His Excellency Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi and Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), has praised President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his contribution to regional peace, stability, and integration, describing the Ugandan leader as a “visionary leader” and “elder statesman” during Uganda’s presidential inauguration ceremony at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

Addressing regional leaders, diplomats, and invited guests during Museveni’s swearing-in for a seventh term, Ndayishimiye credited Uganda’s leadership for supporting peace-building efforts across the Great Lakes region, particularly during periods of political instability in Burundi.

“The people of Burundi will always remember with gratitude your tireless efforts in favour of peace, not only within our borders, but throughout the region,” Ndayishimiye said.

The Burundian President also commended Uganda’s economic progress under Museveni’s leadership, citing improvements in infrastructure, security, social cohesion, and poverty reduction.

“Uganda has steadily positioned itself among the continent’s most promising emerging economies,” he stated.

Ndayishimiye further noted that Museveni remains widely respected across the region for his guidance on African unity, regional integration, and security cooperation.

He congratulated Ugandans upon renewing Museveni’s mandate, saying the outcome reflected the population’s continued desire for “peace, stability, resilience and wise leadership.”

Meanwhile, President Museveni used his inauguration speech to warn against corruption and called on Ugandans to actively participate in wealth creation, saying economic transformation would only be sustainable through productivity, enterprise, and household income generation.