The President emphasised the need to ensure that economic growth translates into improved household incomes, citing government programmes such as Operation Wealth Creation and the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“Can you have a strong army and a strong and safe country without a strong economy? Can you have a strong defence force and a strong and safe country without cohesive politics? Finally, can you have a strong defence force and a strong and safe country without, in some cases, addressing the issue of geo-strategic location such as being landlocked?” President Museveni asked.
Upholding the party's position, Nsereko said Uganda cannot be governed by safe houses, citing Article 44 of the Constitution, which provides that freedom from torture is non-derogable, and Section 176 of the UPDF Act, which provides that all detention must be in gazetted places.