PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT 🎙️

Live reporting by Joseph Kizza
(Scroll down the page for earlier updates)
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4:17 pm   |   MUSEVENI ENDS ADDRESS

 Well, is there anything else for the President to talk about? Many think, yes. A BIG one. The elephant in the room, actually?

Keyword: it is iron and looks like a sheet. Anyone?

Or perhaps a domesticated animal that shares prominence with the greatest people of all time?

Uhmm......let's see.

"With these few words, I thank Parliament for allowing me to come and say a few words to you," concludes President Museveni, his wrapup drawing audible murmurs from within his large audience and perhaps huge sighs of relief among some of them.

"If there are some other issues, convey them confidentially so that I can understand them well," he adds.

And that is it for today's coverage. Thanks for reading along.

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4:14 pm   |   'Sex in Uganda is confidential'

 "Sex is Uganda and maybe in other parts of Africa is confidential. Even the heterosexuals do it confidentially," says Museveni.

"How do we come to know that you are a homosexual unless you publicise it? We shall discuss all these."
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4:12 pm   |   Museveni speaks out on homosexuality

 Museveni touches on the sticky issue of homosexuality.

"We shall get time and discuss the matter thoroughly," he starts.

"The homosexuals are deviations from normal. Why? Is it by nature or by nurture? We need to answer those questions. This deviant, is he deviant by nature or by nurture? We need a medical opinion on that.

"We shall discuss it thoroughly. The Western countries should stop wasting the time of  humanity by trying to impose their practices on other people.

"Europeans and other groups marry cousins and near-relatives. Here [in Uganda], to marry within the clan is taboo.

"Should we impose sanctions on them for marrying relatives? This is not our job. If they are marrying their cousins that is their problem."
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4:06 pm  

 "I am going to come here and we discuss the issue of donations.The culture of donations is very dangerous," says the President.
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3:56 pm   |   'You are not a hotel'

 "You, the Members of Parliament, should spend more time with the people. Don't go and just lecture. Talk and let them also talk to you and then you see what you are trying to discern what is holding them back," urges the President.

"And don't buy food and all those things. You tell them that 'I don't have money to buy food and all that'. You are not a hotel."

Museveni then quips: They [MPs] are laughing at me, they think I am an idiot."
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3:48 pm  

 "With PDM and Emyooga, it must be the political people that must be the [evangelists] of the socio-economic transformation because they are the ones that volunteered to be elected for leadership," says the President.

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3:44 pm   |   'I no longer want to be polite'

 In his tone of the spirit of prosperity, Museveni says he is "here as a priest of socio-economic transformation to illiterate people".

"I no longer want to be polite, because normally I am polite....Politeness can also damage some things," he adds.

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3:38 pm   |   'PDM parasites swarming like flies'

Museveni says he has embarked on a countrywide tour of the 18 zones of Uganda, starting with Acholi in February.

"Straight away, the wananchi (citizens) told me of the parasites that were like flies swarming around the PDM and Emyooga money. I would decisively follow up the attempted stealing of the PDM and Emyooga money in Acholi and if they tampered with the money, they will pay for that treachery.

"They will be an example to the rest of the potential flies."
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3:33 pm   |   'They are not children'

"It is the ultimate aim of the NRM that the beneficiaries of these projects must manage their affairs. That was the debate we had in the Cabinet," says the President.

"When people said that we should continue with the army, I said no, these people must learn how to manage their affairs. They are not children. Hence, the need for the stakeholders — farmers and artisans — to form the SACCOS in the parish or at the constituency for the Emyooga.

"This is the correct ultimate solution."

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3:29 pm   |   Museveni 'picked complaints from public'

The President continues: "With all the pre-PDM funds, the modes were that Government officials were the ones selecting the beneficiaries, especially with the Operation Wealth Creation. It initially worked well. Indeed the households in the non-money sector declined from 68% to 39%. This was most commendable.

"However, I started picking up complaints from the public of "they only give to themselves", "they supply us bad quality materials", "they bring overpriced items".

"That is when I decided that the UPDF must get out of this effort because the image of the wider force was going to be ruined by the mistakes of these fellows, who had lost their  straightforwardness."
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3:24 pm  

The President then goes back in time to apply historical context to how his government arrived at the latest programme, highlighting the different other government initiatives "that were for agriculture".

"With the non-agricultural or broad spectrum activities, we have put in place the following: Women Fund, Youth Fund, microfinance and now recently the Emyooga."

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3:17 pm   |   Why Museveni called the meeting

The President says he had a phone call with the Speaker of Parliament on the issue of the Parish Development Model (PDM).

"As a consequence of that, I decided to again interact with you, the honourable members, on these issues.

"To properly contextualise the issue of PDM, I must remind the honourable members of the principles of the National Resistane Movement (NRM), which are: patriotism, pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy.

"PDM comes directly under principle number three: socio-economic transformation, although it cannot thrive without the other three," says Museveni.
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3:10 pm   |   Museveni directs on school crash victim

The President calls for a minute of silence for "the 3,632 people that were killed by the coronavirus, the 55 that were killed by Ebola, those that died in the landslides and recently the four students that were killed by a lorry at Kasasa Secondary School in Gomba district, where a truck lost control and rammed into the school's fence and into tro buildings, and also injuring more than a dozen others".

"I am now directing the State House comptroller to send sh5m to each of the families of the four students that died in that accident. I am also directing the State House comptroller to give sh1m each to the 14 students that are injured and are in Gombe Hospital," he says.

"The Prime Minister and the Attorney General  should get in touch withe families of the dead students and the injured to ensure that the truck owners compensate the victims and their families, according to the law."

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3:06 pm 

"Indeed, our economy, by the end of this financial year, will grow by 5.3% to attain the GDP size of $49.3b (sh184.5 trillion)....," says Museveni.

"I want this economy to grow by a factor of 10 — to half a trillion dollars ($500b) in the next few years, and if you aggressively support my policy measures, we shall achieve it."
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3:03 pm 

The President starts by congratulating Ugandans for overcoming the recent calamities, including locusts, landslides, floating islands, coronavirus pandemic, high commodity prices, Ebola epidemic and suicide bombers, "all inconveniences and losses notwithstanding".

"The NRM assured you that with God's help, we would go through those calamities, and we did," he says.
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3:00 pm  |   MUSEVENI BEGINS ADDRESS

The Speaker invites the President to address the House.
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2:56 pm  |   Speaker opens special session

Speaker Anita Among is chairing this special sitting of Parliament. She opens the session by proclaiming that, according to law, Kololo Ceremonial Grounds is the host of today's session.

She gives the President a general update of what the 11th Parliament has been up to in recent months, including the number of Bills passed and those awaiting his approval.

Not that the President does not know, but officially, the Speaker also informs him of the passing of Serere County MP Patrick Okabe last December. He has since been replaced by his son, Emmanuel Omoding, following a closely-contested by-election this year.

Museveni is taking a couple of notes.
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2:43 pm 

It is right away to the anthems: first, the national anthem, followed by the East African one or wimbo wa Jumuiya Afrika Mashariki, if you prefer.

A prayer follows.

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2:38 pm  |   MUSEVENI ARRIVES AT KOLOLO

President Yoweri Museveni has arrived at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. He is accompanied by his wife, Janet, who is also the Minister of Education and Sports.

They are received by Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and the Clerk to Parliament, Adolf Mwesige Kasaija.

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2:15 pm  |   Speaker Among arrives

The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, has arrived at Kololo wearing an indigo or — or is it navy blue? — outfit.

It is 12 months since the Bukedea District Woman MP was elected by fellow legislators to lead them, deputised by Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa, following the death of Jacob Oulanyah.
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2:08 pm  |   Some Opposition MPs defy boycott plan

The Opposition legislators may have gone for a no-show at Kololo today, but with some of their colleagues like Bukoto South MP Kagabo Twaha already at the venue, it appears not everyone was in on the idea.
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2:07 pm 

Vice-President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja have also arrived at Kololo.

The NRM secretary general, Richard Todwong is also here.

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2:00 pm  |   MPs arriving at Kololo

Members of Parliament and ministers are arriving at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds for the special sitting, during which the President will address the House. I understand the first minister to touch base at Kololo was Karamoja affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu.

It's no doubt it has been very busy days for the minister and others in the wake of the Karamoja relief items (iron sheets and goats) scandal.
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1:54 pm  |   Article 101(2)

By the way, Uganda's constitution empowers the President to call such special sitting of Parliament as today's.

This is under Article 101(2), which states: The President may, also, in consultation with the Speaker, address Parliament from time to time, on any matter of national importance.

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1:43 pm  |   Opposition MPs say to boycott address

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Opposition MPs said they will not attend the presidential address at Kololo. They gave the following reasons for their boycott:

▪️ Continued abductions and incarceration without trial of innocent Ugandans under the watch of his [President Museveni's] regime.

▪️ Museveni's unwillingness to fight corruption and disrespect of the institution of Parliament.

▪️ Violation of the rights of MPs during Museveni's appearances at Parliament, etc.
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1:40 pm  |   Good afternoon everyone

Hello on this sweltering Thursday and welcome to our text coverage of President Yoweri Museveni's address to Parliament on "issues of national importance", according to a statement from his press unit released three days ago.

This will not happen at Parliament Avenue, but instead at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds. The press statement said the presidential address is scheduled for 2pm local time.

Right then, 20 minutes to go.