President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said that unless society undergoes socio-economic transformation, the principles of justice will remain shaky.
“We need social economic transformation to make these principles of justice in a modern way be on a firm basis rather than this shaky basis. But in order to do this the society must undergo social economic transformation,” H.E Museveni said, adding that Social Economic Transformation should be through Education for all (free education) and the full monetization of the economy.
“Let all children go to school and study for free. For me I am convinced, if all the children go to government primary schools, secondary and technical institutions, it will help the society to change,” he added, lashing out at individuals who think that education is a channel to make personal money.
The President made the remarks while presiding over the closure of the 2nd Annual East African Court of Justice Judicial Conference held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala on Friday, 28th October, 2022 under the theme, “Transforming Access to Justice in the East African Community”.
The Conference aimed at stimulating high-level conversations and discussions on emerging legal and judicial issues including, emerging jurisprudence, issues affecting Courts and Court users and providing a platform for information sharing among judges, judicial officers and legal practitioners and other Court users in the region.
The President said Europe has changed because of socio-economic transformation.
“During the French revolution, there were four social classes which included the feudalist, peasants, middle class and working class but because of socio-economic transformation, now if you go to Europe today looking for peasants you will not get any. What we have now is a two-class society which includes the middle class and the skilled working class,” Mr. Museveni noted.
The President further noted that the second channel for socio-economic transformation is business. “Learning the culture of producing a good or a service for sale,” he said.
On the issue of East African Integration, the Head of state noted that whereas the African Market is worth 3.4 trillion dollars, it is still low compared to other economies like Japan which is 4.3 trillion dollars, China (14 trillion dollars) and the United States of America (over 20 trillion dollars).
“So, this low level of GDP shows you the low level of mobilization. Because if we were mobilized, our GDP would be much bigger. Then soon we get into the problem of the market. Who will buy what you produce,” H.E Museveni said, adding that the Ugandan market will not be enough if all the people woke up and started producing, hence the need for a regional and continental market under economic and political integration.
The President expressed gratitude to former leaders; Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi (Former President of Kenya), Benjamin William Mkapa (Former President of Tanzania) and Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere for their historical contribution to the East African integration which later saw countries like Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo join the EAC block.
He said the coming of Somalia on board will make the EAC stronger.
“This is the logic of Economic Integration. We are integrating in order to deal with the issue of prosperity through production of goods and services which need a bigger market,” H.E Museveni noted, not forgetting the issue of strengthening strategic security as the second element of Integration which also needs an integrated approach.
“If Africa works together, there’s no security issue we cannot work out. If we don’t act together, what is small becomes big. The issue in Somalia, DRC is very small but this can be dealt with through integration,” he added.
The President challenged Judicial officers to brainstorm on which matters that should be for integration, saying issues like land management should remain a state matter as it is a district matter in Uganda under the district land boards.
“Me as a wealth creator, what I want from East Africa is a market (integrating the market) then we can add other things carefully,” Mr. Museveni said. He congratulated the participants for coming to Uganda.
The Secretary General, East African Community (EAC), Dr. Peter Mathuki, disclosed that as the Secretariat they have decided to take the community to the people so that they interact with them through different programs and get solutions to local challenges affecting the people.
“I want to assure you, Your Excellency, that we have the same objectives and one vision as a community.”
He also disclosed that as EAC Secretariat they have already engaged the President of Somalia, H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, about the community and he gave them an assurance that they are in a process to join the bloc.
The 2nd Annual EACJ Judicial Conference attracted participants from the seven (7) East African Community (EAC) Partner States who include Chief Justices, Ministers of Justice, Attorneys General, Ministers in charge of EAC Affairs, Judges from regional and national courts, Heads of EAC Organs and Institutions, Members of Parliament, legal practitioners, members of the academia, representatives of civil society organisations, representatives of the private sector and the media.
