"Eat cassava if you can't afford bread" - Uganda President

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.