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President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday joined several other African Heads of State at the inauguration of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in Kampala, Uganda.

The President, who is the Chairperson of the East African Community, was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs), Peter Munya (Agriculture) and James Macharia (Infrastructure).

Presidents Felix Tshisekedi (DR Congo), Alpha Conde (Guinea), Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan), Hague Geingob (Namibia) and Nana Akufo Addo (Ghana) attended the ceremony held at Kololo Independence Grounds in central Kampala.

Others were Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Mohamed Abdullahi Faarmajo (Somalia), Evariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Sahle-Work Zewde (Ethiopia).

In his inauguration address, President Museveni said Uganda had transitioned from a country of deficits to an economy of surpluses in agricultural production and manufacturing during his tenure.

“In 1986, Uganda was a land of shortages, no sugar, no soap, no paraffin, no textile, no salt, no sodas, no beer, no petrol among other commodities. With limited waking up of sections of the population, Uganda now is a country of surpluses,” he said.

Foreign powers

Ugandan leader thanked President Uhuru and other regional Heads of State for opening up their markets to Ugandan exports, including sugar and maize surpluses. 

At the same time, President Museveni castigated unnamed foreign powers for continuing to lecture African countries on good governance, saying some of them do not mean well for the continent.

“It is quite comical to hear some people giving us lectures about democracy. What are your credentials? If you want to know what we are doing in a respectful way we shall show you, but no lectures,” President Museveni advised.