Yoweri Museveni has described Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine as an enemy of Uganda’s prosperity over his comments discouraging foreign investment in Uganda.
In an interview with the BBC’s Alan Kasujja, which aired on Friday, Museveni accused Bobi Wine of dissuading investors from coming to Uganda.
“Mr Bobi Wine went to America and said that people should not come and invest in Uganda. That means he is an enemy of progress in Uganda,” Museveni stated. “I was in the Opposition in the 1960s as a member of DP (Democratic Party) but I could not say that do not build the Masaka- Kabale road because I was not in government.”
CANCELLED SHOWS
Asked whether Bobi Wine’s comments were grounds for cancellation of his music shows, Museveni stated: “When you go and tell foreigners that they should not come and invest in our country, you are waging war on our prosperity. So why then do you want to come and take advantage of that prosperity?”
On October 1, the Police cancelled Kyagulanyi’s music show, dubbed Osobola , at his One Love Beach in Busabala, in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality in Wakiso district. The Inspector General of Police, Martins Okoth Ochola, said Kyagulanyi did not consider the preparatory plans for medical care, traffic and crowd control and security.
Kyagulangyi, under his ‘People Power’ crusade has vowed to challenge Museveni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party chairperson, in the 2021 general elections. The 36-year-old self-styled ‘ghetto president’ has banked on his fanbase and message of appeal to the ‘downtrodden’ to launch a political career, upstaging key political actors in the Opposition.
On the Rwanda-Uganda relations, Museveni said he was not at liberty to disclose confidential details of his discussions with Rwanda president, Paul Kagame. On claims that he wanted regime change in Rwanda and that there are Rwandan nationals being held in ungazetted places in Uganda, the President said, “We were in Luanda, Angola, we signed a communique, go and read that communique.”
In February, Ugandan motorists and cyclists were left stranded after Rwandan authorities blocked cargo trucks from entering Rwanda through Katuna border in Kabale district. The blockade left traders counting losses and sparked diplomatic tensions between the two countries as the spat took different turns.
An advisory from Kigali said the closure of the border was due to construction of Katuna one-stop border post, and motorists were advised to use the Mirama Hills- Katigumba route. Rwanda has previously accused Uganda of supporting rebel movements to oust the Kigali regime and mistreating its citizens, accusations that Uganda has vehemently denied.
In August, Rwanda and Uganda signed a pact in Angola aimed at ending the dispute, agreeing to respect each other’s sovereignty and refrain from actions that destabilise the other’s territory. Angolan president Joao Lourenco, along with his counterparts from the DR Congo, witnessed the signing of the agreement.
RETIREMENT
When asked about retirement, the President noted that he was ready to retire when the NRM felt they no longer needed his services.
“My home is waiting for me, but we have issues as Uganda to deal with. It is those issues that make us do what we decide to do politically along with our colleagues. If the fraternity of the NRM thinks that they no longer require the contribution of the elders, then we will happily go and do other things. “We are not here for a show, we are not theatre goers, we are people who are here to deal with big issues of Uganda and Africa,” he said.
EMPLOYMENT
On the high rate of youth unemployment, Museveni insisted that the youthful population is not a threat but an opportunity. “The jobs are there and they will be there. If you look at agriculture, we have huge potential.
We were struggling with the basics, such as electricity, but now we have more. One of the issues has to do with mentality because some of the people are looking for white-collar jobs.
There are jobs in commercial agriculture, industries and factories,” Museveni explained. Bobi Wine went toAmerica and said people should not come and invest in Uganda
President Museveni is seeking a sixth term in office in 2021 but the last few years have been dominated by a battle with Bobi Wine currently seen as his leading critic.
The leader of The People Power movement accuses Mr Museveni of oppression.
“Shamelessly Mr Museveni brands me enemy of Uganda’s progress! Mr President, your first name is corruption, second liar, third despot. You’ve run down our country, killed our people, destroyed institutions and rule us through the barrel of the gun! You are the enemy of Uganda!” Mr Kyagulanyi tweeted on Friday.
He added: “34 years in power. Ailing education sector. Sick health-care. Sickening poverty levels. Unemployment. State capture. Murders all over. Militarised state. Gross human rights violations. Nepotism. Misuse of power. This is the system Mr Museveni calls progress and seeks to protect!”