Don't be over concerned by USA removing Uganda from AGOA list - Museveni

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has advised Ugandans not to be over concerned by the actions of USA government advising it's citizens from investing in Uganda and removing Uganda from the AGOA list.

In a statement posted on X, President Museveni says Uganda can still achieve development without the support of some actors.

Below is a full statement by President Museveni 

Fellow Ugandans and, especially, the Bazzukulu. Greetings. 

I need to advise you not to be over-concerned by the recent actions by the American Government in discouraging their companies from investing in Uganda and on removing Uganda from the AGOA list.

Some of these actors in the Western World overestimate themselves and underestimate the freedom fighters of Africa. On account of some of the freedom fighters making mistakes of philosophy, ideology and strategy, some of the foreign actors, erroneously think that African Countries cannot move forward without their support. 

Certainly, as far as Uganda is concerned, we have the capacity to achieve our growth and transformation targets, even if some of the actors do not support us. It is the eight points that I outlined for you at our recent Independence celebrations that are decisive. The eight points are: patriotism – not following politics of identity but following politics of interests; supporting the private sector; economic infrastructure development to lower the costs of doing business in the economy; regional integration to create big markets that can absorb our products; working with foreigners who respect us; eliminate corruption; social infrastructure to develop the human resource through universal education and health, and protecting the environment that controls our water and our rain. 

It is good that the American Government avoided the mistake of de-funding the procurement of the HIV drugs for our 1.4 million People on those drugs. However, all our People on the ARVs and all the Ugandans need to know that we had a contingency plan to fully fund the procurement of those drugs if ever the external funders were unable to fund them.