President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday held a strategic meeting with former Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete on the sidelines of the 8th African Leadership Forum at Speke Resort Munyonyo, where the two leaders exchanged views on regional cooperation and the continent’s transformation agenda.
Kikwete, attending the forum as a special envoy from H.E. President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, delivered a special message to President Museveni, reaffirming the strong bilateral ties between the two East African nations.
“I thank President Kikwete for visiting and kindly ask him to convey our warm greetings to Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu and the people of Tanzania,” President Museveni said via his official handle on X (formerly Twitter).
During their meeting, the two leaders discussed Africa’s ongoing development efforts, particularly in light of the continent’s struggle to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). President Museveni emphasized that sustainable development cannot be achieved without deliberate economic and ideological transformation.
“Africa’s historic problem has always been the lack of political power. After independence, many countries collapsed due to weak institutions and aimless politics,” Museveni remarked during his keynote speech at the forum. “We must now focus on building strong states and economies rooted in science, innovation, and value addition.”
Museveni outlined Uganda’s economic evolution in six stages—minimum recovery, economic expansion, diversification, value addition, the knowledge economy, and now a focus on science and innovation, including vaccine production. “This is the essence of true transformation,” he said.
Kikwete, a leading voice on regional integration and development, praised Uganda for hosting the high-level forum and echoed Museveni’s call for pragmatic solutions.
“This forum must go beyond talk. We need bold and actionable strategies to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs,” Kikwete stated. He underscored the importance of regional dialogue and unity in addressing common challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and climate change.
Museveni expressed appreciation to the attending dignitaries for their continued engagement in shaping Africa’s transformation discourse.
“I salute President Kikwete and other leaders for honouring this summit. Your wisdom and experience are vital in steering Africa toward a self-sustaining and modern future,” he said.
The African Leadership Forum, launched in 2014 by the late Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and the UONGOZI Institute, is a platform for former and current African leaders to engage in strategic dialogue on the continent’s future. This year’s forum, themed “Realizing Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: Progress and Way Forward,” brought together notable dignitaries, including former Sierra Leonean President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, former Tunisian President Dr. Moncef Marzouki, and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe.