Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is Celebrating 39 years since the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power, a Controversial anniversary that evokes Mixed Reactions.
During his address on Sunday, January 26, 2025, President Museveni highlighted the significant transformations in both infrastructure and the economy since he took over power.
Reflecting on Uganda's economic past, Museveni noted the stark contrast between then and now. He recalled how under the Amin regime, only 9% of Ugandans were part of the formal money economy, while 91% lived hand-to-mouth.
"The Amin regime collapsed the economy," he stated, but added that the current government has worked to rebuild and diversify it.
The speech was a powerful reminder of the changes Uganda has witnessed over the past decades and a call for continued commitment to growth, accountability, and national development.
Now well into his fourth decade in office, Museveni is one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world and has overseen the construction of a political settlement whereby success in politics (and often, by association, in the private sector) is tied to personal loyalty to him and to entering the NRM’s ‘big tent’.
The promise of democracy, liberty, and justice that inspired countless individuals to join the bush war has, for many, devolved into a harsh reality that betrays those very ideals.
Under Museveni’s NRM regime, Ugandans have witnessed the systematic erosion of democratic principles with the safeguards intended to limit the excesses of power-hungry leaders dismantled, giving rise to a culture of greed, corruption, and impunity.
Political opponents are routinely silenced, arrested, and imprisoned. Election rigging—once a pivotal grievance that fueled the bush war—has become an entrenched norm.
Today, the state of Uganda stands in contrast to the aspirations articulated in the Ten-Point Program. It is time to question NRM's continued designation of this moment as "Liberation Day."
How can Ugandans celebrate liberation when Dr. Kizza Besigye, a former comrade and trusted doctor to Museveni, now faces military court martial after being forcibly abducted from Kenya? His plight, alongside that of other veterans like Mugisha Muntu, serves as a reminder of the sense of betrayal felt by many.
Is it truly a liberation struggle when those who fought for it now feel abandoned? The ideals of justice, equality, and democracy appear to have been sacrificed on the altar of power. How can NRM call this a liberation when so many Ugandans live in poverty, lack access to affordable healthcare and quality education, and face high unemployment rates, prompting many to seek opportunities abroad under conditions akin to modern-day slavery? Is it truly liberation when citizens are denied the fundamental rights to express themselves, peacefully protest, or petition their government?
According to Political Analysts, Ugandans deserve a government that genuinely serves them—one that honors the sacrifices and bloodshed made in the name of freedom, as the East African nation stands at crossroads, it’s time for the people to reimagine the future of Uganda and reclaim the promise of genuine liberation.