President Museveni on Monday told Uganda’s newly sworn-in Chief Justice, Dr Flavian Zeija, to ask the public to identify corrupt officials in the judiciary, stressing that public input is key to tackling graft.
Dr Zeija was sworn in on January 24 at the presidential farm in Kisozi, Gomba District. Speaking two days later at celebrations marking National Resistance Movement (NRM) rule and outlining priorities for his next five-year term, expected to start in May, Museveni said infrastructure, wealth creation, and justice would be central to government action.
‘We don’t want any unrepaired road; whether tarmac or marram. Then jobs. they come from wealth,’ Museveni said.
‘Then the issue of justice. We don’t want corruption in the courts. The new Chief Justice is very active in that and he did what I’d been telling them to do for a long time; to ask the public who is corrupt. The public knows and they will tell you,’ he added.
‘That’s the only way to know who is corrupt. Corruption, corruption. Corruption must stop,’ Museveni said, concluding his more than 50-minute address at Kololo.
The president’s remarks come amid growing frustration among young Ugandans over widespread unemployment and corruption, which the Ombudsman says costs the government more than Shs10 trillion annually.
Anti-graft protests led by Gen Zs in 2024, including a March to Parliament, were swiftly contained by security forces during repeated crackdowns.
Over 73% of Uganda’s approximately 46 million population is under the age of 30, and more than 42% of young people are reportedly not working, studying, or undergoing training, according to a 2024 government census.
But on Monday, Museveni described the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other wealth-creation programs as measures by his government to tackle the challenges plaguing Uganda’s economy.
‘We don’t want a country of 70% rich people and 30% poor. It is confirmed that 70% of Ugandans are in the money economy. That’s why we’re going to put emphasis on PDM. PDM plus ghetto funds, boda boda funds; the cultural leaders we shall create funds for them and religious leaders in their dioceses; university graduates who haven’t got jobs for two years; political leaders, we shall add Shs15 million to them per parish,’ he noted.
He added: ‘What we want is everybody to be involved in wealth creation. That’s emphasis number one. Once we have enough money, then we deal with free education. We also want to check on the health. Immunization has done well but the curative has got some issues.’
If his January election is not successfully challenged, Museveni could complete his term as a half-century ruler at 86 years old in 2031.