We cannot let 80-year-old Museveni determine Uganda’s future - Mwenda 

Andrew Mwenda, a prominent Ugandan journalist and political commentator, has criticised President Yoweri Museveni's capacity to manage Uganda's evolving economy, particularly in light of the nation's expanding middle class. 

Mwenda says while certain sectors of Uganda's economy are experiencing growth and prosperity, the government's failure to perform fundamental functions—such as maintaining infrastructure in the capital city, enforcing traffic regulations, collecting waste, and protecting environmental areas like swamps and lakes—reflects a broader issue of mismanagement.

Government Inefficiencies and Urban Decay

Mwenda in a talk  show on UBC, pointed out the government's shortcomings in delivering basic services, attributing these failures to "extreme corruption, incompetence, foot-dragging, apathy, indifference, and laziness." 

He pointed to affluent neighbourhoods in Kampala, such as Bugolobi, Kololo, and Nakasero, where deteriorating roads are riddled with potholes, likening the conditions to those in war-torn Mogadishu.

This urban decay is not limited to road infrastructure. Kampala's waste management system has faced major  challenges, leading to public health concerns and environmental degradation.

 In September 2024, a garbage landslide at a landfill site on the city's outskirts resulted in at least 35 fatalities.

Museveni's Middle-Class Management Critiqued

Mwenda recalled  Museveni's earlier vision of cultivating a middle class of approximately 50,000 Ugandans—a figure that has now grown to an estimated 500,000. 

Despite this increase, Mwenda argues that Museveni lacks the insight to effectively manage an economy with a substantial middle class, labelling it "the most embarrassing thing about a person who is so intellectually grounded like Museveni."

“At times I blame our leaders; we have over 500 MPs and all these ministers and over half a million civil servants,” he said.

“ How can the destiny of Uganda depend on one old man of 80 years who has no experience managing a modern city?”

Comparisons with Other African Cities

Drawing comparisons with other African capitals, Mwenda noted that returning from cities like Accra and Kigali to Kampala feels like "moving from the first world to the third world." 

He praises Rwanda's efficient management despite a smaller GDP, contrasting it with Uganda's mismanagement.

Kampala's infrastructure challenges are well-documented. A 2024 study comparing vehicular mobility and accessibility in African cities revealed that Kampala's travel speeds are significantly lower than the African average, even in the absence of traffic congestion. 

This is attributed to inadequate road infrastructure and poor traffic management. 

In response to Kampala's infrastructure woes, international agencies have stepped in to provide assistance. 

In September 2024, the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) granted Uganda over $600 million to fund infrastructure development and improve waste management in Kampala.

This funding aims to address the city's chronic underfunding and the resulting infrastructural deficiencies.