Journalist Andrew Mwenda has publicly apologised to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for earlier comments suggesting that the President’s advanced age had left him “intellectually and physically exhausted” and vulnerable to manipulation in funding questionable projects.

In a detailed apology, Mwenda said he regretted using the President’s age as a basis for criticism, describing the approach as “professionally and personally wrong.”

“I should have focused on the merits and demerits of his decisions, not the age at which he made them,” Mwenda stated.

He clarified that while he had questioned some private business partners involved in government-backed projects, he was not opposed to the principle of state support for infant industries.

Mwenda admitted his criticism targeted specific individuals rather than the policy itself.

Mwenda also apologised to entrepreneurs Magoola of Dei-Biopharma and Senfuka, whom he had previously described as “conmen” and “witch doctors.”

He acknowledged that he had neither spoken to them nor visited their factories, and pledged to meet them and assess their projects directly.

The apology follows a strong rebuttal from President Museveni, who described Mwenda as a “do-nothinger,” “traitor,” and agent of neo-colonial interests.

Museveni defended several government-supported initiatives that Mwenda had criticised, including herbal medicine projects, agro-industrial ventures, and the Kiira Motors initiative.

In his statement, Mwenda said conversations with international figures such as Bill Gates and Silicon Valley investors had influenced his thinking.

They highlighted the scarcity of private risk capital in Africa and the necessity of state support for industrial development, despite the risks involved.

Mwenda noted that successful models from South Korea, Taiwan, and China show that government support for private businesses should be guided by clear priorities, transparency, and performance targets.