As Uganda moves closer to the 2026 general elections, President Yoweri Museveni has spoken out against the growing number of personal and local requests he receives from citizens during his public visits.
Speaking on Sunday, the President expressed concern about how people keep asking him to solve their individual problems—many of which are not part of the government’s current plans or budget. He said this has become a major distraction and makes it harder for him to focus on national priorities.
Museveni compared himself to a driver of a vehicle, saying that the people constantly shouting requests at him are like noisy passengers trying to tell the driver how to do his job. According to him, this is not only unhelpful but also risky.
“I don’t want you to keep disturbing me,” Museveni said. “Stop shouting at me while I’m driving. I’m in the driver’s seat and trying to focus, but too many voices behind me are telling me what to do and how to drive. If I listen to everyone, I could crash the car. Just let me drive and take you safely to your destination.”
The President made these remarks while speaking to the people of Kamwenge district during his ongoing tour to promote the Parish Development Model (PDM), one of the government’s major anti-poverty programs.
During the event, several local leaders took the opportunity to raise concerns about the poor state of roads in the region. They mentioned roads like Fort Portal–Kijura and Kyenjojo–Kahungye–Kamwenge, saying they are in bad condition and need urgent repairs. The estimated cost to fix these roads is about Shs 77 billion.
President Museveni responded by saying the government is already aware of these issues, but its main focus for now is on long-term development efforts aimed at reducing poverty, such as the PDM and Emyooga programs. He emphasized that while infrastructure is important, helping people improve their incomes and livelihoods is currently the top priority.
