The freedom from war, for instance, is the basis for which certain overzealous people have found interest in living in swamps, forests, or even obtaining a living from the same. Before 1986, we had a forest cover of over 4.9million hectares (24 per cent); by 1990, however, the cover had gone down to 3.6 million, and currently stands at 1.9 million (13.4 per cent) according to NFA.
The recently concluded NRM Caucus at Kololo brought the total to 16, the number of times President Museveni has formally spoken about Security, Swamps and Swines this year alone, excluding the posts on X.
He has also glowingly spoken about tourism 6 times so far, calling it a magic bullet if handled correctly, despite its place in the economy's fair-weather sector.
Approximately 2000 years ago, what historians refer to as BC, there was a clever African man called Jesus. I call him African because of his strong African roots, having grown up partly in Egypt, while Simon of Cyrene, who helped him carry the cross, can be traced to Libya.
So this man Jesus gave us two versions of builders: a foolish one who built his house on sand, and a wise one who listened to his words and built his house on a solid rock (Mathew 7:26-27).
When you translate this message to Uganda’s Economy, the solid rock, therefore, is Security: the ability to deal with any threats to survival and what must be secured.
Opposition naysayers must already be ribbing about this element; they forget that the security of the Kiyekera style is not necessarily militaristic in nature, but it encompasses the economy, society and environment (swamps and swines) as prominently indicated in the NRM ten-point program and laid down in an NRA song I like: Nia Za Chama.
These three things are the basis of seven perennial human needs: Food, Clothes, Shelter, Defence, Infrastructure, Human Resource Development, and Morality, and this is the real security and the economy of independence that President Museveni opined at the NRM Caucus and the 16 times I mentioned earlier.
The freedom from war, for instance, is the basis for which certain overzealous people have found interest in living in swamps, forests, or even obtaining a living from the same. Before 1986, we had a forest cover of over 4.9million hectares (24 per cent); by 1990, however, the cover had gone down to 3.6 million, and currently stands at 1.9 million (13.4 per cent) according to NFA.
On the side of wetlands, we have lost approximately 73 per cent of local wetlands between Kampala and Wakiso. That is why President Museveni has now spoken about swamps and the environment 7 times consecutively.
The people in swamps today went deliberately and recently, same as those in forests. This behaviour and any kind of environmental degradation undermine national security, as it encourages resource capture by certain people aimed at reshaping the distribution cycle in their favour, notwithstanding the gross effects degradation has on weather patterns and eventual food security.
However, not all hope is lost, the President, through his Limoto fish farm, has exhibited that there could be more fruitful use to wetlands by reclaiming over 70 hectares of previously depredated space to fishponds earning families close to Shs70m per acreage, while living the environment intact. National Security cannot exist in isolation from the ecological foundations that sustain a society.
This takes me to the Swines/Pigs; President Museveni’s recent favourite wealth creators are Florence Nabutono of Kibuku and Dezirata Tumusiime of Rubirizi, who are arguably the common man’s benchmark for qualitative wealth. Dezirata, for instance, had never received a million shillings in legal tender until PDM created the light in that tunnel. The effects of this newfound wealth rekindled the love affair with her want-away husband.
This is only an example of the many Ugandans starting to wake up and contributing to the economy and their own welfare through commercial agriculture, producing a good or a service. These wealth creators must be insulated from the consequences of the lack of human and environmental security by creating that intersection.
The economy this year will grow by 10.4 per cent if we remain in line with this gospel and also support Minister Balaam in fighting Abekenuzi through public justice. We are moving well on our priorities: the security of the people, the Welfare of the people, the Protection of Our Environment.
Like the bible says: “... everyone who hears these words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand, and great was its fall”.
Nelson Bwire Kapo is the Online Editor of State House Uganda