While addressing the Ugandan audience at Kapchorwa District in Eastern Uganda, President Paul Kagame has called for adding value to natural resources so as to lift the lives of citizens.
Kagame who spoke briefly before his counterpart Museveni addressed the invited guests at the NRM 26th anniversary, said that after the both countries’ struggle for freedom the remaining challenge was make both societies improve lives.
“The challenge is to make our society better, so the need to join efforts. We need to add value to our natural resources so as to improve the lives of our people,” Kagame said in his speech.
At exactly 1:30 pm starts addressing Uganda, after being decorated for the three prestigious medal on 26th NRM anniversary appreciating to be recognized for having contributed for the freedom of Uganda.
“What we gave cannot be equal to what we gained from this country,” Kagame added.
Kagame however dedicated the medals to the people of Rwanda and Uganda whom he said they deserve the medal for also contributing to the both Uganda and Rwanda’s liberation struggle for freedom with what he termed as an ultimate price.
He also thanked President Museveni saying he stood with them when the struggle to liberate Rwanda begun.
“We have now brought back Peace, building democracy and good governance for good lives of Rwandans, if we failed we had ourselves to blame,” Kagame added.
While his counterpart president Museveni disputed media reports and critics of his government that NRM had not adhere to its fundamental changes it vowed to make when it came into power 1986.
“The first fundamental change was freedom of speech, there no national in the whole world that has the kind of freedom of speech we have but it is abused yet it needs to be used constructively,” Museveni said highliting a number of other fundamental changes that have been attained during the NRM regime.
“The other change was in economy the GDP in 1886 was Shs 3.4 trillion while today it is Shs 39 trillion, the economy of Uganda is 12 times bigger today compared to that of 1986 when we came to power,” Museveni added.
According to Museveni, the economy of Uganda would have been much more grown but halted by the delay of some developmental projects in pipeline now.
He also said that Uganda was still facing huge problem of corruption in form of embezzlement of public funds, bribing officials to process document, and nepotism.
President Kagame have been honoured with three medals, the most prestigious medals the most excellent order of Pearl of Africa the Grandmaster Medal, Kagera Medal and Luwero Triangle.
The most excellent order of the Pearl of Africa is mostly given to the heads of states and the equivalent while the other two are also awarded to military officials who participated in NRM/A’s five year bush war that brought President Museveni into power.
President Paul Kagame is among 27 original individuals along President Museveni who launched a five year bush war in 1981 that ended former Ugandan president Milton Obote’s regime hence NRM assuming power January 26th 1986.
ENDS
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