Museveni Calls Out “Joker” Ssewungu For Trivializing Critical Issues

President Museveni has taken a swipe at Kalungu County West MP, Joseph Ssewungu, branding him a “joker” for his comments on road safety. Ssewungu had suggested that expanding roads to four lanes would prevent accidents, which the president deemed a trivialization of the issue.

“I saw one joker, you know we have a lot of jokers in our society. There is a joker; I think he is called Ssewungu or something like that. He was saying that because we don’t have four-lane roads is the reason we have accidents,” the president said.

The president criticized Ssewungu’s gas-lighting language, saying he was speaking like a child and not a leader. He questioned Ssewungu’s intelligence and priorities, highlighting the government’s efforts to tarmac roads in other parts of the country.

“Just like children, you see adults talking like children. We are struggling to tarmac Moroto-Kotido, Kotido-Kaabongo, and Kaabong-Kidepo roads and many others like those. We are not done with those [roads] now you hear somebody talking about four lanes and then they call themselves leaders…Honorable, what, what…” Museveni added.

Ssewungu made these comments while acting as the Leader of Opposition in Parliament on Thursday when the House was eulogizing former MP and NRM vice chairperson Karamoja sub-region, Simon Aleper who was killed in a fatal accident. Ssewungu believed that upgrading to four-lane roads would have prevented the tragedy.

However, the president countered that this was not a meaningful solution to road safety issues. He said that Ssewungu’s suggestion showed a lack of understanding of the country’s road infrastructure challenges.

He reasoned that there is no government would shift to road upgrading to four lanes, while the government’s ongoing efforts to pave roads in other parts of the country, which remain unpaved are unfinished.

Museveni’s comments reflect a broader dissatisfaction with some public officials’ grasp of critical issues and their ability to address pressing national concerns effectively. He called for maturity among leaders rather than seeking to ever trivialize issues.

The president’s criticism of Ssewungu is not an isolated incident. He has previously spoken out against officials who he believes are not contributing meaningfully to the country’s development. The latest comments underscore the president’s frustration with what he perceives as misplaced priorities and inadequate understanding from certain political figures.