President Yoweri Museveni has once again taken aim at Opposition Members of Parliament, accusing them of ignoring foreign interference in Uganda’s internal affairs while projecting themselves as anti-corruption crusaders.
The remarks were made in a strongly worded statement shared with the public on April 11, coinciding with the 46th anniversary of Kampala’s liberation from Idi Amin’s regime.
In his message, Museveni singled out the Kivumbi-led faction of Opposition MPs and the Monitor newspaper, questioning their silence on what he described as “foreign funds being sent into Uganda to influence our politics in favour of the foreigners.”
“Who has been receiving these foreign funds and for what purpose? When you receive foreign funds, you are not only corrupt but you are a traitor,” the President stated.
Museveni referenced recent comments by U.S. Congressman Andy Barr, who reportedly told Congress that Uganda was being punished by the Biden administration for enacting the Anti-Homosexuality Act in May 2023. According to Barr, despite various punitive measures, including visa restrictions and a freeze on public financing via the World Bank, USAID still went ahead to provide a $600,000 grant to “empower Uganda’s LGBT community to push back against this legislation.”
Additionally, Museveni noted a separate $5.4 million grant meant to “shift public perception and attitudes in Uganda towards LGBT acceptance.”
“Did our great ‘anti-corruption’ fighters of the Kivumbi group hear about this?” the President asked, accusing them of selective criticism and questioning whether they are true reformers or “enemy agents.”
Museveni also highlighted broader geopolitical implications, citing how the Biden administration’s stance on Uganda’s internal legislation had led to Western institutions pulling out of financing the $5 billion East African crude oil pipeline project, which China is now expected to fund.
“This strengthens the country’s relationships with our adversaries like the communists in China,” Congressman Barr reportedly said, raising concerns about American foreign policy pushing allies into alternative geopolitical alignments.
The President signed off his letter with a postscript celebrating April 11 as the day Ugandan and Tanzanian forces captured Kampala in 1979, ending Idi Amin’s dictatorship.
