All eyes are on President Yoweri Museveni about the grand package he will unveil for Ugandans, in his long awaited address to the nation, slated for June 7th.
It will be part of President Museveni’s annual speech to the nation in which he will address the Parliament and officiate the new business year for the House.
The President normally utilizes this address to announce major achievements reached at by the nation in the previous business year, and highlight to Parliament key priority areas for the next fiscal year.
It should be noted that article 101(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda stipulates that the President may, also, in consultation with the Speaker, address Parliament from time to time, on any matter of national importance.
Pursuant to this article, the President last addressed the House last year on matters of national importance like state of security in the country.
In that speech, President Museveni shockingly announced that Uganda had achieved a middle income status, but statistics which served as a basis on which government made such a pronouncement were trashed by World Bank.
The President officiates the new business year for Parliament annually, indicating major achievements in the past year in areas of economy, health, education, security, politics, agriculture and others, while highlighting new priority areas in a new fiscal year.
“The GDP per capita is now USD 146. You remember, the entrance point for the middle income status is USD. 136. We have now passed that figure. Congratulations. However, to be declared a middle income country, you need to sustain this for two to three years. I am confident we shall over perform in achieving that,” said President Museveni, adding; “But our economy expanded inspite of the lockdowns caused by Covid-19 and inspite of the ever increasing population. You can see that the size of the economy, when compared to the population that is always growing fast has continued to grow, we have arrived at the boundary point as far as the middle income status is concerned.”
To this day, correct and authentic statistics on whether Uganda is a middle income country or not cannot be traced and even the pronouncement made by President Museveni has waned, like a small shouting in the wilderness.
Tomorrow’s anticipated presidential address to the nation comes at a time when Uganda is enduring the worst gun violence in decades, and it is estimated that almost every day, a life is lost due to misuse of fire arms.
The address also comes at a critical moment when Uganda is flexing muscles and trading barbs with European countries that have for long been supportive to the country’s economy, over the passing of Anti Homosexuality Act 2023, termed as the worst draconian law against humanity.
This legislation which was hastily passed, drove the western world into threatening to cut-off financial aid they have been rendering to Uganda, amid a continuously faltering and beligueared economy.
Ugandans are on high alert, hoping that such pertinent issues and many other biting controversies like the Mabati saga, deadly Al-shabab attack on Ugandan base in Somalia shall be catered for by the president in his address to the nation.
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