President Museveni Issues Stern Warning to “Parasite Groups” Fueling Violence
KAMPALA – President Yoweri Museveni has delivered a forceful warning to what he termed “parasite groups” seeking to instigate violence in Uganda, declaring that any such attempts will end disastrously for the perpetrators.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday, December 12, while addressing religious leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and other dignitaries at the annual thanksgiving function held at the State House in Entebbe.
In his speech, Museveni framed the threat within a broader continental context, asserting that several African nations have been destroyed by sectarianism and divisive politics centered on religion and race, often backed by foreign interests.
“Many of the problems in Africa are caused by parasite groups backed by foreigners who are trying to create violence in Uganda,” Museveni stated. “Nobody will create chaos here. Whoever tries will end up badly.”
To illustrate his point, the President cited the tragic example of Sudan, which he said was ruined by sectarian divisions. “Sudan was destroyed by sectarianism of religion and race. They were calling the South Sudanese ‘Arabs,’ yet they are actually blue, not even black,” he said, employing a local idiom to emphasize the absurdity of such divisions.
He delivered an even more direct rebuke in Luganda, telling potential agitators: “When you come to me and you waste my time with sectarianism of religion or tribe, nkugambirawo sitani nvako (I tell you, devil leave my side).”
Shifting to his prescribed solution, President Museveni urged Ugandans to embrace a “politics of values.” He positioned the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) as the standard-bearer for this approach, anchored by the core value of patriotism.
“In the past these religious groups were part of the problems of Uganda but when the NRM came we rejected the sectarianism of religion or tribe,” he said, reinforcing his long-held narrative that the NRM’s ascension to power in 1986 ended a history of divisive governance.
The President’s strong rhetoric underscores the government’s ongoing focus on stability and its intolerance for any form of mobilization deemed sectarian or externally influenced. The speech reaffirms a central tenet of Museveni’s political philosophy, which prioritizes national unity over ethnic or religious identity and positions his government as the bulwark against what he perceives as destabilizing forces.
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