Faith Nyasuguta
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has vowed that his government will not intervene in the current economic situation amid a rising cost of living.
In recent months, prices of petroleum products, imported raw materials and food have been rising, a crisis being experienced globally following the war in Ukraine.
In a Sunday night televised national address, president Museveni said that government subsidies or removal of import taxes would collapse the economy.
There would be a haemorrhage of dollars from the national reserves for the purchase of those expensive products, he added.
According to Museveni, Uganda will need to frugally use the imported items it can afford.
He called on citizens to substitute expensive wheat with locally available food such as millet, maize, green bananas and cassava.
Most of Uganda is highly productive and many families depend on subsistence agriculture.
However, the prices of locally produced food have been rising especially in urban areas, driven up by transportation costs.
Ugandans are having to buy smaller quantities of basic items or park their cars to cope with the crisis.
POLICE ARREST MUSEVENI’S CRITIC SEEKING TO PROTEST RISING COMMODITY PRICES
Following this, Uganda police have arrested political activist and former presidential contender Kizza Besigye as he attempted to leave his home in Kasangati, Wakiso District.
He is currently detained in a police van, which had been parked near his homestead. The veteran politician was heading to Kasangati town to protest against the high commodity prices.
“I will not accept to be kept in my house like I am a prisoner in my own country. This must stop,” Dr Beisgye said.
The police did not give any reason for his arrest on Monday. Since early this month, Dr Besigye renewed his criticism of Museveni’s government for doing nothing to cushion vulnerable Ugandans against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
”Just turn and go back to your house,” the commanding officer on the ground who did not reveal his name said before ordering the officers to arrest an unrelenting Besigye.
The new drive is designed as a replica of his famous 2011 Walk-to-Work protests that came at the backdrop of the general election.
The 2011 protests against the harsh economic situation occasioned by the wild election expenditure spread across many parts of the country although they were brutally suppressed by both the military and police, leaving five dead, scores injured and hundreds languishing in prisons.
