President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has declared Uganda’s economy robust and growing, saying the country has firmly exited Least Developed Country (LDC) status and entered the lower middle-income category.
In his end-of-year address to the nation, President Museveni congratulated Ugandans for safely completing 2025 and extended New Year wishes on behalf of himself and First Lady Janet Museveni.
According to the President, Uganda’s economy is projected to reach:
USD 68.4 billion using the foreign exchange rate method
USD 194.2 billion using the purchasing power parity (PPP) method
He said GDP per capita will rise to USD 1,399 by June 2026, confirming Uganda’s transition to a lower middle-income economy.
Museveni noted that Uganda’s economy has expanded 17 times since 1986, when it stood at USD 3.92 billion.
The President also highlighted major growth across key production sectors:
1. Coffee exports rose from 3 million to 8.2 million bags
2. Milk production increased from 200 million litres to 5.4 billion litres
3. Maize output grew from 322,000 to 4 million metric tonnes
4. Cement production expanded from 76,000 to 7 million metric tonnes
5. Sugar production increased to 700,000 metric tonnes
6. Tourist arrivals rose to 1.6 million annually
7. Hotel capacity expanded to 150,000 beds nationwide
He cited visible agricultural transformation across regions including Masaka, Rakai, Kalangala, Teso, Bugisu, Zombo, Bushenyi, Isingiro, Bundibugyo, Mukono, Busoga, Bunyoro, and Lango.
President Museveni said Uganda has entered a new economic phase where export earnings exceed imports.
•Exports now stand at USD 13.4 billion annually
•Imports total USD 11.03 billion
Resulting in a balance of payments surplus of USD 2.37 billion
The President also reported significant job creation including:
•50,000+ factories employing 823,000 workers
•6.03 million jobs in the services sector
•3.8 million jobs in commercial agriculture
•2.3 million jobs in ICT
He emphasized that wealth and employment opportunities exist for Ugandans willing to engage in production.
Museveni acknowledged ongoing challenges, including:
Persistent poverty, Unemployed graduates, Poor road conditions and Corruption.
However, he said 70% of households are now part of the money economy, compared to 32% in 2013 and 9% at independence in 1962.
He defended government programs such as UPE, USE, NAADS, OWC, Emyooga, PDM, Youth Fund, and Women Fund, saying they were designed to fight poverty and expand access to education.
The President said Uganda’s education system will increasingly emphasize skills development , drawing from traditional productive occupations such as farming, blacksmithing, carpentry, healing, and manufacturing.
He criticized the commercialization of free education by local elites, which he said has contributed to school dropouts.
Museveni noted improvements in life expectancy, which has risen from 43 to 68 years, mainly due to preventive health measures such as immunization and access to clean water.
However, he noted that corruption among public servants remains a serious concern and called on Local Council (LC) leaders and elected officials to actively expose misconduct.
On politics, Museveni warned against what he described as sectarian and self-serving politics, emphasizing principles of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy.
He accused some opposition groups of attempting to create chaos through foreign-backed activities, transport of crowds, and intimidation of voters.
The President urged Ugandans to vote freely, assuring them of security.
Museveni rejected the use of caning by police, calling it unacceptable. However, he defended the use of non-lethal crowd control measures such as tear gas and water cannons, while urging police to apply them more professionally and with advance warnings.
The President concluded by affirming that Uganda is secure, the economy is growing, and first oil production is expected in 2026.
“The future of Uganda is bright. Uganda and NRM are unstoppable,” Museveni said.
Read more via : mrupdates.com (Museveni end of year speech 2025)
Also read: Kampala-Masaka Road Traffic jam: State House Dismisses Convoy Claims (Museveni End of Year Speech 2025 )
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