Politics 23 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Museveni Urges Africa to Prioritize Integrated Infrastructure for Industrial Growth
President Museveni called on African leaders at the Africa We Build Summit 2026 in Nairobi to adopt a strategic, coordinated approach to infrastructure as part of a broader development framework to boost industrialization and economic potential. He emphasized linking transport, energy, and digital systems to productive sectors while addressing political instability and promoting value addition in raw materials. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/museveni-calls-for-strategic-infrastructure-investment-in-africa--5434492
President Yoweri Museveni has urged African governments to focus on strategic infrastructure investments that support industrial development across the continent. Speaking at the opening of the Africa We Build Summit 2026 at JW Marriott Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, he stressed that infrastructure should not be viewed in isolation but integrated with sectors like agriculture, tourism, and small businesses.
Museveni highlighted the need for coordinated planning in transport, energy, industrial capacity, and regional markets to unlock Africa’s economic potential. He noted that the continent’s growth has lagged despite its resources, population, and land, due to structural issues, sectarian politics, and weak institutions.
He advocated shifting from raw material exports to local value addition in commodities like cotton, coffee, minerals, and petroleum to boost revenues and jobs. Museveni advised using borrowed funds for productive assets such as electricity, railways, pipelines, and manufacturing, rather than recurrent spending.
Uganda is committed to regional integration, extending roads to eastern DRC, South Sudan, and Central African Republic, while advancing steel production, petroleum refining, and vaccine manufacturing. He called for expanding intra-African trade via the African Continental Free Trade Area to attract investment.
Kenyan President William Ruto echoed the urgency for manufacturing growth and infrastructure connectivity, pledging enhanced equity financing. Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote committed to building a refinery in East Africa similar to Nigeria’s.
The two-day summit, hosted by Africa Finance Corporation and Kenya’s government under the theme ‘Infrastructure as the Engine of Industrialisation,’ gathers leaders to discuss large-scale projects for Africa’s progress.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)