Museveni was on Wednesday speaking at Kololo Independence Grounds after he was sworn in as President of Uganda. 

“It is quite comic and laughable to hear of some actors in the world giving us lectures about democracy. You give me lectures about democracy…What are your credentials?” Museveni asked.

He added; “We designed this system not from the air-conditioned rooms but from the jungles of our country where we lived with the people in their huts for much of the 16 years of the resistance (1971 to 1986).”

Museveni said that democracy is one of the four pillars of the NRM.

“Ugandans had not known democracy during the time of the pre-colonial kings and chiefs and during much of the post-colonial time except for the four years between 1962 and 1966. This is how and why we designed a most elaborate, democratic structure involving 96,860 elective positions in the whole country,” he explained.

He further noted that Parliament has 353 directly elective constituencies open to all Ugandans that have advanced level education and above the age of 18 years.

According to Museveni, he doubts that there are many comparable pro-people democratic structures in the world.  He said that it is quite laughable to try to give lectures about democracy to architects of Uganda’s system.

Regarding the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the President said that some sectors were badly affected and that government is working on something to help them as soon as the residual lockdown is sorted. He noted the 464 billion Shillings has been provided in the next financial year 2021/2022 budget for this purpose.

He also vowed to deal with obstacles for government projects like Emyooga, Youth Fund and Operation for Wealth Creation. The Most Rev. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, the Mufti of Uganda prayed for unity and peace in the new presidential term. 

“God promises blessings on a nation whose leaders are just and God-fearing. God desires our nation to be a God-fearing nation to tap his blessings. God desires our nation to be a place where you can live in peace,” said Archbishop Kaziimba.

He also noted that there is a continued need for a spirit of unity and a sense of union in the country regardless of the different tribes, denominations and differences in status. URN