The National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party, led by Joseph Kabuleta, has raised concerns about the absence of proceeds from natural resources in Uganda's official national budget.
During a press briefing in Kampala, Charles Basajja, Chief of Staff at the NEED party, directly challenged President Museveni's administration on the management of revenues from Uganda's natural resources, particularly gold and oil.
Basajja questioned the sufficiency of these revenues in addressing national needs and accused Museveni and his associates of monopolizing trade in these resources, leading to exploitation and inequitable distribution.
"Isn't it enough for you so that you can refrain from the money meant for service delivery as allocated in the national budget to Ugandans?" Basajja asked, noting that approximately 15% of the national budget finds its way back to Museveni's administration.
He highlighted significant concerns regarding budget exploitation and resource management under President Museveni's leadership.
Basajja emphasized the NEED Party's commitment to restoring regional governance and ensuring equitable distribution of local natural resources.
"After Ugandans trust us with the responsibility to lead, we shall bring back regional governance, which was the foundational governance as at independence. It's our commitment to restore a system that empowers local people from their respective regions and ensure equitable distribution of their local natural resources," he stated.
Moses Ssalongo Matovu, the National Spokesperson of the NEED Party, added to the criticism by citing an allocation of approximately Shs 750 billion that does not serve national interests.
He raised concerns about Uganda's financial crisis and the lack of accountability for the unused budget of the previous financial year.
Matovu warned that the current situation grants President Museveni discretionary power to spend 3% of the budget as he wishes without scrutiny. He urged Ugandans to awaken to this political reality and unite against exploitation.
Godfrey Ssetumba, the National Organizing Secretary of the NEED Party, also spoke, drawing parallels between Uganda's situation and the chaos in Kenya. He stressed the urgency of addressing Uganda's political challenges to prevent a similar descent into chaos.
"The problem of our nation is fundamentally rooted in politics and the leadership of this country. It is high time we assess whether the factors that led to chaos in our neighboring Kenya couldn’t lead Uganda to the same fate," Ssetumba said.
He warned against the potential consequences of President Museveni's plans to hand over power to his son, predicting it would lead to disaster.
Ssetumba called on Ugandans, particularly the youth, to fight for their nation's future by upholding democratic values and ensuring a peaceful transition of leadership.
He highlighted the NEED Party's vision under Kabuleta, aimed at economically empowering Ugandans and reversing Museveni's policies.
"The future of Uganda depends on our ability to uphold democratic values and ensure that leadership transition is conducted fairly and peacefully," Ssetumba said.