President Yoweri Museveni, in a recent address to the nation, highlighted the need for restructuring various government agencies, emphasizing a move towards economic rationalization. Citing inspiration from a “Prayer of Repentance” in the Church of Uganda Prayer Book, he expressed concern over what he termed as “parasitic” and “irrational” agencies, which he said have fallen short in promoting Uganda’s socio-economic growth.
Addressing Ugandans, Museveni noted the origins of certain agencies such as the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), which were initially established to drive economic projects with a high degree of independence. This model allowed agencies to operate with specialized staff who could be paid better than civil servants in government departments, given the economic challenges of that time.
However, Museveni argued, the agencies did not meet their mandate to elevate Ugandans out of poverty. For instance, by 2013, a significant 68% of Ugandan households were still outside the money economy despite decades of effort by agencies like UCDA and NAADS. This failure led Museveni to introduce Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), utilizing the military to distribute resources such as coffee seedlings and livestock. OWC has since demonstrated tangible success, with an increase in households involved in the cash economy—now up to 67% according to Museveni’s estimates.
Museveni also spoke about his recent initiative, the Parish Development Model (PDM), which is structured to give parishes the authority to manage their own funds. He praised PDM for its ability to provide accessible, low-interest loans and enable local production.
Highlighting the dairy sector as another example, Museveni detailed how milk production has surged to 5.3 billion liters annually, up from just 200 million liters in 1986. This growth, he emphasized, came through government initiatives rather than specific agency intervention, countering claims that the Dairy Development Authority (DDA) was solely responsible.
Museveni’s approach to rationalizing agencies, he said, is part of a broader vision to focus Uganda’s resources on essential industries, increase exports, and enhance economic independence. He criticized those opposed to rationalization, accusing some of harboring tribal agendas or potential external influence. Museveni also cited the need to capture a larger share of the global coffee market by adding value to Uganda’s coffee exports, referencing the disparity in earnings between coffee-producing countries and large coffee consumers like Germany.
The president’s message resonated with a call for a unified, rational approach that benefits Uganda as a whole, urging Ugandans to support the restructuring efforts.
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