We must build a center of gravity for the African race
Calls for Africa economic integration
Wealth funds will be managed by the beneficiaries at parish level
Curfew and other sectors to be re-opened after 4.7 million Ugandans are vaccinated
USHS. 464bn set aside to help performing artists , boda bodas and sportsmen affected by the lockdown due the Covid -19 pandemic
Africa will defend itself against any aggressors
BY Our Correspondents in Kololo
Gen .Yoweri Museven has been sworn as president of the Republic of Uganda for the next five years and by 2026 he will have led Uganda for a record 40 years . He pledged to the nation that he will decisively deal with the wide spread corruption that has crippled government services and programs for a long time .
“What is needed is to expunge the corruption of the use of money that has been creeping-in ─ brought in by the opportunist careerists ─ looking for jobs and not service. It is quite laughable to try to give lectures about democracy to architects of such a system.
We built this system for our people. We neither seek nor need any approbation from anybody outside Uganda, except our peers in the AU and NEPAD to whom we are linked by African brotherhood, solidarity and shared values, based on mutual respect. We can also share our experience with those beyond the African shores, on the basis of mutual respect,” a tough talking Museveni said shortly after being sworn . “ This Kisanja is going to be different . Corruption will not be tolerated ,” he stressed.
He reminded the African leaders present that economic and, where possible, political integration in Africa, was “ a sine qua non of the success for Africa” , if the continent was to address the issue of prosperity and strategic security of Africa.
While emphasizing the importance of a common market for the whole of Africa under – CFTA and the confederation of East Africa as a first step to the East African Political Federation, Museveni called for a center of gravity for the African race. “ We must, where we can, build a centre of gravity for the African race. There are some small countries in the World. However, many of them, have centres of gravity: USA for the Europeans; Russia for the Balkans; China for the Far East; India for South Asia. Where is the economic and strategic centre of gravity for the African race? When you see black people suffering almost everywhere ─ in Africa, the USA, Brazil, etc., it is partly on account of lacking this centre of gravity,” he noted in an elaborate speech printed in a handbook.
To address the problem of surpluses in Uganda Museveni said there was need to have a strong regional and continental integration to unite the regional and continental markets to support production of goods and services better; higher purchasing power in Uganda so that the Ugandans can buy more; and good quality products at comparative costs that can be accepted in national, regional, continental and international markets.
Museveni said that wealth funds will be concentrated at the Parish (Muruka), in the Parish Model, except for the myooga (specializations) funds that will remain at the constituency. The wealth funds, unlike in the past, will be controlled by the members and not by Government officials (CAO, OWC, etc).
“These funds will, henceforth, be members-owned and run. The only prohibition will be to divert the money to the non-mission areas. The allocations will be grants to the Parish SACCOs,” the President directed .
To deal with corruption and stealing drugs, part of the solution he said , will be E-Government. “All Government transactions, will be computer-based; no more human to human contact. This will be easier to monitor even for remote supervisions.”
Museveni said that government has set aside at least Shs464billion (about US$130million) to help groups such as boda bodas , sportsmen and artists who have been economically battered by the lockdown due to the Covid -19 pandemic .
The president said that curfew will be lifted and others sectors opened up when 4.8million people are vaccinated and these will include those over 50years (8%) – 3,348,500, health workers (Public & Private) – 150,000 , teachers/lectures, – 550,000 ; security personnel – 250,000 and those with comorbidities and are below age of 50 years – 500,000. So far 375,283 people have been vaccinated .
Museveni regrated to note the poor security situations in: Libya; Mali; Niger; some parts of Nigeria; Chad; Central African Republic; some parts of Cameroon; Eastern Congo; Somalia; recently, Northern Mozambique which he said must be addressed and vowed that Africa can defend itself against any and all aggressors –“if we co-ordinate.”
At least 11 heads of state and another 22 delegations joined Ugandans to witnessed the colorful -historical event held at Kololo independence grounds under tight security .The 10 presidents who are in attendance include , President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Évariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi), Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Somalia), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Hage Gottfried Geingob (Namibia),Alpha Conde (Guinea), Salva Kiir Mayardit(South Sudan),Nana Akufo-Ado(Ghana), Felix Tshisekedi(DRC) and Ethiopia’s Sahle-Work Zewde.
Other countries represented are Super power Russia’s Vladimir Putin who sent in Mikhail Bogdanov, a special presidential envoy but also the deputy Foreign Affairs Minister and Ahmed A. Kattan, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia- interalia.
A total of 4,294, guests were invited to attend the inauguration ceremony represented different sections of the population.
DELEGATIONS PRESENT AT THE PRESIDENTIAL SWEARING-IN CEREMONY, 12TH MAY 2021
H.E. FÉLIX ANTOINE TSHISEKEDI TSHILOMBO, President of Democratic Republic Congo & Chairperson of the African Union.
H.E. UHURU KENYATTA, President of the Republic of Kenya & Chairperson of the East African Community.
H.E. ALPHA CONDE, President of the Republic of Guinea
H.E. SALVA KIIR MAYARDIT, President of the Republic of South Sudan
H.E. HAGE GEINGOB, President of the Republic of Namibia
H.E. NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana
H.E. MOHAMED ABDULLAHI MOHAMED FARMAAJO, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
H.E. EMMERSON DAMBUDZO MNANGAGWA, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
H.E. EVARISTE NDAYISHIMIYE, President of the Republic of Burundi
H.E. SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
H.E. SAHLE-WORK ZEWDE, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
H.E. YEMI OSIBAJO, Vice President, representing H.E Mohammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 13. H.E. MALIK AGAR EYRE NGANYOUFA, Member of the Transitional Sovereign Council, representing H.E. Abdel Fatah Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan 14. H.E. ROSE CHRISTIANE OSSOUKA RAPONDA, Prime Minister and Head of Government, representing H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba President of the Republic of Gabon 15. DR. NALEDI PANDOR, Minister of International Relations & Cooperation, representing H.E. Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa
16. HON. SIMEON OYONO ANGUE, Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing H.E. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.,17.HON. TETE ANTONIO, Minister of External Relations and Special Envoy of H.E. Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola,18H.E. CARLOS JORGE SILIYA, Minister for Combatants, representing H.E. Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique 19. HON. MOHAMED SALEM OULD SALEK, Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing H.E. Brahim Ghali, President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 20. H.E. SABRI BOUKADOUM, Minister of Foreign Affairs representing H.E. Abdelmadjid Tebboune President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. 21. HON. MIKHAIL BOGDANOV, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing H.E. Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation 22. H.E. SHEIKH SHAKHBUT BIN NAHYAN BIN MUBARAK AL NAHYAN, Minister of State, representing His Highness Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. 23. HON. AHMED BIN ABDULAZIZ KATTAN, Minister of State for African Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, representing H.R.H Salman bin Abdal-Aziz Al-Saud, The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. 24. HON. PROF. MANASSEH NSHUTI, Minister of State of East African Community, representing H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda,25H.E. MOUSSA FAKI MAHAMAT, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, 26H.E. DR. PETER MUTUKU MATHUKI, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), 27H.E. DR. WORKNEH GEBEYEHU, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), 28AMB. JOAO SAMUEL CAHOLO, Executive Secretary of the International Conference on Great Lake Region (ICGLR) 29.H.E. ZHENG ZHUQIANG, China’s Ambassador to Uganda, representing H.E Xi, 30 Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, 31H.E. ASHRAF SWELAM, Egypt’s Ambassador to Uganda, representing H.E. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, 32.H.E. BENSON KEITH CHALI, Zambia’s High Commissioner to Uganda,,33 representing H.E. Edgar Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia 34.H.E. KANANATHAN VELUPPILLAI, Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s High, 35Commissioner to Uganda, presenting H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of the Sri Lanka, 36H.E. AGRINA MUSSA, Malawi’s High Commissioner to Uganda, representingH.E. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi.
