President Yoweri Museveni has called on Uganda’s youth to dedicate their energy to championing the long-sought political and economic integration of East Africa.
Speaking during a media engagement with journalists in the Bukedi sub-region at the State Lodge in Mbale,President Museveni, who is also the National Resistance Movement
(NRM) presidential candidate, outlined the seven core pillars of the NRM’s 2026–2031 manifesto and emphasized the strategic role of regional unity in securing Africa’s future.
During the interaction, President Museveni critiqued young people who,in his view, spend too much time engaging in riots or waste energy on radio debates that “do not benefit them.”
“Where will you sell what you produce? And if the internal market of Uganda is enough, why would the Chinese, who have a market of 1.4 billion, be looking for markets here? It’s really amazing when I see you,fellows, young people, politicians, intellectuals, what are you intellectualizing about? You are not dealing with your future,” the President said.
He used Uganda’s dairy production as an example: despite producing 5.3 billion liters of milk annually, the domestic demand stands at only 800 million liters.
“We have a surplus of four billion liters. Sometimes Kenya buys,sometimes it doesn’t, then we go to Algeria. And it is the same issue with sugar, maize, cement,” he said.
According to the President, such structural imbalances demonstrate why the youth should redirect discussions toward East African market integration rather than “talking about European football” or other non-developmental preoccupations.
President Museveni outlined the seven pillars of the NRM manifesto for the next five years. These include: Peace, Development, Wealth creation, Job creation, expanding services, expanding markets, and Political federation of East Africa.
He emphasized that these points are interconnected, with market expansion and regional political federation acting as the anchors for long-term economic growth. How Will You Survive Without Unity?
The President gave a historical analogy, pointing to the 19th-century unification of Germany as a story the youth ought to study. Before 1870, he said, Germans were scattered across 39 kingdoms, making it impossible for them to build a strong capitalist economy. The Franco-Prussian War accelerated unification, creating a stronger and more competitive Germany.
“If you have studied European history, you would have known how Germany and Italy united. What was moving them was the issue of the market,” President Museveni said.
“A modern economy cannot grow without a market.”
He warned that African nations risk stagnation if they continue to operate as small, disjointed units in a world dominated by technological powerhouses. Drawing a dramatic comparison, he said: “Are you going to survive in this world, or will you just disappear like the Red Indians?”
President Museveni lamented that while other nations are advancing in space exploration, Africa remains distracted.
“People have gone to the moon; they are looking at us from there. We are like insects that eat sugar. How can you, professors, allow such a gap to occur?” he wondered.
The NRM candidate also emphasised the need to intensify efforts toward the East African political federation. While acknowledging that the current East African Community (EAC) market operates “sometimes well, sometimes not,” he said the long-term solution lies in formal political integration.
According to President Museveni, a united East Africa would possess a strong defense system, technological capacity, and the economic muscle required to compete on the global stage.
“East Africa can have a strong capacity, go to the moon, send a satellite,and ask the Americans: what are you doing here? The moon is acommon property,” he said humorously.
He urged journalists to use their platforms to sustain conversations on integration, arguing that radio talk shows and local media should not ignore issues that determine “the destiny of Africans.”
President Museveni, who is also the NRM National chairman, addressed the contentious issue of party members who lost in party primaries and are running as independent candidates. He noted that during the constitution-making debates, there were proposals to outlaw independents. However, this position was rejected because primaries can sometimes be flawed.
“For now, it may not be correct to ban independents because primaries sometimes make mistakes,” he said, advocating for political dialogue and persuasion to unify support behind the party’s flag bearers.
President Museveni stressed that ideological alignment, not personal ambition, should guide political competition.
“Conflicts arise when people prioritize positions over principles. If we all believe in the same thing, why fight each other? Conflicts come because people are talking about themselves,” he said.
On the subject of national wealth creation, President Museveni maintained that it is only the NRM government that has created direct funding programs to lift citizens out of poverty. He pointed to initiatives such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), which he said is already transforming households across the country.
“I heard a rumor that journalists are researchers. Go and check if any Ugandan government has ever given its people money as a wealth creation fund,” he challenged reporters.
Addressing concerns about public service salaries, the President acknowledged the issue but defended the government’s prioritization of strategic infrastructure projects. These, he argued, create long-term economic opportunities and jobs, whereas salaries are recurrent expenditures.
“We prioritized infrastructure over salaries because infrastructure creates opportunities for more jobs,” he stated. Nonetheless, he assured workers that salary enhancements remain on the agenda and will be addressed.
The media engagement was attended by senior NRM figures, including the Second National Vice Chairperson of the party, who also serves as Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Annet Anita Among; the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi; and the NRM Director for
Communications, Hon. Emmanuel Dombo.
