President Yoweri Museveni has told Ugandans to shun the culture of begging, describing it as a disease that causes severe poverty and that it can drown them into the ocean of poverty.
Museveni said that people should work hard and earn a living for themselves and those under their care.
Museveni who described everything about begging as “bad” said those that keep helping beggars in the name of good Samaritans are the ones that are spreading the “disease” which he said must stop.
“The good Samaritans are sustaining a begging culture and many people asking for money are not working hard to get out of poverty, but are choosing to beg. It is bad and should stop,” said the Commander in Chief who was in Liraon Thursday to open zonal lands office.
“People should get out of poverty through labour but not begging. You cannot get out of poverty through begging,” said Mr Museveni who said recently that Ugandans don’t employ him.
“So when you want to fight poverty through begging, it’s not a good idea. In fact when you try to get out of poverty through begging you spread poverty. Even the one who gives you also becomes poor.”
Mr Museveni made the comment after the LC1 chairman of Central Division in Lira Municipal Council had asked him for some money to facilitate his honeymoon.
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Background
It is not rare for people at functions presided over by the president to beg for favors when they have a chance with the microphone.
Museveni’s remarks are however surprising since he has always donated money to lucky people who beg him when he is in good moods.
Just last year, the Second Deputy Premier and Minister for East African Affairs Kirunda Kivejinja told people in Busoga region to stop begging money from President Museveni saying they can only overcome poverty through hard work.
The president equated the begging culture to a situation where someone depends on blood transfusion for survival.
“When your body cannot make its own blood, you depend on blood transfusion, they give you blood which gets finished every two weeks. How can you go on like that? Mr Museveni wondered.
He also said that begging does not solve anything, adding that it makes both the beggar and the giver poor.
“It is like if you are drowning water and the one who is on dry land tries to help you, you also pull him down, you all go in the water; you will all drown.”
