Museveni preaches against politics of identity, tribalism

Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has cautioned against the dangers of politics of tribalism and identity, emphasizing that they will not solve the country’s problems.

Speaking at the pass-out ceremony of over 750 Guild student leaders from higher institutions of learning at Nkumba University on Saturday, Museveni stressed the importance of prioritizing the politics of interest over tribalistic and sectarian politics.

“When someone talks evil about the Banyankore, I immediately say ‘Satan, go away!'” Museveni exclaimed, illustrating his disdain for tribalistic politics. He emphasized that tribes and religions will not cure the country’s problems, and instead advocated for patriotism as the primary principle.

The program, organized by the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC), Office of the President focused on patriotism, ideology, and leadership, aiming to instil core values of patriotism and encourage a mindset shift among the student leaders.

The President also emphasized the importance of adopting a culture of wealth creation, rather than relying on others for survival. He illustrated this point by sharing a personal anecdote, saying that even as an infant, he was contributing to the family’s wealth by accompanying his mother to work while he would be on her back.

Museveni also touched on the topic of socioeconomic transformation, highlighting the importance of moving away from a culture of parasites to a culture of wealth creators. He explained that buying shirts from a Muganda trader, for instance, helps that individual to escape poverty. This approach he said promotes social-economic transformation and benefits the community as a whole.

Museveni also indicated that the government is committed to supporting students to complete their studies and responded to the request by the students to extend government tuition loans to even students who study arts and humanities.

The students asked President Museveni to put in place a policy aimed at removing the surcharges in their institutions when they delay paying fees saying that it’s not always intentional but their parents are struggling to make them finish their studies.

First Lady Janet Museveni expressed confidence that the training program had been transformative. She urged the student leaders to become ambassadors of peace, unity, and patriotism, and to educate their communities about the importance of these values.

Janet Museveni also emphasized the significance of the national anthem, describing it as a prayer. She encouraged the students to remember that when they sing the anthem, they are committing to God, their nation, and each other.

The Minister for Presidency, Milly Babalanda, reported that the patriotism program had positively impacted student behaviour in secondary schools. She encouraged the commissioned students to use their newfound skills to bring about change in their villages and communities.

Hellen Seku, Commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps,  called on the government to support trained patriotic youths who are struggling with unemployment despite having valuable skills.

Seku said the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps has trained an impressive 146,791 citizens across the country, surpassing its target of 75,000 citizens per year. However, many of these trained youths remain unemployed, prompting Seku to propose the creation of patriots’ savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) to support them.

Seku noted that the participants engaged with experienced instructors from government, academia, and the private sector, covering critical topics such as Foundations of Patriotism Ideology, Political Economy and Laws of Social Development, Financial Literacy, Physical fitness, and Psychology among others.

She also used the opportunity to ask the student leaders to support and protect the President’s vote in the coming elections in 2026.

However, in response to Seku ‘s request for supporting the youth patriots, President Museveni said the government is capable of starting SACCOs for the Patriots even at the District level, although he emphasizes that the students should instead be job creators and hence wealth creators.

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