Joel Ssenyonyi, the Leader of Opposition By Prisca Wanyenya The Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi has punched holes into assertions made by President Museveni that Uganda’s economy has expanded seventeen-fold over the last 40 years, which saw the GDP rise from US$3.9 billion in 1986 to now US$69.3 billion.He argues that while progress has been made in some areas, many Ugandans continue to face poverty, unemployment, poor public services, and growing pressure on their livelihoods, and the gap between official claims and daily experience is still wide.He made the remarks during the 8th July 2026 plenary sitting, where he was responding to a Motion tabled by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, where she led the Government side in paying tribute to President Museveni, for the clear and precise exposition of government policy during the June 2026State of Nation Address.Nabbanja remarked, “Despite a few challenges, Uganda’s economy has expanded seventeen fold over the last 40 years of recovery, expansion, diversification, value addition, entering the knowledge economy and transformation as reflected in the GDP rise from USD 3.9 billion in l986 to now US$69.3 billion by the forex exchange method or to 197.1 billion by the PPP method, and the GDP per Capita has risen to US$1,278 while the threshold for lower middle income status is US$1,136.” While presenting the Opposition Response to the State of the Nation Address, 2026, the Leader of the Opposition argued that the President did not speak with clarity about the debt consuming Uganda’s future, the hospitals without medicines, the schools failing a generation of children, the roads deteriorating every rainy season, or the corruption documented in audit report, but instead, the President resorted to talking about milk surpluses and coffee exports, dismissed young people seeking work abroad by calling Uganda a paradise which they are abandoning, and named journalists whose writing displeases him.Ssenyonyi remarked, “The Head of state cited GDP expansion to USD 69,3 billion and a per capita income of US$ l,420, just above the lower-middle-income threshold of US$1,136. Yet many Ugandans are asking a simple question: if the economy is growing, why is life becoming more difficult? Growth must show up in household incomes, employment, and access to services.”The Prime Minister also commended the President for revealing that the household poverty has declined from 56.4% in 1992 to now 16.17%, while life expectancy rose from 43 years to now 58 years, and the infant mortality from 122 per 1,000 born olive to now 35 per, l,000 born aliveThe Premier remarked, “The President stated that the peace, law and order maintained by the various low enforcement agencies provide the supportive infrastructure necessary for the country’s development, with economic growth currently projected at 6.4% and GDP expected to grow by 10% in the 2027 /2028 financial year, increasing the size of the economy to US$80billion. The President’s reassurance that most of the essential factors for wealth creation and all the necessary requirements for building a prosperous Uganda are in place, including the good constructed road network, the revamping of the meter- gauge railway and establishment of pipelines for crude petroleum products.”Ssenyonyi wondered how the President can boast about reducing poverty in Uganda yet Ministry of Finance’s Background to the Budget FY 2025/26 puts rural poverty of 19.4% against 10.3% in urban areas, and notes that seven sub-regions, home to 44% of Uganda’s population, account for 70% of the country’s poor noting, “Growth that does not reduce poverty or improve the cost of living for ordinary families is, in the end, largely statistical.”The Leader of Opposition also wondered what was there to celebrate about the growth of Uganda’s economy yet this same growth is being threatened by the rising debt, arguing that within five years, Uganda’s debt has risen by 80% from roughly UGX 70 trillion in FY2020/21 to over UGX126.19 trillion in 2026.“80% increase of our debt burden in just 5 years should worry all of us colleagues. More than one shilling in every three collected now goes to creditors before a teacher is paid or medicine procured. interest payments have climbed steadily, from UGX 3.9 trillion in FY2O21/22 to a projected UGX13 trillion in 2026/27, for a cumulative UGX 46.9 trillion over six years, all flowing to foreign-owned commercial banks. The FY202627 budget adds a further UGX185.5 billion in commitment fees on loans signed but not yet used. Uganda is paying for borrowing that has not happened,” said Ssenyonyi.The Leader of Opposition further questioned the essence of celebrating Uganda’s economic growth yet there is no return on investments on the money Government has sunk into private ventures, and this is further worsened by the reports of the Auditor General, who has repeatedly flagged weak project implementation, delayed completion, cost overruns, and underutilised borrowed funds.“Public revenue is being diverted from schools, hospitals, roads and agriculture to service debt whose benefits ordinary Ugandans cannot see or feel. Sustainable growth requires prudent fiscal management, productive investment, value for money, and genuine accountability in the use of public resources,” he said.The post Rising GDP, Struggle on Ground: Opposition Challenges Govt Growth Data appeared first on Business Focus.