Museveni Urges New Cabinet to Drive Socio-Economic Transformation

President Yoweri Museveni has charged Uganda’s new Cabinet ministers with the critical task of accelerating the nation’s socio-economic transformation. Addressing the ministers during a 10-day induction retreat at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi, Museveni stressed the imperative to move the country beyond subsistence production towards a modern, wealth-creating economy.

He underscored that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) was founded on principles of sacrifice, discipline, and service, warning against personal gain and complacency among public officials. The President highlighted a concerning decline in political awareness among leaders, asserting that true leadership requires a deep understanding of historical and economic transformation, distinct from mere propaganda.

Museveni cautioned that for decades, government institutions have been infiltrated by individuals pursuing personal enrichment, hindering national progress. He traced Uganda’s economic history, from colonial exploitation that focused on raw material exports to the post-independence reliance on a few key commodities. The President emphasized that value addition, local processing, and manufacturing are crucial for increasing national income and creating employment opportunities.

“The purpose of leadership is to transform society. We must move our people from subsistence production into the money economy and build a modern society,” Museveni declared. He identified commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as the primary drivers for this transformation. Ministers were urged to actively mobilize citizens into the money economy through household-level engagement and enterprise development.

The President also noted progress in shifting some communities, like those in the cattle corridor, from pastoralism to commercial agriculture but acknowledged persistent challenges. He stated a clear vision: “We cannot continue to have peasants in Uganda. Every family must move from subsistence living into the middle class or the skilled working class.”

To achieve this, Museveni called for collective land-use strategies, modern farming techniques like irrigation and mechanization, and a strong commitment to integrity and results from his Cabinet. This induction retreat aims to align the Cabinet’s priorities with Uganda’s 2026-2031 development agenda, focusing on delivering the nation to upper middle-income status.

Source: Nile Post