President Yoweri Museveni has launched a blistering attack on veteran journalist and political commentator Andrew Mwenda, accusing him of undermining Uganda’s industrialisation drive, sabotaging national development projects, and acting in the interests of “neo-colonial agents.”
In a four-page rebuttal Museveni defended his government’s economic policies and said he remained ready to defend Uganda “with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen.”
“You will, however, discover that at 82, I am still able to defend Uganda and myself with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen,” Museveni wrote.
The President accused Mwenda of unfairly criticizing local innovators and entrepreneurs while ignoring what he described as visible evidence of Uganda’s growing industrial and agricultural transformation.
“You are supposed to be a journalist. Why do you not interview these ‘conmen’ such as Magoola, Senfuka, etc.? Visit Magoola’s factories in Matugga and Kamuli. Interview people who testify that they were cured by Senfuka’s mixture of herbs. Visit Tugume’s factory in Ntungamo,” Museveni said.
Museveni particularly defended the government-backed Kiira Motors Corporation project, saying critics like Mwenda were embarrassed by efforts aimed at building indigenous industrial capacity.
“You are ashamed and you dare not talk about Kiira Motors because that is a shamer of the neo-colonial agents like Mwenda,” the President said.
He accused Mwenda and like-minded critics of promoting a “do-nothing” mentality that keeps Africa dependent on exporting raw materials instead of developing value-added industries.
Using gold and coffee as examples, Museveni argued that Uganda had historically lost enormous wealth through exporting raw commodities.
“A kilogram of fully refined gold of the purity of 99.9% goes for USD 168,000 while crude exports fetch far less,” he said, adding that processed coffee earns up to USD 40 per kilogram compared to about USD 2.5 for raw beans.
Museveni also defended his decision to ban the export of unprocessed minerals, saying Uganda now hosts 10 gold refineries and has seen gold exports rise to USD 7.48 billion.
The President further pointed to the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other government wealth creation initiatives as proof that the state was investing in ordinary Ugandans.
Museveni urged Ugandans to ignore the likes of Andrew Mwenda whom he said are always trying to sabotage our growth and transformation.
“The growth of the commercial dairy industry in the cattle corridor boosting milk-production from 200 million litres to 5.3 billion litres; the banana industry; the fruit industry in Teso, Luwero, Kayunga and Masaka; the Palm oil industry in Kalangala, Buvuma, Bundibugyo and Maruzi; the coffee industry already referred to; the steel industry; etc., are always opposed by the likes of Andrew Mwenda. We have succeeded in spite of their sabotage.
“Even if we were to make a mistake in the effort to industrialize Uganda, achieve import-substitution and export promotion, it would be better than merely careening on in the neo-colonial doldrums. We attacked Kabamba two times, not succeeding. On the third attempt, we had great success. Failure from which we learn lessons, is success,” he added.
