I will import food if Ugandan suppliers keep holding food to hike prices; Museveni warns food suppliers

President Museveni has cautioned food suppliers, both those supplying to the government and those selling to private citizens or companies to stop hoading food with intentions of hiking prices because he will resort to importing it.

Following the ongoing struggle of controlling the spreading of Covid-19, the government ordered for lockdown, however, as a way of supporting the vulnerable poor Ugandans who are no longer working, the government embarked on suppling them with food including beans, posh etc.

Currently, the government ordered for 9,030,000 kilograms of maize flour and 635,000 kilograms of beans.

However, suppliers have held on beans and maize in their stores causing prices to increase. While addressing the country about the updates of Covid-19 on Sunday, Mr Museveni gave the last warning that if there’s no behavior change, he will open up supplying deals with the outside suppliers.

“I will import food if you hike prices because you are crooks who want to take advantages of your people. I will import food and your things will rot in stores. I will import cheaper food from Mexico or elsewhere. Any whisper that food is not enough I will import and give away that money from you and see who will make a loss,” he said.

Museveni also warned suppliers selling bad food such as rotten beans and maize that they will come for them in case they are identified.

“Selling bad food, we shall come for you but if you have bad food don’t give it to us eat it by yourself,” he said.

Meanwhile, Museveni has also increased on the time bodabodas should top working from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

“We sat with the transport committee and agreed Bodabodas and bicycle riders can transport goods up to 5pm instead of the initial 2pm.”

 Museveni tasked the transport committee to sit and discuss on the proposal that one person is enough to drive a cargo truck, instead of three.

“That will be determined by the transport committee,” Museveni added.