Museveni set to deliver State of the Nation Address

President Yoweri Museveni will on Thursday June 4 deliver his State of the Nation address at Kololo Independence Grounds — highlighting achievements registered in the current financial year and plans for 2019/20 financial year.

Provided for under Article 101 of the constitution, State of the Nation address is delivered at the beginning of each session of Parliament.

However, in consultation with the Speaker, the President is at liberty to address Parliament at any time over pressing national matters.

The State of the Nation address will be followed by the reading of the National Budget for the fiscal year 2020/21 on Thursday next week at the same venue.

Museveni is expected to address issues like the economy amid coronavirus disruptions.

This year’s State of the Nation address comes at a time when the country’s economy has been badly battered by coronavirus lockdown.

President Museveni last month called on Ugandans to steer clear of “excessive pessimism of some actors” regarding the economy of Uganda in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

He said that while some sectors like tourism, entertainment and sports have been affected, it is a chance of local players to seize the opportunity and produce what the country would have otherwise imported from other countries

“I must also inform the Ugandans that I do not share the excessive pessimism of some actors regarding the economy and its performance as a consequence of this virus. Yes, some sectors will definitely suffer. These are sectors of: tourism, entertainment, sports etc. However, the sector of manufacturing, if we act correctly, will boom.”

Uganda has been importing products to the tune of US$7billion per annum with the exception of petroleum products, but the president says, this is a chance to end the haemmorhage caused by traders who go to foreign countries and turn Uganda country into a supermarket for foreign products.

“Now that corona [virus] has blocked these products, we are going to make them here. The Government will work out a package to actualize that,” he said in one of the addresses.

With a young population that is one of the fastest growing rates globally, Museveni has made growing the country’s economy with its attendant spinoff benefits like jobs creation a core objective of his government.