While giving the State of the nation address at Kololo independence grounds last month, president Museveni made a big announcement that left many economists arguing after declaring that Uganda had reached the middle income status.
According to president Museveni amidst the tough economic times, he said Uganda surpased the middle income status and that Uganda would maintain it for the next three years to be fully in the league of countries where people have some ka money in their pockets.
This means that the GDP per capita is $1046. We have now passed that figure of middle income status ($1030)”, Museveni observed as he delivered the annual State of the Nation address in Kampala.
His declaration left many wondering where the president was getting his figures on Uganda’s middle income status including world bank which queried Museveni’s figures which said Uganda was still far from the Middle income dream when they revealed figures far different from what president Museveni read at Kololo.
“Uganda’s gross national income per capita stood at about $840 in FY21 and has increased only marginally in the year since” Said World Bank in a report shortly after Museveni’s declaration
However during the launch of the Public Policy Executive Oversight Forum (Apex) at Kololo last week, president Museveni would later come up to also question the world bank figures because for him he’s sure and he insisted Uganda is a middle income country according to the figures he has on his table.
“The economy is growing. The other day, i had some arguments about whether we have gone to middle income or not. We reaffirm. I do not know where the World Bank is getting their data from”, Museveni said
“But our data about our country is that we are now at GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita of $1046 and that is already in the middle income. We need to stay there for three more years or go up to be declared officially. We have got some money and the things to do are many. That is why priotization becomes important”- Museveni added
In quite a twist of the tongue and turn of events. president Museveni has reportedly denied ever saying Uganda is a middle income country and he made some clarifications on what he meant according to the Observer.
“I didn’t say we have already become, i said we’re entering”, Museveni said in a recent interview with WION against the backdrop of whose figures are right with World Bank.
President Museveni denies saying #Uganda is already a middle income country. "I didn't say we have already become, I said we're entering," he said in a recent interview with WION. Uganda been bickering with the World Bank on the status of Uganda's middle income status pic.twitter.com/hJ9Q1SdYnc
— The Observer (@observerug) July 19, 2022
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