Yoweri Museveni Quotes

“May the soul of the late President Milton Obote ... a long-time member of this parliament, rest in peace.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“I've never heard an agency say, 'Unless you industrialize I will not support you'.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“None of the parties want this conflict to go on.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“We used to fight the LRA with only one dimensional force that only walks on foot, but now, we have got multiple forces to fight the rebels.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“What is the Geneva Convention on wars! I have never read it.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“Some people think that being in government for a long time is a bad thing. But the more you stay, the more you learn. I am now an expert in governance.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“I don't know about torture. I have educated myself on many things but on torture I have not known the boundary between what is torture and what isn't torture. I know the NRA tie these people (rebels, etc.) when they catch them. They tie their hands backwards. I am now being told that is torture. It is the traditional method.”

— Yoweri Museveni

I shall not be deterred by people who don't see where the future of Africa lies. It is the short-sighted people who put their opinions in writing. They don't understand that the future of all countries lies in processing.

— Yoweri Museveni

“The soldiers feel that the Police are not serious with the criminal elements and that they are corrupt. The army had to come in and insist that criminals must be punished. It happens in all countries, there is a time when the army assumes the duty of internal security.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“The Islamists had control over territory that was about half the size of the Federal Republic of Germany. For years, we have been putting the lives of our troops on the line, we have taken huge losses and the Europeans cut the budget? If money is more important than the lives of our children, what else is this than the usual arrogance and superficiality? And where is all this terror coming from? It is a result of mistakes the West committed in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 1980s, when they armed the Islamic rebels against the Soviet troops.”

— Yoweri Museveni

I don't pick up people. This is the work of the police. If there's anybody with a case, it's the police, not me.

— Yoweri Museveni

“The island is in Kenya, the water is in Uganda ... But the [Luos, a Kenyan ethnic group] are mad, they want to fish here but this is Uganda.”

— Yoweri Museveni

My critics always forget to mention that I was democratically elected, the others were not. Everyone in Uganda can challenge me, everyone can vote, the elections are free. Not many countries have achieved what we did.

— Yoweri Museveni

“Africa is wealthy in natural resources; the problem is they are not optimally utilized.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“One of the emphases of the new democratic order is no impunity.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“I have made revenue collection a frontline institution because it is the one which can emancipate us from begging. If we can get about 22% of GDP we should not need to disturb anybody asking for aid; instead of coming here to bother you, give me this, give me this, I shall come here to greet you, to trade with you.”

— Yoweri Museveni

Refugee problems can only be solved in the region (of origin) - maybe with a little help from the UN. Governments must provide something for their countries. They need to deliver.

— Yoweri Museveni

“You cannot, for instance, sustainably protect the environment if the majority of the people are still in primitive agriculture leading to the encroachment of forest reserves.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“In the areas which have been disturbed people are living cordially with the Security Forces. In areas like Gulu people are living peacefully. There is scrupulous respect of human rights.”

— Yoweri Museveni

Since our region is endowed with a lot of natural resources, including reasonable supplies of fresh water, we need and we can work together to ensure this area against these vicissitudes.

— Yoweri Museveni

“I did not, I could not and I will never invite Obote, ... This is because Obote is someone who made a lot of mistakes in our history.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“When we sell a kilo of bean coffee in Uganda, we get one dollar per kilo. The same kilo, when it is processed [and sold in Britain], goes for $10, $11 or even more a kilo. That is the same situation [price disparity] that goes for all raw materials.”

— Yoweri Museveni

Some intelligence officers filed reports saying that this is a dangerous group, but at one level it was not forwarded, it was just ignored,

— Yoweri Museveni

“We do not accept the Western way of thinking that there are two ways of life. At the same time, the police (here) are not chasing gays. In Africa, sexuality is something very private, even for heterosexuals. Heterosexuals are not parading! But gays want to behave like exhibitionists.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“Today, hundreds of thousands of AIDS patients are under medical treatment, which is a great advancement. But it makes some people reckless.”

— Yoweri Museveni

Of course there are collaborations. But in official meetings with Western diplomats from the US and the European Union, the major issues of our relationships are simply not discussed. The topics are on climate change or any other issues they want us to agree with them on. But they never discuss how we could develop an equal relationship. They should stop using pompous orchestrated summits and begin a serious dialogue with small meetings.

— Yoweri Museveni

“The problems of tribal conflicts in Kenya are much older, caused by the former colonial power. A former American ambassador there once wrote about how the CIA has contributed to the divisions between Kenyans.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“We are helping our Somali brothers get rid of these narrow-minded attackers. The Somali people do not support the extremists, they are on the side of our soldiers.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“I've changed my mind, even against Omar al-Bashir. Whether he has to be charged or not, the Sudanese shall decide or the Africans.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“Joseph Kony is hiding somewhere in the Central African Republic. He is no longer a threat. We have already punished him. We provide our own safety.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“If I kissed my wife in public, I'd lose the next election.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“We certainly would be happy for more help, but not at the price of condescension and arrogance. If the Europeans believe they can afford to be less committed in Somalia, please - we can deal with it ourselves.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“I was against impunity when it comes to human rights violations. But many of us African leaders now want to leave the Rome Statute as soon as possible because of this Western arrogance.”

— Yoweri Museveni

“When the problems in Libya started, the African Union set up a committee to address the situation. We urgently advised the Europeans not to intervene. You have done so anyway. Now we are seeing absolute chaos there.”

— Yoweri Museveni

Our laws and institutions are excellent, but the population is not yet ready. They must develop their views and need to be provided with the right information. We now also have private broadcasters and many are very critical of me, hostile even, yet they operate freely.

— Yoweri Museveni