October 27, 2006
Posted to the web October 27, 2006
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni stands a chance to be a recipient of a $5 million prize for African leaders who retire peacefully.
The prize announced on Wednesday is meant for leaders who were elected fairly, improved their country's standard of living, and handed over power peacefully to the next elected government.
The UK-based mobile phone tycoon Mo Ibrahim is behind the plan to award winning leaders $5m (Shs9 billion) for the first 10 years when they leave office, $200,000 (Shs370 million) a year for the rest of their lives plus another $200,000 per year to channel to any charitable cause of their choice.
It is a fantastic idea and an incredible thing, the Presidential Adviser John Nagenda said of Mr Ibrahim's offer when contacted by telephone yesterday.
Asked if President Museveni could be a possible winner of the prize, he said, Without any presupposition on my part, I think I have a lot of admiration for our President and what he has done for the country and Africa.
Ibrahim, who founded the pan-African mobile phone company Celtel and sold it to MTC in Kuwait for $3.
4billion last year, said the 'Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership' would go to African heads of state that deliver security, health, education and economic development to their constituents.
In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, Ibrahim, 60, said African leaders had no life after office.
Suddenly all the mansions, cars, food, wine is withdrawn.
Some find it difficult to rent a house in the capital. That incites corruption; it incites people to cling to power.
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