Museveni praises Gen Salim Saleh for boosting Uganda’s fight against poverty

• Museveni says households in the money economy increased from 30% to 70% since 2013.
• He credits Gen Salim Saleh and Operation Wealth Creation for the progress.
• Saleh is now tasked with overseeing the Parish Development Model to eradicate poverty.

President Yoweri Museveni has applauded his younger brother, Salim Saleh, for his role in reducing poverty levels across Uganda through Operation Wealth Creation (OWC).

Speaking yesterday during the launch of Tamini Insurance Group in Lugogo — a firm aimed at extending financial services to Muslims — the President emphasized the need to move beyond charity and focus on wealth creation, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

Museveni acknowledged that Ramadan is a period marked by generosity and charitable giving within the Muslim community. However, he stressed that sustainable economic transformation requires hard work and active participation in the money economy.

According to the President, Uganda has made significant progress since 2013.

“In 2013, only 30 out of every 100 homesteads were in the money economy. When I brought Gen Salim Saleh into Operation Wealth Creation, the number has now risen to 70 out of 100,” Museveni said.

“We must now ensure that the remaining 30 households also join the money economy so that we completely eradicate poverty,” he added.

Museveni credited Saleh’s coordination of OWC for improving household incomes, particularly in rural communities. He noted that the next phase of economic transformation will heavily rely on the Parish Development Model (PDM), which he described as a key vehicle for lifting Ugandans out of subsistence living.

The President revealed that Gen Saleh has now been tasked with overseeing the successful implementation of the Parish Development Model, which featured prominently in his previous campaign manifesto.

He reiterated that government efforts are focused on ensuring every household participates in income-generating activities, saying this is the surest path to long-term prosperity.