Museveni to Address Nation Today

Isaac Imaka

7 June 2011

Kampala — President Museveni will today afternoon address the country, the first time since he was sworn in for a fourth elective term. In his address at Serena Hotel conference centre, the NRM leader will give an account of what has transpired in the country since last year’s address and to explain to Ugandans the plans and strategies for the next 12 months.

Today’s address will also be the President’s first speech to the new Parliament in accordance with the Constitution which allows him to address the House at the beginning of every session. According to the government spokesperson and Information Minister Karooro Okurut, the President will mainly focus on issues pertaining to the economy- especially the skyrocketing commodity prices, the fight against corruption and building infrastructure.

The President will also talk about police brutality and the general political situation in the country. Ms Okurut told this newspaper on phone that all members of the diplomatic community and opposition politicians have been invited to attend the event. “This is the time the President will be telling the nation what we have achieved in the last year and what is still pending from what he told Ugandans last year,” she said.

In his last address, the NRM leader praised the performance of the country albeit the global economic crisis, saying the country’s economy had “grown on average by 8.4 per cent per annum over the last five years, which is a much faster rate than the 7.0 per cent over the last 24 years.”

While President Museveni last year said there had been a return to price stability and that inflation had reduced during the course of 2009 to 8.8 per cent by January 2010, and promised to keep the situation low, the situation has been different this year.

Over the last four months, the country has faced double digit inflation which currently stands at about 11 per cent and commodity and fuel prices have more than doubled leading to the walk-to-work campaigns and subsequent demonstrations. At least 10 people have been killed in the protests and hundreds arrested and injured, including FDC leader Kizza Besigye.

Although President Museveni has been reluctant to buy the idea of reducing taxes on fuel, the country will today be waiting to hear how the government plans to solve the problem.

AllAfrica – All the Time