Museveni Praises ‘Non Interfering’ India as Uganda’s True Friend

President Yoweri Museveni applauded India for being a true friend of Uganda, since the times of colonialism.

Addressing a joint press conference with the Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, who is on a 3 daystate visit to Uganda, Museveni said that the relationship between the two countries has been flourishing for a long time.

“We fought against colonialism together during the times of Mahatma Gandhi as well as Nehru who helped us while fighting for independence, “Museveni told journalists at the Entebbe State House on Wednesday.

Museveni said that the 2 countries have been cooperating in the fields of medicine where many Indian companies have set up in Uganda; transport (Tata vehicles used in Uganda), education and military among others saying the cooperation will continue.

“You are good friends and you don’t come to give lecturers here. We respect each other.”

Museveni has in the past accused Western countries of interfering in the affairs of Uganda on top of lecturing to him about politics and governance in which he is an expert.

Museveni also noted that it was unfortunate for Idi Amin, Uganda’s president in the 1970s to have expelled Indians which retarded development in the country.

According to the president, Uganda lost a great fortune in these Indians who left the country to UK where they put a lot of development.

“UK and Canada benefitted a lot from those Indians and cities like Leicester were built by these Indian Ugandans expelled by Amin,”Museveni noted.

Asked to comment on the volume of trade between the 2 countries, he noted that India has for a number of years benefited much from the relationship with Uganda but noted this has to change for better.

He added that India earns 1 billion dollars from exports to Uganda whereas on the other side, the East African country sells goods worth only 57 million dollars.

“We buy mainly petroleum products from them but this will soon change when we start exploring our own oil. As East Africa we agreed that we shall not be buying already assembled automobiles but assemble them from here (East Africa).”

On the huge amounts of money that Ugandans especially those in government and other people pay for treatment in hospitals in India, Museveni said Uganda loses over 77 million dollars each year to India for what he termed as medical tourism but said this will soon change.

Museveni said that with the construction of a multi- million hospital in Lubowa, along Entebbe road, money that has in the past been going to India for meant for heart, brain, kidney and cancer surgeries will remain here.

The Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari said the meeting between the 2 leaders would be fruitful and help in more cooperation especially in the energy sector through atomic energy.

“President Museveni has always been a good friend of India and we appreciate this,” Ansari said.