PRESIDENT`S SPEECH ON THE

OCCASION OF THE 53RD

INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATIONS

H.E the Vice President;

The Rt. Honourable Speaker of Parliament;
The Hon. Chief Justice;
The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Your Excellencies the Ambassadors and High Commissioners;
Distinguished Invited Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to welcome you all to this
occasion as we mark 53 years of Ugandas Independence under the
theme: Striving towards a prosperous people and country: The
meaning of true Independence.
As we celebrate this defining moment in our history, we should remember
all those pan-Africanists whose sacrifice and unity of purpose led to the
liberation of our continent. The freedom we enjoy today was earned by
the blood of patriots and their sacrifices must never be in vain.
After many years of scrutiny, government has discovered two useful words
and targets. The two words are: Prosperity and Security. The question
we had to answer was: What are the factors that can lead our society,
our tribes, our clans, our families to prosperity in the context of the
modern world, characterized as it is, by the money nexus?
What does prosperity mean in the modern context? It means that each of
our individual families has sufficient income to live a good life, the family
members are educated and they are healthy. Where will the income come

from? The income can only come from any one of the 5 sectors:
commercial agriculture, industries (manufacturing, processing big and
small), services (shops, transport, hotels, professional services, etc.), ICT
and Public Service.
It was this understanding that helped government to defog the ideological
and political situation that we confronted in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s.
The question we had to answer was: If the prosperity of families and
communities was dependent on markets to buy their goods and services,
on good infrastructure and on peace, what, then, should be the ideological
principles of a political organization that could have the capacity to
provide a solution to the predicament of the people?
In order to guarantee the prosperity of the families and the communities,
we have, however, already seen that the internal Ugandan market is not
enough. Our prosperity will be better if our regional partners in Kenya,
Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Congo, etc. buy from us as they
are doing. You all have seen the impact of those markets on our economy
and prosperity.
It is this realization that galvanized our abhorrence to the sectarian
ideology of tribes or religion, the chauvinism against women and the
marginalization of the disabled, the youth, etc. It enabled us to firmly
and scientifically, distil the first principle of the NRM from the fog of
perceptions that were abundant in Uganda at that time. This is the

principle of patriotism or nationalism as it is sometimes described. It,

therefore, became the first ideological principle of the NRM.
Our second principle became Pan-Africanism. It is not only patriotism
that will guarantee our prosperity but also Pan-Africanism.
Then, the NRM identified the third principle of socio-economic
transformation that is indispensable for our society to move from a
peasant society based on subsistence farming to a middle class, skilled
working class society as has happened in Europe in the last 500 years. It
is a shame that Africa is, at least, 200 years behind Europe in social
metamorphosis. Two stimuli are crucial here. One is education for all.
That is why we, in 1996, introduced UPE (Universal Primary Education)
and, later on, added USE (Universal Secondary Education). An educated
person has more chances, by no means automatic, of social mobility from
the peasantry to either the middle-class or the skilled working class.
The agricultural sector has been the mainstay of our economy with most
of the production being done at subsistence level. Our goal is to transform
this into commercial agriculture. Accordingly, as highlighted in Vision
2040, Government will pursue a two-pronged strategy in agriculture. On
the one hand, Government will continue to invest in agricultural inputs
and research to promote food security. On the other hand, all agricultural
exports will strictly be based on the principle of value addition. The private
sector will hence be facilitated to start appropriate agribusinesses.
Operation Wealth Creation

NAADs was set up to help in the transition from subsistence to commercial

agriculture. When it did not function well, I moved in with the UPDF under
Operation Wealth Creation. We started with the Fronasa NRA war zones
of 1971-1986. Most of the homesteads of the civilian Fronasa and NRA
veterans have now been covered and we have deployed the UPDF officers
to all the constituencies of Uganda. The maize seeds and beans have
generated bumper crops in these areas. The problem now is post-harvest
handling and value-addition.
Besides, we also provided money for the campaign for homestead
incomes in the form of entandikwa, PMA, Restocking, Peace Recovery and
Development Plan (PRDP), Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF),
Micro-finance, NAADS, etc., etc. Altogether, as of now, these different
funds have got an annual total of Uganda Shs. 485.65 billion.
Industrial Sector
It is necessary to remind ourselves that a modern economy cannot
depend on agriculture alone. Gone are the days of the physiocrats in
France who believed that all value came from agriculture. Hence, we
must go the second sector industries manufacturing big factories
and small ones. In advanced countries, more jobs are generated from
industry than from Agriculture. Uganda will not be an exception. In 1987,
people employed in services and industry were 378,227. The people
employed in industry and services are now 1,718,000 workers. In otherwords, the number of people working in industry has gone up more than
five times.

With the commissioning of Bujagaali, there has been alleviation of power

shortage although the price of electricity is still high. We are determined
to provide electricity for manufacturing at 4 US cents per unit whatever
the challenges. I want to inform the country that our young scientists,
graduating from universities, are happily entering the manufacturing
fields. Our scientists at Makerere have already produced electric
automobiles and I tasked them to work on solar water pumps.
Infrastructure
On the side of the infrastructure, we have repaired the 1,200 kms of
tarmac roads we inherited in 1986 and built another 3,800 kms of new
tarmac roads. We are now planning and we have secured money for the
tarmacking of the following roads using Uganda Government money:
Kampala-Masaka; Tororo-Mbale-Soroti; Jinja-Kamuli; Hoima-Kaisotonya;
Ishaka-Kagamba; Moroto-Nakapiripirit; Mpigi-Kanoni; Kanoni-SembabuleVilla-Maria; Musita-Lumino-Busia; Olwiyo-Gulu; Gulu-Acholibur; AcholiburMusingo; Mukono-Kayunga-Njeru; Mukono-Kyetume-Katosi; MubendeKakumiro-Kagadi-Ndaiga;Mbarara-Kikagate; Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi, HoimaKigoroobya-Biiso-Wanseko, Masindi Port-Apac-Lira-Kitgum etc., etc.
Using loans and grants from outside, we have already done, we are doing
or we shall also do the following roads in terms of tarmacking: AruaOraba, Gulu-Atiak, Atiak-Bibia, Masaka-Mbarara, Mbarara-Kabaale-Katuna,
Fort Portal-Bundibugyo, Arua-Oraba, Gulu-Atiak-Bibia, Mbale-MagaleBumbo-Lwakhakha with a branch to Manjiya, Rukungiri-Kanungu-IshashaNyakishenyi, Kapchorwa-Kween-Bukwo-Suam, Kigumba-Masindi-Hoima-

Kagadi-Kyenjojo, Iganga-Kaliro (reconstruction) Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi, SorotiKatakwi-Moroto, Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong, Soroti-Amuria-AcanPii-Abim,

Masaka-Bukakata, etc., etc.
In order to ensure affordable electricity for industrialization, the following
is our plan. As far as Karuma and Isimba are concerned, we are going to
use loans from China and our own contribution, using the money from the
Energy Fund. This will be the government borrowing. As a consequence,
the unit cost for power from Karuma will be 5 US cents and that of Isimba
will be 4.8 US cents. Electricity transmission lines are now 1,627 kms
compared to 1,427 kms in 2006; on the power distribution lines, the
medium voltage (33KV and11KV), is now a total of 15,178 kms compared
to 6,245 kms we had by 2006. The low voltage distribution lines
connecting electricity to consumers is now about 18,000 kms compared to
8,448 kms in 2006.
Oil and Gas
By 2017, we shall start pumping the oil out for our refinery and the
pipeline. We estimate a production of 180,000 barrels on average per day.
If we assume a low price of US dollars 70 per barrel, that will give us an
annual extra income of US dollars 4.6billions. 70% of this money i.e. US
dollars 3.2billions will be Uganda Government money. This money will
never be used for salaries, imports, etc., etc.; it will only be used for
hydro-power dams and other forms of energy, the standard gauge railway,
industrialization (industrial-estates), scientific innovation and research and
high-level science education and technical training. With this money per

annum we can pay for the much talked about standard gauge railway in
just two years.
Apart from oil and gas, the government conducted exploration in many
parts of the country and discovered the following minerals in the following
quantities:
(i)

Iron-ore - more than 200 million metric tonnes of proven ore in

Kabale and Kanungu areas;

(ii)

Phosphates - 230 million metric tonnes of proven Ore in Sigulu

hills, Tororo;
(iii)

Cement - more than 300 million tonnes of Limestone in Karamoja

in addition to the one in Hima;

(iv)

Aluminium clays - more than 3 billion tonnes of ore in Makuru in

Bugweri;
(v)
(vi)
(vii)

Copper - more than 9 million tonnes in Kilembe;

Cobalt - more than 5.5 million tonnes in Kisoro;
Wolfram - more than 800,000 tonnes, in some parts of
Kabale;

(viii) Tin - more than 1 million tonnes in Ruhaama

(ix)

Ntungamo areas;

Gold - more than 8.2 million ounces in different parts of the

country;

(x)

Vermiculite - more than 54.9 million tonnes in some parts of the

country
(xi)

Columbite-tantalite (Coltan) 133 million tonnes;

(xii)

Rock salt and brine - 22 million tonnes in Katwe

and some parts

of the country;
(xiii) Uranium - in some parts of the country.
Human Development
Investment and wealth creation must translate into improved quality of
life for our people. We have so far performed well in arresting and
reversing the declining quality of life indicators and to considerable extent
improved human development in the country.
In pursuit of a prosperous country with prosperous people, we must also
be prepared to transform ourselves. We must change the mind-sets of our
people, from a defeatist self-deprecating type to the highly motivated
high-achievers that we are envisaging to drive our economy over the next
30 years. We must move away from a wasteful culture towards efficiency
gains; from aimless drifters to a more development-oriented work ethic;
and most importantly from tendencies of misappropriating public
resources to a culture of integrity and respect for public property. We
cannot afford a business-as-usual approach.
The achievement of the high literacy rates (now at an average rate of
77.1% for the males and 75.2% for the females, making a total average of

76.1%), notwithstanding, we need to skill the Ugandan youths with

technical, professional and managerial skills.
Besides, the socio-economic interventions we have been carrying out
have not been in vain. While in 1986, we had only 1,209,640 pupils in
primary schools, in 2014, we have 8,459,720 pupils in government and
private primary schools. While in 1986, we had 123,589 students in
secondary schools, we now have 1,362,739 students in the government
and private secondary schools. In 1986, we had 5,390 university
students. We now have 140,403 students in the government and private
universities. In 1986, we had one university. We now have 32
universities, both government and private. The society is somehow
metamorphosing.
As of now, we have 5 Technical Colleges across the country for S.6
Leavers; 5 Teacher Training Colleges for S.6 Leavers; 57 Technical
Institutes for S.4 Leavers; 42 Technical Institutes and Community
Polytechnics for P7 Leavers and 4 Tourism Schools. The plan is to build, at
least, one technical institute (for S.4 Leavers) per constituency.
In the health sector we have made progress as follows:
Performance in health sector has led to significant improvements in the
citizens health and, more importantly, provides ground for confidence in
future gains in general living standards. Access to health units within a
radius of 5km has improved from 30% in 1986 to 79% in 2005. Out of 214
electoral constituencies, 143 have Health Centre IVs with a theatre and a

doctor. Another 35 Health Centres have already been completed but not
yet equipped, and 36 are under construction.
ICT
In the area of ICT, for instance, when I visited China some years ago, I
agreed with the Huawei Company to build the ICT backbone. I linked them
to the concerned authorities inside Uganda. The following towns have
already been linked by the ICT backbone: Kampala, Entebbe, Bombo,
Nakasongola, Gulu, Masindi, Nimule, Lira, Soroti, Kumi, Mbale, Tororo,
Busia, Jinja, Mukono, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Fort Portal and Hoima.
One effort of job creation is to encourage the setting up of Business
Processes Outsourcing (BPO). This is in order to exploit sector No.4 (ICT)whereby Ugandan Accountants and Auditors, work on company books
from the USA or Canada, transmit the product of their work across the
internet and are paid their remuneration while they are here.
Peace and Security
I salute the UPDF, the Uganda Police, the Intelligence services and the
vigilance of the population of Uganda for the peace that is prevailing in
every corner of Uganda Karamoja inclusive.The problem of indisciplined
armies had dogged us for far too long. I am, therefore, happy to report
that professionalization of the army has firmly taken shape and we have
not only managed to pacify the whole country, but can defend every part
of it. We are also now in position to provide security and military support
to our neighbours. It is in this connection that we have gone to Somalia as

the biggest contingent of the African Union force and managed to pacify
that country.
In conclusion, fellow Ugandans, the task of delivering Uganda towards
prosperity is not for the President or even the Government alone. This is a
shared vision, an embodiment of the aspirations of all Ugandans. In order
to achieve the things I have outlined above, we need to change our way of
doing things. We need to adopt a business approach in Government,
which will resonate better with the work culture of the private sector.
I wish you happy celebrations and I thank you all.

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

9th October, 2015.