Stop acting as agents of foreign interests, Museveni tells traders

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President Yoweri Museveni has urged traders to stop acting as agents of foreign interests by prioritising the importation of goods, saying that is why the Government imposes taxes on imports.

Museveni criticised the Kampala City Traders’ Association (KACITA), accusing it of encouraging excessive importation at the expense of local production.

However, the President commended Emmanuel Katongole, the chairperson of the Presidential CEO Forum, for supporting Uganda’s economic independence by declining to promote the importation of foreign products.

Museveni made the remarks on Sunday, December 14, 2025, while addressing the Business Community Forum symposium at Kampala Serena Hotel under the theme: The power of collaboration: Public-Private Partnerships for National Transformation: Celebrating 40 years of resilience and progress.

“Stop importing other people’s products. KACITA did not know why we were taxing imports. I told them a disease called imports is haemorrhages,” the President said.

The infrastructure capacity

Museveni said Uganda now has the capacity to produce oil, with production expected to commence next year. Uganda and its partners in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project are racing against time to deliver first oil by July 2026.

The President emphasised the need to improve infrastructure, particularly power generation to ensure affordable electricity for all manufacturers, not just large industries. Currently, the government is offering big manufacturers $5 cents per unit to support industrial growth.

Katongole noted that over the years, Museveni has pursued a deliberate and methodical path of national transformation, building Uganda sector by sector.

He noted that the stability created is the foundation upon which businesses, schools, and institutions thrive.

Katongole said under Museveni’s leadership, opportunities have expanded through universal primary and secondary education, vocational training and the growth of universities.

He also said agriculture has been transformed to make farmers active participants in the national economy, citing modernisation through inputs, advisory services, irrigation, value addition, and strategic programs such as Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model.

These initiatives, he said, empower households, strengthen farmers, and spread wealth from the grassroots.

Katongole said under Museveni’s leadership, roads have expanded, power generation has increased, industrial parks have emerged, ICT has spread, and regional trade corridors have opened.

He disclosed that Uganda now has one of the highest per-capita telephone coverages in Africa and deeper financial intermediation.

He said tourism, technology, manufacturing, logistics, and the creative industries have gained momentum because of the stable environment Museveni has created.

Mathias Katamba, the former Housing Finance Bank managing director, said the business community is committed to protecting peace and national stability as a non-negotiable economic asset, noting that Museveni’s leadership is critical for long-term planning and investment.

He outlined key observations by the business community, noting that peace had been the anchor of Uganda’s growth.

Katamba said Uganda’s four decades of stability had enabled business continuity and long-term investment.