President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has once again warned against the culture of “kumemerera” a Runyankole term meaning scattering resources thinly and urged government leaders to return to the National Resistance Army (NRA)’s disciplined approach of focused, phased development.
In a strongly-worded message addressed to Ugandans, particularly the youth, Museveni reflected on past mistakes in Uganda’s planning and budgeting cycles, blaming them on attempts to tackle too many priorities simultaneously leading to poor execution and waste of public resources.
“Trying to do everything at the same time and ending up doing nothing properly that is kumemerera the NRA succeeded because of the “kamu-kamu gw’emugaanda” strategy one by one makes a bundle,” the President said.
Why the Reminder Now?
Museveni’s renewed message comes at a time when parts of the country are experiencing a decline in the quality of some previously tarmacked roads and concerns over underfunding in critical infrastructure sectors.
The President pointed out that Uganda’s development progress risks being reversed if the government forgets the discipline that brought about key milestones especially in the roads and electricity sectors.
He cited a return of under-budgeting and poor prioritization as the main causes of deteriorating infrastructure such as the Mityana-Mubende-Kyenjojo road, the Mukono-Jinja highway, and the Mbarara-Ishaka road.
“Roads that were once excellent are now wearing out because we let the culture of kumemerera sneak back,” he said.
The Turnaround Strategy: Roads and Power First
Museveni recounted a key turning point in 2005 when Uganda was heavily reliant on foreign donors for its development budget.
The country was thrown into a crisis when donors pulled back funding from major projects such as the Kampala-Masaka road, the Kampala-Mityana road, and a critical electricity line in Northern Uganda.
“I told our people to forget about the donors and build our country ourselves,” Museveni revealed. “That is when I insisted: electricity and roads first, the rest later.”
From 2008 onwards, government significantly ramped up investments in the two sectors. Road sector funding jumped from UGX 374 billion to over UGX 4.4 trillion per year by 2018/19. Similarly, the electricity budget rose from UGX 133 billion to over UGX 2.3 trillion annually.
As a result, Uganda overcame the persistent power blackouts of the early 2000s and expanded the national grid to nearly all districts with only Buvuma and Obongi remaining unconnected.
Achievements and New Commitments
Using internally generated funds, Uganda tarmacked key roads such as Kampala-Masaka, Kampala-Mityana, Soroti-Moroto, and Musita-Mayuge-Namayingo-Busia.
Others included Olwiyo-Anaka-Gulu-Kitgum-Musingo, and major municipal roads in Masaka, Hoima, and Gulu.
President Museveni also noted that while the Ministry of Works now commands a budget of UGX 5.9 trillion, a significant chunk is allocated to flagship projects like the Standard Gauge Railway and Uganda Airlines. For effective road maintenance, the sector needs at least UGX 3.2 trillion annually.
To restore the initial focus, the President directed the Works Ministry and the broader government to immediately rectify underfunding and mismanagement in road maintenance and construction.
“You will soon see serious activity on roads like Mukono-Lugazi-Jinja, Ibanda-Mbarara, Mityana-Mubende-Kyenjojo, and others,” he said.
He also revealed plans for new roads including Jinja-Budondo-Mbulamuti-Kamuli and Bwizibwera-Nsiika-Nyakabirizi.
Local Governments Under Scrutiny
While highlighting success stories from his recent tours in West Nile and Bukedi, where well-maintained murram roads exist, the president criticized Local Governments for failing to utilize their UGX 1.3 billion road maintenance budgets efficiently. He urged better planning and accountability at district levels.
A Lesson in Planning
Citing local proverbs, the President emphasized that good planning requires focus and prioritization: “Owabiinga Ibiri, imutsiga” If two animals jump out of the bush and you try to spear both, you will miss both.”
He warned that, creating cities, districts, and expanding public service payrolls without first securing infrastructure, electricity, and security is a recipe for failure.
“This is bad planning. Listen to the NRA/UPDF strategy of doing one thing at a time properly,” Museveni said.
On Cost Inflation
The President also hinted at possible cases of inflated costs in road projects, warning that investigations may follow. “Stay tuned. We may get some additional information,” he noted.
Conclusion
Museveni’s message is a sharp reminder to public officials that Uganda’s development must be guided by discipline, strategic prioritization, and self-reliance.
With a focus on infrastructure and power as key enablers of economic transformation, Uganda aims to maintain the momentum towards Vision 2040 while learning from its past missteps.