President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged officers and students of the Uganda People\u2019s Defense Forces (UPDF), currently undergoing various courses at the Armored Warfare Training School in Karama, Mubende District, to protect Uganda from the divisive dangers of identity politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasized that such politics undermines national unity and distracts the citizens from socio-economic transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking during a lecture of opportunity on June 10, 2025, at State House Entebbe, the President, who also serves as Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF, highlighted the historic consequences of identity politics across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that weak and fragmented governance made the continent vulnerable to colonization, resulting in economic and political decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the last 500 years, Africa has faced the slave trade, colonialism, and neocolonialism. “These crises stemmed from weak governance, which allowed Europeans to dominate the continent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Museveni expressed satisfaction with the gathering and reiterated the UPDF\u2019s role as an instrument of revolution in Uganda and Africa. He urged the officers to internalize this mission and promote national interests over tribal affiliations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recalled that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) introduced three core missions: prosperity, strategic security, and solidarity and four ideological principles: Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic Transformation, and Democracy, all of which contributed to Uganda\u2019s economic revival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President stressed that true prosperity comes from local production and entrepreneurship, not foreign aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf aid made countries rich, Africa and Latin America would be prosperous. Real wealth comes from producing a good or service and selling it with ekibaro (a calculated profit). This is how communities can generate income and improve their standards of living,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He urged army officers to champion self-sufficiency and warned that excessive reliance on aid undermines sustainable economic growth. Prosperity, he said, is achieved when communities produce, sell wisely, and reinvest in essential services such as housing, transport, electricity, and clean water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Museveni further warned against tribalism, noting that while cultural identity is significant, prosperity should not be confined by tribal lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTribal groups may produce excellent goods but often lack the purchasing power to support each other. “That\u2019s why a broader market is essential,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stressed the need for market expansion beyond tribal or regional lines, encouraging participants to embrace Pan-Africanism and explore opportunities across East Africa and the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Museveni cited a positive development: Uganda recently exported 2,100 metric tons of powdered milk to Algeria, showcasing the potential of regional trade and integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On sustainable development, President Museveni called for a shift from manual labor to mechanized and skilled work, likening economic transformation to pregnancy, which must evolve to bring new life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t have sustainable development without transformation. Life involves change. “Just like pregnancy must progress, so must our economies evolve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He encouraged families and communities to adopt modern tools, innovation, and skills-based industries as Uganda\u2019s economy advances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reflecting on the failed 1963 attempt to form an East African Federation, Museveni criticized leaders like Milton Obote and Jomo Kenyatta for missing the opportunity due to Western influence. In contrast, leaders like Julius Nyerere and Abeid Karume successfully merged to create Tanzania, a union that has lasted over 60 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey preferred to be big fish in small ponds,\u201d he remarked, lamenting the missed opportunity that might have prevented leaders like Idi Amin from rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He emphasized that borders have become barriers, preventing collective action to address regional crises in neighboring countries like South Sudan and Congo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President reaffirmed Uganda\u2019s commitment to regional integration and called for leveraging shared cultural and historical ties among the Bantu, Nilotic, and Nilo-Hamitic peoples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using the Swahili word undugu (solidarity), he stressed that unity across ethnic groups is essential for both prosperity and security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brigadier General Peter Chandia, Commandant of the Armored Warfare Training School, thanked President Museveni for taking time from his schedule to deliver an impactful lecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday\u2019s lecture has enhanced our understanding of our entitlement to prosperity\u2014not just as individuals, but for our nation and the continent. It will inspire us to defend Uganda and Africa more effectively,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged officers and students of the Uganda People\u2019s Defense Forces (UPDF), currently undergoing various courses at the Armored Warfare Training School in Karama, Mubende District, to protect Uganda from the divisive dangers of identity politics. He emphasized that such politics undermines national unity and distracts the citizens from socio-economic transformation. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security"],"yoast_head":"\n