President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda has been sworn in this Thursday 12th May 2016 for the sixth time to lead Uganda for a five years term.
The inauguration exercise that took place at Kololo Grounds, in Uganda`s Capital City Kampala, was presided over by Uganda Chief Justice Bart Magunda Katureebe with Chief Registrar administering both the Presidential oath and the oath of allegiance.
After the swearing in ceremony, President Museveni received instruments of power comprising of the national flag, emblem, public seal, constitution and the presidential standard.
President Museveni`s inauguration came a day after the opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye Kifefe who contested in the 2016 presidential elections but failed attempted to inaugurate himself as the incoming President of Uganda.
Dr. Besigye who contested on Forum for Democratic Change was however arrested by the police with the police warning all Ugandan Citizens from engaging in actions that might interfere with peace in the country.
Dr. Kizza came second after the incumbent, President Museveni in the February 18th 2016 General Elections although he dismissed the whole exercise arguing that there were many incidences of vote rigging with the Electoral Commission deliberately delaying voting materials in areas believed to be opposition zones such as Kampala City and many towns.
However the opposition Chief did not file any case in court objecting president Museveni`s win appealing to the international community to help in establishing the truth about Uganda 2016 elections while at the same calling for an international audit in the elections.
Speaking after the swearing in exercise, President Museveni thanked Uganda people more especially voters who had faith in him by voting him to be the country`s Chief for the sixth term.
He congratulated the National Resistance Movement leaders, supporters for marketing the party well making Ugandans to turn out in large number on 18th February 2016 to vote for the party.
“I congratulate the Ugandans who turned out in big numbers on 18th February and subsequent occasions to vote for the President, Parliament and different levels of Local Governments,” said President Museveni.
I congratulate the NRM Party for, once again, galvanizing its members and sympathizers to achieve victory at the national and local levels,” he added
He noted that for the thirty years that NRM has been in power it has moved Uganda from the worst state of insecurity and hopelessness adding that by 2020, his government will ensure that Uganda moves to a middle class income country.
He said his government will build more hydro electric dams to ensure that Ugandans get a surplus amount of energy that will in turn be used to boost industrialization.
“Our plan is to build more and more dams, not only on all the sites of the Nile River, Ayago-840MW, Oriang-392MW, Uhuru-400MW, Kiba-300MW but also develop over 40 mini-hydro dams,” explained Museveni.
President Museveni revealed that his government is working closely with Kenya to complete the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway which he said will ease transportation of heavy goods from Mombasa to Kampala.
He said with the SGR, the cost of transportation will reduce half way compared to the current one with the time taken to transport goods from Mombasa to Uganda reducing from 21 to 1 day.
On Agriculture, the head of state regretted that many Ugandans are still practicing subsistence farming adding that his government will ensure that trend changes so that a culture of wealth creation, farming for money is embraced.
“The biggest challenge we have in agriculture is cultural and historical. According to the census of both 2001 and 2014, about 68% of our homesteads are still in subsistence agriculture, only working for food but not working for money. Only 32% of the homesteads are in the money economy,” explained Museveni.
In relation to stability in Africa, President Museveni urged his fellow leaders to come out strongly and help to regain stability in Congo, Burundi, Somalia and Central African Republic.
He also took issue with the International Criminal Court, based in Netherlands terming it as an institution that is of no value to Africans.
“With those interested in the ICC, ICC is none of our business, it is a useless body, we had supported the ICC initially thinking they were serious but they are just a bunch of useless people,” he said
Despite jubilation among NRM supporters following President Museveni`s win, a section of citizens especially from the opposition boycotted the swearing in ceremony saying they were not satisfied with the outcome during the February 18th 2016 elections.
Among the leaders who attended President Museveni`s inauguration were the current African Union Chairman who is also the President of Chad Hon Idris Derby, Kenya`s Uhuru Kenyatta, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Jacob Zuma of South Africa, Omar el Bashir of Sudan among others.
Others were President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania, Ambassadors, Ministers from different states among others.
Trans Nzoia women Representative Hon. Janet Nangabo was also among those who attended the ceremony.
