The President also recalled the close cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania, citing trade, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, the Murongo-Kyikagate mini-hydro project, roads in Tanzania, the Masaka-Bukoba transmission line and the Standard Gauge Railway, which has reached Isaka and is expected to extend towards Uganda and beyond.
According to Mukula, Uganda believes in the free and orderly movement of people, goods, services, and capital within the framework of regional laws and protocols, stating that it will continue to stand for the dignity of African brothers and sisters because Africa belongs to Africans.
Akena criticized the government for prioritizing other matters over child welfare and called for a holistic approach to development that includes safety, skills, and greater exposure for school-going children.
As Nelson Mandela observed, nations can choose between conflict and cooperation. Increasingly, countries are choosing negotiation, reconciliation, and coalition-building. These require political maturity, for instance, a clear ideology, internal democracy, and a willingness to compromise without losing identity.
The Ateker people, who reside across several East African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan, have long shared linguistic and cultural ties.
“The fight against corruption involves serious individuals like you. If we don’t fight it, we shall destroy ourselves, and the destruction will start here within the UPDF before it affects the country and the region.”
Uganda and South Sudan are strategic neighbors, partners, and friends with a long history of excellent cooperation, especially regarding the revolutionary struggle in the two countries. Currently, South Sudan is one of Uganda’s biggest trading partners in the region, and the trade between the two countries is booming.