Lt Gen Kavuma urges MPs to put Museveni’s SONA policies into action at constituency level

Hon Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, the Force Commander of the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), has called on the 12th Parliament to emulate President Yoweri Museveni’s pragmatic leadership and implement the policies laid out in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at constituency level.

This was during a debate on a motion for a resolution of Parliament to express gratitude to President Museveni for his clear exposition of government policy in the State of the Nation Address delivered on 4th June 2026. 

The debate is scheduled to run for four weeks in the House.

Lt Gen Kavuma reflected on the President’s resourcefulness as a young man in 1968, noting that even with limited means, he used pragmatic leadership skills to support the communities from which he came.

“Our people were cattle keepers but they did not have skills to tame nature to benefit them. Instead, they followed nature. It rains here they settle, water their cows. When it dried, they didn’t know that you can tap this water and harvest it. Instead, they followed to where it rained,” the president stated.

Lt Gen Kavuma recalled how he and his family were beneficiaries of that visionary leadership.

“My parents moved from Kazo now to Buwekula in Mubende to Bulemeezi in Ngoma. That’s where I was born 64 years ago. The family again moved to Gomba, Ssembabule back to Ankore. That’s where he met them (parents) in 1968,” Lt Gen Kavuma recounted.

He further stated that Mr Museveni demonstrated visionary skills by rejuvenating Uganda’s economy, which had stagnated until he took power in 1986.

“Out of the Sh84 trillion you did pass in this house, the economy of Uganda funded about a half of it, may be Sh44 trillion. But in 1986, the whole country was collecting only Sh5 billion. That is the country that the President took over where all essential commodities were being gotten outside. No roads, no infrastructure,” Kavuma reminded.

Leadership is about commitment, not position

Lt Gen Kavuma challenged leaders at parliamentary level to draw lessons from the SONA.

“What do we learn from this State of the Nation Address? Is it enough for us to stand here and appreciate him? I think we need to learn something from him that leadership is not about positions, Generals, Honorable members, Ministers. Leadership is not about even having a lot of resources, leadership is about commitment, being pragmatic so that you use whatever you have to move your people from one stage to another,” he submitted.

Call for regular medical check-ups amid malaria surge

During the 10th sitting of Parliament, while responding to a presentation by the Minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, on the outbreak of a new killer malaria affecting young children, Lt Gen Kavuma said Ugandans were suffering and dying of malaria and other illnesses due to reluctance to seek regular medical check-ups and a tendency towards self-medication.

“’98 percent Ugandans do not go for periodic and regular medical check up, we live on self medication, most of us have mini pharmacies in our bedrooms and houses,’ Lt Gen Kavuma submitted.”

He also expressed concern over what he termed a lack of proper diagnosis in some medical laboratories and hospitals, which he said leads to the treatment of wrong diseases.

“’Even the 2 percent that try to check regularly do not get the right diagnosis. Where is the problem?’ He asked.”

Lt Gen Kavuma urged legislators to go back to their constituencies and sensitise the public to always seek medical check-ups before taking medication to ensure correct diagnosis. 

He further called on the Ministry of Education to work with the Ministry of Health to establish the cause of the malaria scourge in schools, which he said would help in providing an appropriate solution.

The House was chaired by the Rt Hon Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Jacob Marksons Oboth.