NOMINATIONS IN 2001: President Museveni launches manifesto

POLITICS | NOMINATIONS 

President Museveni yesterday launched his 2001 election manifesto at Kololo airstrip after he was nominated.

Launching the document code-named, Consolidating the Achievements of the Movement, Museveni told a mammoth crowd, "Once again I'm offering myself to serve the people of Uganda because of my conviction that we still have a mission to accomplish."

A jovial Museveni, waving his thumbs-up symbol, arrived at the venue on a boda-boda.

His national task force secretary Moses Byaruhanga said of the big number of supporters at Kololo, "(This is) the result of overwhelming support Ugandans have for President Museveni."

The supporters wore yellow and white T-shirts, caps and waved placards. Museveni said, "I'm contesting for the last presidential term for the following reasons: building a professional army, consolidating our gains in the economy, in infrastructure reconstruction and modernisation." The crowd shouted, "No Change."

Museveni said he was seeking re-election to consolidate the gains in the democratisation of Uganda and put in place mechanisms for an orderly succession.

He said he also wanted to contribute to the creation of a regional market and to enable Uganda penetrate the global market under the World Trade Organisation.

"One of our greatest contributions to Uganda has been the policy of reconciliation after two decades of social and political turmoil. We ended tyranny and the vicious cycle of vengeance that had ruined our country, enabling our people from different tribes, religions and political allegiances to co-exist in harmony," he said to thunderous applause.

He said since 1987, the economy had been growing at an average rate of 6.3%, private investment grew from 4.5% to 13% of GDP and inflation had been controlled to 5.7%.

He said the Government expenditure had gone up since 1986 from 9% of GDP to 22%, the percentage of households with cemented floors rising from 7% in 1992 to 22% in 1999, the percentage of iron-roofed houses increasing from 33% in 1991 to 59% in 1999 and brick-walled houses increasing from 16% in 1992 to 39% in 1999.

Museveni said the Government had injected more than sh304b annually into the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, raising enrolment from 2.6 million children in 1996 to 6.8 in 2000. He said the number of classrooms rose from 25,678 in 1996 to 37,209. Another 45,000 would be constructed over the next two years.

He said in 1986, 58% of Ugandans could neither read nor write but the figure had fallen to 38% by 1998.

He said 509 sub-counties have a secondary school each, leaving 347 without. He said the Government would build 90 secondary schools this financial year and reduce the number of sub-counties without government-aided secondary schools to 257. He said Universal Secondary Education (USE) would be introduced in 2003.

Museveni said in 1986, there was only one university, now there are 12, raising the student intake.

He said three more universities are to be established.

Teachers and doctors' salaries are to be increased. He said in 1986, there was only one radio and television station but now there are several.

He said roads, water, telephones, health services and energy had been improved. He said his government would now focus on poverty and corruption.

This story was originally writen by Alfred Wasike and published in The New Vision, Wednesday, January 10, 2001

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