By President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni
Last evening [October 22, 2020], I commissioned Atiak Sugar Factory in Amuru District. The factory is owned by entrepreneur Amina Moghe Hersi, while the government holds 41 percent shares through the Uganda Development Corporation.
Once a factory is in Uganda, it’s a Ugandan factory irrespective of ownership. I hear some Ugandans talk of Indian factories, those are in India, not Uganda.
Previously, some people in Acholi were opposing these developments. This is terrible. Why would you reject progress?
When I passed here in 1968, all I saw was grassland, fit for grazing cows. Then Amina Hersi came with different spectacles and here we are. This factory adds to our capacity to produce sugar.
There is a Ugandan proverb, “Balibasekka,” meaning, they used to laugh at me, let them come and see me now.
When we were fighting Bashir in Sudan, I would camp at Ngomoromo to see whether our guns are working, now I saw a huge plantation.
I had slept a bit on the Chopper and when I woke up I thought, ‘am I in Kakira or what? This is a great victory for the people with development ‘eyes’ against the blind. But not only blind but selfish parasites.
I have never seen them opposing money collected from these projects.
They oppose other things but not money.
They get their salaries. Government has a plan to bring some money to people here and they are fighting it. That they are fighting NRM!
Their reasoning is that if there is no progress after some years NRM will be blamed. Whatever plan for the people that the NRM brings, they must fight it. They are like witches who don’t want to see a healthy baby grow.
[The area of Nkore] is now a big producer of milk [because] although I was not a member of UPC, when I went to then Vice President John Babiiha to [seek his help to] change people from traditional cows to milk, he was very happy.
This is because of what we do, we do for the people. All those people are long gone but other people and their children have moved forward.
I congratulate you for resisting Satan here. This is a big gain for you people, how?
1. Even if you didn’t own shares in the project, your children will get jobs in the plantations and in the factory.
2. If you have got agriculture products, food, etc, the project has gathered big consumers for you to feed.
I produce milk in Rwakitura but I sell my milk in Rwakitura at 600shillings a liter. In Kampala, a liter is Shs1200/=.
Milk in Rwakitura is better than milk near Kampala. In Kampala, they add water. But farmers near Kampala are getting more than me. What is the difference? Those near Kampala have big consumers. To get a project that gathers many people is a big market, the price goes up.
The piece contains some of the remarks Museveni made during a meeting with sugarcane farmers at Adodi Ayuu Alali village, Lukung sub-county in Lamwo District and at the commissioning of Atiak Sugar Factory in Amuru District.
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