KAMPALA, Uganda
President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni has lashed out at Ugandans crying over the high commodity prices, saying they have several local options and cheaper choices to make.
Prices of household
commodities including sugar, salt, soap, cooking oil, fuel, and bread among
others have skyrocketed since the beginning of the year - with the government
attributing the inflation to the Ukraine-Russia war and lockdowns in the
world's trade corridors.
Speaking during the International
Labour Day celebrations held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on Sunday afternoon,
Museveni said Uganda has everything and can be self-reliant and stay clear of
all the world economic dynamics.
He said the only thing that
Ugandans have to worry about at the moment is the weather which affects
agricultural production.
"You know Africans really
confuse themselves, you're crying that there is no wheat [for bread]. I don't
eat bread myself. If there is no bread eat muwogo [cassava], muwogo is
here. My real worry worry worry was actually the weather because the rain
delayed. Instead of starting in March, it started in April, so I think as a
country we should plan that in the next budgets - may be in the other because
this one we're not able to deal with the issue of irrigation so that we don't
depend on this [weather]. Once we do that, for me am not concerned with
anything - Uganda has got everything, there is nothing we lack, it is a
question of just waking up. Even in the next few years, we shall be having our
petroleum here and we have got other energy sources, so all those don't concern
us. The only one we can look at is irrigation because that can cause us real,
real problems," said Museveni.
The president
also maintained his stand on prioritizing better payment of civil servants
in science-related fields as workers push for the harmonization of salaries
across the board and enactment of a minimum wage. He noted that although civil
servants in other fields would get enhanced salaries, government decided to
start with scientists.
He was responding to calls
from Usher Wilson Owere, the chairperson of the National Organization of Trade
Unions (NOTU) for better pay for workers in arts and humanities, saying that
they are equally important.
In his response, Museveni
noted that although there is a claim of equity, the reality is that scientists
are more important to the nation now and need special treatment.
"We shall support our
arts people but let's start with the scientists because we don't have enough
money to handle both. So rather than saying, we all get stagnant, no. That is
not correct. Banyankole have a saying that when you're drinking alcohol you say
we're all equal - we're all men here when you're drunk, but when the beer goes
away, you discover who is better than the other one. So please, this onsinza
ki [how are you better than me?] must stop. Soroti Flying School was
about to collapse because of this onsinza ki, we're all government
workers. In the end, we shall pay all of them well but if we can't pay all of
them well. Rather than saying we lose everybody, I don't think that is the
correct way. It is suicidal," added Museveni.
Although Owere presented the
grievances of post-primary science teachers who declared industrial action
recently because of being left out of the salary enhancement for scientists,
Museveni did not respond to the matter.
Without a response from the
president, the union of science teachers that recently broke away from the
Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) is left with no other option other
withdraw their labour when learners return to school for the second term on May
9.
Earlier on, Owere had also
tasked the government to re-introduce the minimum wage bill to ensure that
employers stop exploiting lower-level workers. The tenth parliament passed the
bill but the president declined to sign it and returned it to the house with
comments.
Owere, who asked what could
have happened to the bill, petitioned the speaker of parliament, who attended
the event, to include the bill on the order paper.
"There is the issue of
minimum wage, I remember we sat with you [president] and agreed on something
and ministry of Gender started moving but when we saw them moving slowly, we
went ahead of them. Our good member of parliament presented a private member's bill
which you didn't sign, you returned it to parliament. Now, me, am not coming
back to you [president], am asking parliament since the speaker is here.
Honourable speaker where is the bill which was returned to you? Because the
president pronounced himself, we want you also to pronounce yourself on this
issue. And minister of Gender, your predecessor said there is adequate law,
where is that adequate law? Where is that adequate law? These are areas that we
want to correct," said Owere.
Dr Silver Mugisha, the managing director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation who is also the chairperson of the Federation of Uganda Employers also appealed to the government to take into account the concerns of employers while considering the minimum wage and related issues.
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