Museveni Fires Back at Andrew Mwenda Over “Old Age” Criticism

President Yoweri Museveni has responded sharply to veteran journalist and political commentator Andrew Mwenda following a controversial column in which Mwenda argued that the President’s advanced age was putting Uganda’s future at risk.

In a lengthy statement released more than a month after Mwenda’s April 20 article titled “When old age strikes a leader,” Museveni dismissed claims that he had become mentally weak or incapable of making sound decisions, saying he was still prepared to defend himself “with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen.”

“Mr Mwenda, thank you for declaring me senile and incapable of judging right,” Museveni wrote.

“You will, however, discover that at 82, I am still able to defend Uganda and myself with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen.”

The public exchange has exposed a rare fallout between Museveni and Mwenda, who over the years shifted from being one of the President’s strongest critics to one of his most vocal defenders.

In his article published in The Independent, Mwenda accused Museveni of increasingly approving questionable multi-billion-shilling projects promoted by politically connected businessmen while ignoring advice from technocrats and cabinet officials.

Mwenda particularly criticised government support for businessman David Ssenfuka, whom he described as “a conman,” alleging that he convinced the President to back a pharmaceutical plant proposal after claiming he had developed cures for cancer and diabetes.

“He told our president that he had invented a medicine that cures cancer and diabetes,” Mwenda wrote.

“He then suggested to the president that the government of Uganda give him capital worth $1 billion to build a world-class pharmaceutical plant.”

Mwenda claimed that several people familiar with Ssenfuka had warned that he was not credible, but Museveni allegedly ignored the advice.

Museveni rejected the accusations, describing them as lazy journalism, and challenged Mwenda to personally inspect the projects and speak to beneficiaries.

“You are supposed to be a journalist. Why do you not interview these ‘conmen’ such as Magoola, Ssenfuka, etc.?” Museveni asked.

“They are here in Uganda. Visit Magoola’s factories in Matugga and Kamuli. Interview people who testify that they were cured by Ssenfuka’s mixture of herbs. Visit Tugume’s factory in Ntungamo. Visit Professor Muranga’s banana project in Bushenyi.”

The President also accused Mwenda of frustrating Uganda’s industrialisation agenda and promoting neo-colonial economic ideas that keep Africa dependent on exporting raw materials instead of finished products.

“You are ashamed and you dare not talk about the Kiira Motors because that is a shamer of the neo-colonial agents like Mwenda,” Museveni wrote.

“The do-nothingers like Andrew Mwenda, always running around noisily telling lies, claim to save government money from loss-making projects.

Yet, they happily cohabit peacefully and gleefully with the neo-colonial status quo of confining Africa to producing and exporting unprocessed raw materials where we lose so much value.”

Mwenda had argued that Ssenfuka sought Shs300 million from taxpayers through his herbal remedies. However, reports indicate the herbalist approached the President after receiving million-dollar offers from American pharmaceutical investors interested in buying his work.

Ssenfuka reportedly met Museveni in Mbale alongside the American investors, who were allegedly offering about $300 million (Shs1 trillion) for the herbal invention.

Museveni used the statement to defend his government’s industrialisation drive, highlighting progress in mineral refining, dairy, coffee processing, steel production and agro-processing.

“The stubborn old man of Uganda who is senile banned the export of all unprocessed minerals,” Museveni said sarcastically.

“There are now 10 gold refineries in Uganda. The gold exports from Uganda have now hit USD 7.48 billion.”

The President also cited coffee exports, saying Uganda loses value by exporting raw products instead of processed coffee.

“A kilogram of processed coffee goes for USD 25 to USD 40 depending on the brands and yet for raw materials we get USD 2.5 per kilogram,” he wrote.

Mwenda’s article also questioned state financing for projects linked to Dei Biopharma, businessman Mathias Magoola, the Lubowa International Specialised Hospital project associated with Italian investor Enrica Pinetti, Atiak Sugar Factory, and businessman Nelson Tugume’s coffee processing venture.

“With this tall tale, Magoola convinced Museveni to force the government of Uganda to give him Shs735 billion ($200m) for this venture,” Mwenda wrote.

Mwenda argued that while industrial policy was important, Museveni’s approach had become increasingly risky because of age-related decline and growing stubbornness.

“At 81 years and having worked all his last 40 years under conditions of extreme pressure, the intellect is giving way to stubbornness,” Mwenda wrote.

“As a result, project proposals of clearly dubious value get his approval without guardrails within the state to protect the national interest.”

He further claimed that people close to power were taking advantage of the President’s alleged inability to closely supervise multiple sectors.

“Seeing that he is being duped right, left and centre by those closest to him, he just abandons the struggle,” Mwenda wrote.

Museveni dismissed the criticism and suggested it was part of a broader effort to undermine Uganda’s economic progress.

“What could be the real motive of Andrew Mwenda of externalising in the social media our internal discussions, including the Cabinet?” Museveni asked.

“It is to scare away our partners because the likes of Andrew Mwenda are worried by the success of Uganda’s economy, now growing at 6.3% per annum.”

The President also revisited past disagreements over Uganda’s electricity sector, accusing Mwenda of contributing to delays in the Bujagali hydropower project.

“This is not the first time Mwenda has done it,” Museveni wrote.

“He was part of those that caused load-shedding in Uganda in 2005 and onwards, having sabotaged our partnership with AES on the Bujagali Electricity Project.”

Museveni further defended his political ideology of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy.

“As a freedom fighter, I am always stubbornly standing for patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy,” he wrote.

“I am never swayed by traitors and foreign agents.”

Drawing from his guerrilla war experience, Museveni argued that failure was part of progress and transformation.

“We attacked Kabamba two times, not succeeding. On the third attempt, we had great success,” Museveni wrote.“Failure from which we learn lessons, is success.”

In one of the most personal parts of the statement, Museveni accused Mwenda of becoming “omwinazi” — an ill-wisher — comparing him to someone discouraging a child learning how to walk.

“With the Banyankore, if a baby is learning how to walk and falling down, we encourage the baby,” Museveni wrote.

“We do not do what Mwenda is doing by saying: ‘The child will never stand.’ You, then, become omwinazi.”

He concluded the statement with his well-known revolutionary slogan: “Aluta Continua. Victory is certain.”

The public disagreement now highlights a widening ideological and political divide between Museveni and Mwenda, touching on broader debates about Uganda’s governance, industrialisation strategy, economic direction and leadership longevity.