Yoweri Museveni

General Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and retired senior military officer who has served as President of Uganda since 1986. Museveni was involved in rebellions that toppled Ugandan leaders Idi Amin (1971–79) and Milton Obote (1980–85) before he captured power in 1986.

In the mid- to late 1990s, Museveni was celebrated by the West as part of a new generation of African leaders. Museveni's presidency has been marred by involvement in the Congo wars, the Rwandan Civil War, and other Great Lakes region conflicts; the rebellion in Northern Uganda by the Lord's Resistance Army, which caused a humanitarian emergency; and the suppression of political opposition and constitutional amendments scrapping presidential term limits (2005) and the presidential age limit (2017).

Quotes[edit]

We fought a lonely battle against terrorism sponsored by Sudan, and we have defeated it; we cannot be intimidated by any force. For us our guide is the Constitution of Uganda and the laws there under.
- Assuring Ugandans that nobody can disrupt their peace (26 November 2007), [1]

This is not a mere change of guards, I think this is a fundamental change in the politics of our government.
- First public speech as Ugandan president (26 January 1986), as quoted in "Rebel Sworn in as Uganda President" (30 January 1986), by Sheila Rule, The New York Times

Some people say accident; it may be an accident. It may be something else. The [helicopter] was very well equipped, this was my [helicopter] the one I am flying all the time, I am not ruling anything out. Either the pilot panicked... [E]ither there was some side wind or the instruments failed or there was an external factor.
- On John Garang's death in a helicopter crash, as quoted in Times Online (5 August 2005), United Kingdom

If General Omar el Bashir's government gives me permission to pursue Kony beyond the red line, it will only take me 30 minutes to finish him and his fighters.
- As quoted in "Uganda's 19-year-old rebellion nears end: military" (23 September 2005), People's Daily, China: People's Daily Online

Even when we were still fighting in the bush against the oppressive dictatorships of Idi Amin and Milton Obote, we introduced elections for the committees of the villages under our control.
- As quoted in "President Museveni Highlights Ugandan Achievements for Americans: Ugandan leader proud of political opening, economic growth in his country" (23 September 2005), by Jim Fisher-Thompson, Washington File, FindLaw

In 1972, Idi Amin expelled 80,000 [Ugandan] Indians and confiscated their 4,000 properties. Now, after returning those properties to their rightful owners, we have ensured that security of persons and property are guaranteed under the constitution.
- As quoted in "President Museveni Highlights Ugandan Achievements for Americans: Ugandan leader proud of political opening, economic growth in his country" (23 September 2005), by Jim Fisher-Thompson, Washington File, FindLaw

Africa is wealthy in natural resources; the problem is they are not optimally utilized.
- As quoted in "President Museveni Highlights Ugandan Achievements for Americans: Ugandan leader proud of political opening, economic growth in his country" (23 September 2005), by Jim Fisher-Thompson, Washington File, FindLaw

When we sell a kilo of bean coffee in Uganda, we get one dollar per kilo. The same kilo, when it is processed [and sold in the UK], goes for $10, $11 or even more a kilo. That is the same situation [price disparity] that goes for all raw materials.
- As quoted in "President Museveni Highlights Ugandan Achievements for Americans: Ugandan leader proud of political opening, economic growth in his country" (23 September 2005), by Jim Fisher-Thompson, Washington File, FindLaw

I've never heard an agency say: "Unless you industrialize I will not support you."
- As quoted in "President Museveni Highlights Ugandan Achievements for Americans: Ugandan leader proud of political opening, economic growth in his country" (23 September 2005), by Jim Fisher-Thompson, Washington File, FindLaw

I shall not be deterred by people who don't see where the future of Africa lies. It is the short-sighted people who put their opinions in writing. They don't understand that the future of all countries lies in processing.
- Defending the allocation of forest land to a sugar company (13 April 2007), as quoted in "Uganda leader defends forest plan" (13 April 2007), BBC News, United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation

You cannot, for instance, sustainably protect the environment if the majority of the people are still in primitive agriculture leading to the encroachment of forest reserves.
- At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (23 November 2007), as quoted in "Listen to the young, says Queen" (23 November 2007), BBC News, United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation

If we could export more finished products instead of raw materials, we could become a middle-income country.
- Stressing the need for more economic growth during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (25 November 2007), as quoted in "Museveni enjoys summit limelight" (25 November 2007), by Peter Biles, BBC News, United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation

The island is in Kenya, the water is in Uganda... But the [Luos, a Kenyan ethnic group] are mad, they want to fish here but this is Uganda.
- On Migingo Island's ownership, as quoted in "Kenyan MPs' fury over island row" (13 May 2009), BBC News, United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation

Some people think that being in government for a long time is a bad thing. But the more you stay, the more you learn. I am now an expert in governance.
- As quoted in "Pressure builds for change" (April 2012), by Benon Herbert Oluka, Global: The International Briefing

Of course. They're disgusting. What sort of people are they? I never knew what they were doing. I've been told recently that what they do is terrible. Disgusting.
- When asked "Do you personally dislike homosexuals?", as quoted in Uganda president: Homosexuals are 'disgusting' (25 February 2014), by Elizabeth Landau, Zain Verjee, and Antonia Mortensen, CNN

If there is no bread eat mwogo (cassava). Africans really confuse themselves. You’re complaining that there's no bread or wheat, please eat mwogo. I don’t eat bread myself...
- As quoted in "If there’s no bread eat cassava - Museveni tells Ugandans" [2] (01 May 2022), by Job Bwire,The Daily Monitor

The western countries should stop wasting the time of humanity by trying to impose their practices on other people.
Homosexuals are deviations from the normal. Why? Is it by nature or by nurture? We need to answer those questions. We need a medical opinion on that.
- Televised parliamentary speech (16 March 2023), cited in "Ugandan MPs pass bill imposing death penalty for homosexuality" The Guardian (21 March 2023)
- Late on 21 March, 387 of 389 Ugandan legislators voted in favour of a bill leading to homosexual acts being punished by the death penalty.

One of Museveni's defining early pronouncements was his diagnosis of Africa's problem. Africa's problem, he would say, was leaders who did not want to leave power.
- Richard M. Kavuma, "Uganda's presidential elections are in danger of being a political ritual" (26 January 2011), The Guardian, United Kingdom