It's Fine With Me If I Lose Presidential Elections – Museveni Makes Stunning Revelation In 1993 Interview As He Defends His Leadership Decisions

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni once declared that losing elections was not something he feared, as he discussed his approach to leadership, political competition, corruption and government appointments in an extensive interview conducted more than three decades ago.

The revelation comes from an interview Museveni granted The Monitor on November 2, 1993, at State House Entebbe, where he sat down with the publication's then Editor-in-Chief, Wafula Oguttu. The interview, published on November 5, 1993, covered several controversial issues surrounding his government and the direction Uganda was taking under his leadership.

One of the major subjects was criticism that his government was dominated by people from western Uganda, particularly Ankole and Kigezi. Museveni defended the situation, arguing that people from those regions had higher levels of education, which he said explained their significant presence in universities and government employment.

He also defended the recruitment process in government parastatals and public institutions, insisting that appointments were increasingly based on competition and merit. According to Museveni, qualified applicants were shortlisted, interviewed and assessed before the most suitable candidates were selected for available positions.

The President further revealed that ministers sometimes presented him with three shortlisted candidates for senior appointments, after which he personally considered their abilities before making the final decision. He maintained that the process was intended to identify individuals capable of delivering results rather than simply rewarding political or regional connections.

However, Museveni also made an interesting admission about occasionally disadvantaging people from his own western region during appointments. He cited the case of Ernest Kakwano, who had reportedly emerged as the best candidate in interviews for the position of chief coordinator of the Public Enterprises Reform and Divestiture Secretariat but was not appointed.

Explaining the decision, Museveni admitted that he had deliberately blocked Kakwano because of his previous disagreements with government officials. "Yes, yes, Kakwano came top in these interviews, but I suppressed him because of his campaigns. His name had come up; he had been taken to court," Museveni said during the interview.

The decades-old interview has resurfaced, bringing renewed attention to Museveni's views on political competition, regional representation, merit-based appointments and the exercise of presidential authority. It also offers a historical glimpse into how the President defended his government's decisions during its early years in power.