By Francis Jjunju
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the state of the National address in Kampala has highlighted five key areas he is to address; Peace, infrastructural development, Wealth and Job creation and market accessibility for Uganda to get to another level of development.
Museveni however dwelt much on ensuring peace where he faulted police for failure to employ investigation skills to detect crime and resorted to tortures a method contrary to their FRONASA mission in which they always dwelt on addressing the mindset to change people other than inflicting bodily harm to get information.
He said the UPDF has marked tremendous successes in all its combat operations, citing Somalia, South Sudan, DR.Congo and Central African Republic not because they are well paid but because of dedication and professional performance.
He assured the county of tight security and peace adding that those employing scare tactics, shooting individuals, stealing crops and other property and circulating threatening leaflets to attack people must be handled urgently and seriously in a professional way.
On infrastructural development Museveni talked of, improvement on roads that were purely funded from locally generated revenues like Kampala Masaka road and Kampala Mityana road among others following the approval of what was the first lion’s share of the national budget by the ministry of works in 2006 granted by the 8th parliament.
Well constructed roads on top of the railway network will reduce on the transport expense where currently a 10 ft container from Mombasa to Kampala takes nearly a week at about $1,500 yet it would be much lower if it was by train.
Museveni said those two couple with cheap hydro power and human resource it will lower the cost of economic operations, which will attract investors to create investments and job opportunities for youths who do not have jobs.
On skills improvement among the youth Museveni said theoretical work will not help transform the country but skills development revealing that State House controller is supporting 711 young girls in baking, embroidery, textile weaving, shoe making, knitting among other vocational skills which takes six months at a cost of UGX 486 including lunch and daily transport per person of UGX 2,000.
He said this will transform the youth into job creators and is willing to gazette land in Kitubulu Entebbe with shades where such youths will be housed with their products for production and sale.
On market accessibility Museveni said they libralised the economy to help the seller earn but at a minimal charge but some have abused it by hoarding sugar to sell it exorbitantly which is open exploitation. Production of enough goods even for the local industries is key on the agenda instead of crown beverages (CocaCola) and quality chemicals to always import raw materials for use like sugar and starch it should be bought from here.
He promised to recapitalize African Development Bank to the tune of UGX 50 billion through parliament to facilitate borrowing and investment at affordable interest rate with the support from foreign assistance.
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