LIVE FEED: Museveni Addresses Uganda in State of the Nation Address

President Museveni is set to hold his first state of the nation address since he was re-elected during the February 18 poll.

By Monitor Team

Posted Tuesday, June 7 2011 at 18:25

18:20 EAT: President Museveni concludes his over two hour speech by remarking that, "Every Ugandan should always be conscious of the fact that nobody owes us a living," A cocktail dinner is next on the list of activities as government business officially begins as the 9th Parliament can now begin sitting.

18:12 EAT: President Museveni says that government is dedicated to fighting corruption. However his statement is interrupted by murmurs of dissent from the few opposition members present. The opposition members led by Leader of Opposition Nandala Mafabi and John Ken Lukyamuzi stand up and walk out of the meeting room in protest. President Museveni tries to downplay their walk out and asks the remaining guests if thy still have quorum to which they roar in laughter. Goes on to wonder if they receive allowances when they walk out.

18:05 EAT: President Museveni asks the assembled guests listening to the speech on the state of the nation to stand for a moment of silence in memory of all those who died in the July 11, 2010 terrorist attacks in Kampala. He also remembers the burning of the Kasubi tombs during the same year mid March. Notes that fortunately only the super stucture was destroyed and the tombs themselves were saved, reconstruction underway and supported by government.

17: 39 EAT: Enactment of KCCA act means central authority fully responsible for road network in Kampala. 3 year road repair plan underway. Says newly appointed Executive Director Jennifer Musisi has already excavated brand new equipment which the former city council had failed to utilize to maintain the roads. As an aside says he has never talked to the new mayor Erias Lukwago and has no idea what he is doing.

17:23 EAT: Final relocation of Shimoni Demonstration School should be complete by 2012.

17:21 EAT: Another university to be opened in West Nile to further meet the demands for higher education. Should open gates in August 2012, government will give special consideration to students from northern Uganda and make special entry allowances for them.

17:20 EAT: Has not yet receieved report on the misuse of public funds meant for programmes like UPE but a report is being compiled.

17:19 EAT: Under Universal Post Primary training programme, Pres Museveni reveals that plans areunderway to construct houses for teachers, hostels, libraries and more schools.

17:12 EAT: Says it’s unpatriotic for some leaders to mislead the public that Uganda’s fuel costs are the highest.

16:40 EAT: President says Final commissioning of Bujjagali Dam-250 megawats-will be in Aprl 2012

16: 30 EAT: walk to work is not infrastructure. it is an abuse of infrastructure- Museveni

16: 27 EAT: President Museveni goes on to add that when we start drilling our own oil- which will be by the end of this term- all these problems will not be there and it will definitly help the Uganda shlling to be strong. "The recent increase in prices can partly be blamed on imported inflation," he says.

16:24 EAT: Museveni blames inflation on the increase food prices which he says are dictated by domestic, regional and internaional factors. and even the speculative tendencies in the run up to the 2011 elections.

16: 14 EAT: In State of the Nation speech on-going, President Museveni cites the rapid construction going on in areas around Kampala and Entebbe as signs of the 9% growth boom that some government critics dispute. Says that Kampala and Entebbe are almost merging because of the construction going on, and quite soon Kampala will be attached to Mukono too. Jocularly remarks he wishes he could lend his glasses to those who claim they are unable to see this development.

16:01 EAT: President speech begins. He congratulates Speaker and the leader of opposition upon elevation to their offices in a democratic governance. However he says that though there some were some media houses determined to tarnish the image of Uganda, the people who escorted the MPs during their swearing-in showed how Ugandans were happy the successful completion of the campaigns, elections and results. "Yes there are problems but there are also happinesses," he says.

15:54 EAT: Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga officially opens the meeting by declaring that through the powers vested to the Speakership, parliament was by necessity declared to be Parliament precincts at Serena Conference Center on this particular occasion to enable the President of Uganda address the parliament. The parliament is reportedly undergoing renovation to accommodate the increased number of MPS who now number 375. She invites President Museveni, as required by the constitution before the opening of the new Parliament, to address the state of the Nation.

15: 40 EAT: With President Museveni set to enter the Serena Conference Hall, First Lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs Janet Kataha Museveni and Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki take their place at the high table reserved for them. An announcement is then made and President Museveni enters accompanied by the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga. The Uganda National Anthem is played.

15: 25 EAT: President Museveni has just arrived accompanied by his wife, Janet Kataha Museveni. Mrs. Museveni is the Minister for Karamoja Affairs. He is received by the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and her Deputy Jacob Oulanya. He is accompanied by the chief of protocol Rwankonte.

15:18 EAT: The vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi has just made his entrance. He has been attending a cabinet meting at State House, Entebbe. President Museveni is expected to arrive shortly.

14: 58 EAT: The newly sworn in ministers have started arriving, a sign that the president will soon make his entrance. When President Museveni arrives, the National anthem will be played and he will inspect a guard of honour mounted by the Uganda Police and he will be led into the hall by the protocol team to address the Nation.

14:42 EAT: Ten minutes past the scheduled time, President Museveni and most of his ministers have not arrived but the diplomats and almost all MPs are seated and awaiting their arrival for the highly anticipated speech.

14:32 EAT: Apart from Abed Bwanika, People's Development Party leader, no other party leader from the big political parties has reported for the function. The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has also arrived but not in her official gown and hood.

14:22 EAT: The leader of opposition, Nandala Mafabi, has just checked and has received a standing ovation from the opposition legislators, mocking those of NRM. He has been followed by the Parliament Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanya.

14:17 EAT: The IGP Major General Kale Kayihura arrives for the state of the Nation address. He is accorded the guard of honour before he makes his way towards the hall where the other assembled guests are are waiting for the arrival of President Museveni. The Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura was received by FDC's Ssemujju Nganda and DP's Medard Ssegona. No minister has arrived yet but Mufti Mubajje and Bishop Cyprian Lwanga are among the religious leaders who have so far arrived.

14:00 EAT: The red carpet has just been laid, the Prisons band is entertaining the guests as army officers slowly march besides the carpet waiting for the commander of the armed force who is expected to arrive any minute from now. MPs and Minsters inside the conference hall are involving in tittle tattle. The Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki has just arrived clad in his traditional red judicial robes and has just bowed to the army parade before being escorted to the conference hall by the protocol team.

13:55 EAT: At Serena Hotel, security is tight and the guests are arriving to attend President Museveni state of the nation address. Members of parliament are trickling in, many just crossing from the other side of the venue-the parliamentary buildings. In his 2:30pm address, the President is expected to addressing the escalating inflation among other things.

In his last address, the NRM leader praised the performance of the countries albeit the global economic crisis saying that the country’s economy had “grown on average by 8.4% per annum over the last five years, which is a much faster rate than the remarkable 7.0% over the last 24 years.”