Ugandans are now twice as poorer as neighboring Kenyans according to the latest World Bank Development Indicators report.
The detailed statistical report produced annually by the World Bank put Uganda’s income per capita at $670 against Kenya’s $1,290 , Tanzania’s $920 and Rwanda’s $700.
Per capita income is a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) divided by the population to give an indication of the average earnings per person in a year.
The percentage population of Ugandans in extreme poverty that is, those living on $1.9 a day currently stands at 33% of the population while globally this figure has fallen to 13 per cent from 37 per cent in 1990.
Uganda’s overall Gross National Income stood $25.3 billion compared to Kenya’s $58.1 and Tanzania’s $46.4 billion in Tanzania.
The World Bank report puts Uganda’s life expectancy at 58years and its infant mortality rate (number of cases per 1000) at 38, well higher than Kenya’s 36, Tanzania’s 35 and Rwanda’s 31.
Uganda’s urban population currently stands at 16% of the total population, while neighboring Kenya, this figure is at 25%.
While more than 80% of Ugandans are dependent on agriculture, the World Bank report shows that Uganda’s agricultural output stands at 27% of the GDP, compared to Kenya’s 30%, Tanzania’s 31% and Rwanda’s 33%.
Recently, while meeting the members of the outgoing cabinet, President Yoweri Museveni observed that while the NRM government has not addressed all of Uganda’s challenges, its impact has been greatly felt.
Museveni said that when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came into power, Uganda had so many problems but majority have since then been resolved. He added that the next term will be much easier, as Uganda will have started exploring its oil.
“We have finished the issue of the pipeline and are going to start exploring our oil. By 2019, we shall start earning money from the oil,” he said.
The President described the outgoing cabinet as a tremendous cabinet and that with their experience, they know where things went wrong and right and it will be easier to move forward.
“This will go on the records of Uganda that this cabinet, this government was steadfast. Where we are going is becoming easier. They played a historical role of discovering oil in 2006, struggled to bring the oil out of the ground and now we are at the threshold. Will use their experience to go forward,” he said.
