Museveni: Dangote Came to Uganda But We Didn’t Go Far, I Didn’t Know He Was Being Asked for Bribes

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has revealed that billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote previously explored investment opportunities in Uganda, but the talks did not progress.

Speaking on Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Dangote East African Refinery in Lamu, Museveni said he later learned that some officials had allegedly demanded bribes from the businessman.

Museveni said Dangote had previously visited Uganda and Tanzania to explore investment opportunities, but the engagements did not go far.

“He had come to Uganda before and he went to Tanzania, but we didn’t move very far. I didn’t know that some people were disturbing him with bribes,” Museveni said.

The Ugandan president congratulated Dangote for building his business from a trading enterprise into a major industrial group. He also praised President William Ruto for attracting the refinery investment to Kenya.

Museveni said the Lamu project demonstrated the importance of regional cooperation and economic integration.

He welcomed plans that would allow East African countries to acquire shares in the refinery and benefit from the investment.

The Ugandan leader also stressed the need for African countries to expand manufacturing and create an environment where investors can operate without being frustrated by corruption.

He said eliminating practices that discourage investors would be essential if African countries are to attract more large-scale investments and expand their industrial capacity.

The remarks came as Kenya and its partners formally began work on the proposed refinery in Lamu, a project backed by Dangote.

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