the Government has got so many things to do and we have got scarce resources. So, the best thing is to see: what would I do that will help me to get more capacity to do other things,” he asked.

He argued that certain investments, such as electricity, have a greater national impact than recurrent expenditures like salaries.

“So, if, as a developer, I don’t have enough money and I have to make a choice between having electricity and increasing salaries of public servants, I would go for electricity first. Why? Salaries are recurrent. Once you start, you don’t stop; they will go on forever (laughs) while a power station, you build it once and you are able to attract more factories,” he said.

The NRM presidential candidate said that touching too many sectors at once causes delays in major projects, including the Nabumali–Butaleja–Namutumba road. He stated that government has now secured funding and a contractor for the project.

“Even administration, districts, all this take money, but you find both the population and some of the leaders don’t see this,” he emphasised.