KAMPALA – President Yoweri Museveni has said that it is high time the world diverted to the use of electric vehicles and the train to realize the ever-increasing fuel prices.
Mr. President was on Wednesday evening addressing the nation on the high cost of living.
He said that the present hike of commodities started with Corona, “which led to a decline in consumption globally. Most of the companies even became bankrupt.”
He said that the use of electric vehicles and the train is the solution, “but it can’t be done overnight, so for now, we have to use this bad petroleum sparingly as we wait to buy more electric cars and boda bodas.”
Museveni said that after two years of Covid-19 closure, the world opened up to the high prices of palm oil used to make soap. “The palm oil companies had closed because the demand had gone down during the pandemic.”
According to him, the problem of petroleum is an old story which starts with imperialism.
“These Europeans initially were pushed by good reasons, but a new problem came in. They became greedy and started the slave trade that went on for almost 300 years. In that process, they started doing things that are not well thought out,” said Mr. President.
“Africa had many things that were good, and these had been proved over time. For centuries we were using the sun to dry, wind to blow things, and fire to cook things. We were using that science that was safe.”
Museveni says the “greedy” foreigners kept coming up with many things, some well thought out but others not.
He, however, asked Ugandans not to get worried because Uganda has just found oil.
“After many years of using petroleum, it has turned out to be a bad thing. The prices are up because petroleum ‘egenda’ it will no longer be used in vehicles.”
According to him, petroleum will still be used for cloth, fertilizer, tarmac roads, etc. “The scientists will explain this to you. What will change is using petroleum in cars.”
Museveni re-echoed that as fuel prices in Uganda keep hiking, he cannot allow some people’s proposals of reducing taxes or subsidize. “We have advised that that is not good.”
“The safe place now is electric vehicles. Fortunately, we had started building these buses. This we were doing because it was helping us develop our country.”
On the increasing rate of criminality, President warned that everyone behind them will be brought to book.
“There’s no way you can do bad things and think we shall not get you, and you will most likely die if you try to resist.”
“I want to inform the criminals that it’s no longer possible to commit crime, and we don’t get you. We shall definitely get you like we got the ADF. My advice to the criminals is to stop because we shall get you,” he said.
