A furious President Yoweri Museveni has hit back at veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda after being branded “senile,” declaring that even at 82 years old, he remains fully capable of defending both himself and Uganda “with the Bible, the AK-47 and the pen.”
In a fiery written response now circulating widely on social media and political circles, Museveni accused Mwenda of undermining Uganda’s transformation agenda and siding with what he described as “neo-colonial agents” determined to keep Africa poor and dependent.
“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 explosive statement has instantly ignited debate online, with supporters praising Museveni’s fighting spirit while critics described the letter as another sign of the deepening tensions between the President and one of Uganda’s most outspoken commentators.
Museveni used the lengthy message to passionately defend his government’s industrialization agenda, arguing that Uganda must stop exporting raw materials cheaply and instead focus on value addition and manufacturing.
The President pointed to Uganda’s growing gold refining industry, coffee exports, dairy sector and local manufacturing projects as proof that the country is moving in the right direction despite criticism from skeptics.
Without holding back, Museveni accused Mwenda of constantly attacking local initiatives such as Kiira Motors and discouraging investment by “internationalizing” Uganda’s internal debates.
“You are ashamed and you dare not talk about Kiira Motors because that is a shamer of the neo-colonial agents like Mwenda,” Museveni charged.
The President also revisited past political and economic battles, blaming critics for sabotaging development projects including the controversial Bujagali power negotiations in the early 2000s.
In one of the most dramatic parts of the statement, Museveni compared Uganda’s industrialization journey to a child learning how to walk.
“With the Banyankore, if a baby is learning how to walk and falling down, we encourage the baby,” he wrote. “We do not do what Mwenda is doing by saying: ‘The child will never stand.’”
Museveni insisted that even failed attempts at industrial growth are better than what he called “careening on in the neo-colonial doldrums.”
The letter ends with revolutionary language associated with liberation struggles, as Museveni signs off with the slogan: “Aluta Continua. Victory is certain.”
The public clash now adds another chapter to the long-running ideological battles between Museveni and Mwenda, two men who were once seen as close political allies but have increasingly diverged on governance, economics and the future direction of Uganda.