President Museveni has issued a strong warning to government officials against receiving allowances without undertaking fieldwork, declaring a tougher stance on accountability and public sector performance.
Speaking during the State of the Nation address at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on Thursday, Museveni criticised officials who remain in Kampala while drawing government field allowances.
“Those who get government allowances do not go to the field. I hear that many just stay in Kampala,” he said.
Museveni emphasised that the current administration would not tolerate underperformance.
“This is kisanja no more sleep. I am no longer interested in non performers,” he said.
Museveni further warned that leadership carries responsibility and moral consequences.
“Once you say that you are a leader, you are putting problems on yourself. If you are a bad leader, God will not be happy with you, I can assure you of that. Either you lead or you stay in your home,” he said.
Museveni referenced earlier government policy debates and agricultural transformation efforts, urging leaders to learn from practical experience.
“If you can make yourself humble to learn from small people like us, you will find that we argued with people to stop nomadic agriculture and focus on growing crops,” he said.
Museveni added that dairy farming is more efficient for small-scale farmers compared to large-scale beef ranching due to land requirements.
“Dairy farming was better for smaller scale farmers than beef ranching because beef ranching needs more land,” he said.
Museveni also highlighted concerns about misuse of government resources and entitlement attitudes among officials.
“When I hear of leaders talking about allowances, to reach their people and mobilise them against poverty, I get nauseous. Out of politeness, I've been keeping quiet but now I'm telling you. I'm sick and tired of parasitism and that's why I said that this is kisanja no more sleep. This is a time to talk straight to everybody,” he said.
The President further questioned the need for operational allowances among local leaders.
“I don’t understand why Muluka Chiefs and Ggombolola Chiefs insist on motorcycles and fuel, saying they can’t work without them. Why not use bicycles instead? They would even stay healthier and live longer. For me, the only fuel I needed was keeping excess fat off my body. God has kept me alive, and now I am almost 82 years old,” he said.
Museveni cited Uganda’s progress in agro-processing and exports.
“Uganda used to import tinned condensed milk from as far as New Zealand. Uganda is now a big exporter of that. That's our work,” he said.
According to Museveni, under the Parish Development Model (PDM), Government pledged Shs 100 million per parish annually to lift households out of subsistence farming.
By March 2026, Shs 3.63 trillion had been disbursed, although audit concerns remain.
The 2025/26 budget allocated Shs 1.86 trillion to agro-industrialisation, including irrigation, agro-processing, storage, fertilisers, and extension services.
Government commitments to improve marketing and tourism infrastructure contributed to increased performance, with tourism receipts rising to Shs 5.8 trillion in 2025 and international arrivals reaching 1.64 million.
The government’s push to end raw mineral exports includes development of gold refineries, a tin smelter in Mbarara, and Shs 500 billion allocated to the Uganda National Mining Company.
Plans for a 60,000 barrels-per-day refinery at Kabaale, Hoima, and a refined products pipeline to Mpigi remain pending despite signed agreements.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline, spanning 1,443 kilometres from Hoima to Tanga, had reached 82 percent completion by April 2026.
The Standard Gauge Railway project, beginning with the 273-kilometre Malaba–Kampala line, has a contractor in place and preparatory works ongoing, but construction has not yet begun.
Road development includes 18 new projects, maintenance works, and strategic bridges such as Ssezibwa, Katonga, Lwera, and Kalandazi, although delays and arrears continue to affect delivery.
Government plans to increase electricity generation capacity from 2,052 megawatts to 12,074 megawatts include projects such as Ayago, Kiba, Oriang, and the Buyende nuclear plant.
However, no additional megawatts from these projects have yet been added to the grid.
The 2025/26 budget allocated Shs 5.87 trillion to health and Shs 5.04 trillion to education, focusing on hospitals, maternity wards, classrooms, seed schools, teachers, and science education.
Progress in these sectors is described as partial, with ongoing implementation.
President Museveni reaffirmed his administration’s focus on productivity, accountability, and economic transformation, while warning public officials against absenteeism and entitlement culture.
He reiterated that government performance will be judged by delivery on the ground rather than office-based reporting or allowances.