Museveni: Why Kenyans have to work harder than Ugandans

Kenya's President William Ruto (L) and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni. [File, Standard]

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has called a section of Ugandans "lazy".

In an interview with KTN News scheduled for airing at 9pm on Sunday, October 16, the president said the country's vast arable land has enabled many Ugandans to readily access food, thus turning some of them into "lazy" people.

"Uganda is a very rich country. There's a lot of natural resources. That's why these Ugandans are lazy. They are lazy because a fool here cannot easily die. If you are a fool, you can survive by just eating at your brother's home, and wandering about. There's no way you'll easily die in Uganda," he said in the interview conducted by KTN News's Sophia Wanuna.

A poster of the scheduled President Yoweri Museveni interview. [Standard]

The Head of State, 78, said Kenyans have to work harder than Ugandans to put food on the table because the larger part of Kenyan land "does not favour agriculture".

"For Kenyans, it's a bit harder [putting food on the table]. Most of the country is semi-arid. The part of the country which accommodates agriculture is a small percentage. Here [in Uganda], every place is very nice," he said.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, at least 80 per cent of Uganda is food secure.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of Kenya make up to 89 per cent of the country, covering 29 counties and a population of about 16 million people. The ASAL areas of Kenya are largely in the Rift Valley, Eastern, Northeastern and Coast regions.

Museveni, who has been in power for almost four decades now, says out of the 60 years that Uganda has been independent, "only 36 have been progressive".

"In the initial 24 years [post-independence], we regressed," he said.

"The problem [in Uganda] was not poverty, or anything. The problem was that leaders were bringing the traditional system, where people just worked to eat. It was more of a subsistence economy, and not a money economy.

"When I took control as president in 1986, our vision was clear on the issues of philosophy, ideology and strategy. If it were not for the opposition by the external forces, the imperialists and the local people, we would have been very far as a country," he said.

In the interview, Museveni also touched on the recent gaffe by his son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who tweeted that he could capture Nairobi within 14 days if he so wished.

Muhoozi, though promoted in the military hierarchy, has since been removed as the head of the Ugandan army and replaced by Lieutenant-General Kayanja Muhanga.

"If he (Muhoozi) was tweeting on sports, and things which are not controversial, that would not have been a problem. But to talk about other countries, or even the politics of Uganda, is what he should not do, and won't do," said Museveni.

Catch the full interview on KTN News tonight (Sunday, October 16 at 9pm).