Uganda: Inside Museveni's 2026 SONA

Kampala, Uganda — President Yoweri Museveni used his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) to present a largely economic scorecard of Uganda's transformation journey, highlighting strong growth in GDP, exports, agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure while warning that corruption, inefficiency and poor service delivery remain major obstacles to achieving the country's development ambitions.

The address, delivered at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds during the opening of the First Session of Parliament on June 4, comes ahead of the national budget reading and fulfills the constitutional requirement under Article 101(1), which mandates the President to report on the state of the nation at the beginning of every parliamentary session.

Addressing lawmakers, diplomats, investors, business executives and government officials, Museveni argued that Uganda has laid a solid foundation for accelerated economic growth but needs more disciplined leadership and efficient implementation to fully realize its potential.

"This is a time to talk straight to everybody," Museveni said.

The President presented an economy that has expanded significantly over the last four decades.

According to figures shared during the address, Uganda's Gross Domestic Product has grown from US$3.9 billion in 1986 to US$69.3 billion under the foreign exchange valuation method and US$197.1 billion under Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). GDP per capita has risen to US$1,278, placing Uganda above the lower-middle-income threshold of US$1,136.

The economy is projected to grow by 6.4% in the 2025/26 financial year and accelerate further to 10% in 2026/27, potentially pushing the economy to about US$80 billion.

The president said the growth trajectory reflects progress in agriculture, industry, services and information and communication technology.

He noted that Uganda has officially graduated from Least Developed Country status to Lower Middle-Income Country status, while the economy has expanded 17-fold since 1986.

The president also pointed to improvements in welfare indicators. Household participation in the money economy has increased from 9% in 1962 to 67% today, while poverty levels have declined from 56.4% in 1992 to 16.1%.

Life expectancy has risen from 43 years to 68 years, while infant mortality has fallen from 122 deaths per 1,000 live births to 36 per 1,000.

Museveni highlighted export diversification as one of Uganda's major economic achievements.

Export earnings reached US$18 billion in the 12 months ending March 2026, supported by the addition of 31 new export products over