A wave of Opposition voices on social media recently pounced on a comment made by First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni during a rally in West Nile, where she spoke of ‘building a strong foundation for this country.’ Many critics mocked her, accusing her of being out of touch with Uganda’s current realities – and questioned how such a statement could be made after four decades in power. Ironically, many of these critics are standing on the very foundation she referred to.
Uganda’s transformation over the past 40 years is a story of resilience, vision, and determined leadership.
From a nation crippled by despair and instability, marred by identity politics and sectarianism, Uganda has evolved into a country with a unified army, a more cohesive society, and a functioning democracy. Economically, it has shifted from a pre-capitalist, pre-socialist, traditional setup to one striving for a qualitative leap into middle-income status. Those questioning why the Musevenis would take pride in a 40-year foundation likely have never built anything from scratch. They lack the perspective to appreciate the distance Uganda has travelled; often swayed by political rhetoric and blind to the country’s progress.
Post-independence politics led to economic ruin, culminating in the 1972 expulsion of Gujaratis – Uganda’s entrepreneurial backbone. What followed was hyperinflation, political chaos, and rationing of basic goods. During a campaign in northern Uganda, President Museveni met Moses Apiliga, the former minister for supplies, whose job was to oversee the distribution of scarce commodities. If Masaka lacked soap, his ministry had to find it and deliver it. State House staffer Mukoda recalls writing to the ministry ahead of his wedding to request a specific number of sodas, and receiving a rationed allocation in return. Ugandans had to negotiate for essentials, regardless of demand.
That is the backdrop to the foundation the Musevenis speak of. Today, not only are essential commodities stable in price, they are also abundant. Uganda now produces surplus sugar, surplus food, surplus everything, to the point where managing excess has become a new challenge. We have moved beyond the enclave economy. Today, nearly every product is a cash crop: cassava, maize, bananas, fish, beef, fruits, sugar, and leather, you name it. We’ve entered the knowledge economy, manufacturing electric vehicles (KIRA EV) and developing vaccines in the pathogenic economy. The contrast is undeniable.
That said, the Musevenis are not without fault. While the economy has diversified, the continued export of raw materials remains a critical gap, draining jobs and value. But this isn’t a problem they created; Uganda has exported raw cotton for many years. In 1986, the economy stood at just $4 billion. Today, it has grown to $55 billion and is on track to reach $550 billion, thanks to industrialisation, value addition, and import substitution. Uganda now boasts more than 50,000 industries, including one that manufactures the jeans beloved by youth. The Parish Development Model aims to lift households into the money economy.
In education, the First Lady’s ministry has made stride. The next step is ensuring free education at all levels; the foundation is already in place.
Peace and security, often overlooked, are central to this foundation. The First Lady understands this deeply, having lived as a refugee in multiple countries. Uganda has enjoyed its longest period of stability. Today, we export peace and host refugees. So, despite the noise from naysayers, imperialist sympathisers, misinformed social media critics, entitled Gen Zs, dishonest politicians, and obscurantist careerists, Uganda’s foundation remains rock solid. As the Bible says:
‘The wise man built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.’ That is the foundation the Musevenis have built. And nothing should take us back. It is our duty to protect these gains and take that next leap into a higher middle-income economy.