For many years now, President Yoweri Museveni has faced a barrage of accusations for his relentless support of Uganda's high population growth. But last week, the President disclosed why he has continued to harbour radical views on population.

In an apparently candid revelation, the president said Uganda still needs a big population in order to defend its territory whose unique wealth is the envy of many people.

"I have no apologies for [advocating] high population growth," the president added: "We live in a nice part of the world. You need some numbers to defend your piece of the territory. We need some optimal population." the president said last weekend at the launch of the latest book on Uganda's economic performance in recent years.

The president was reacting to blunt comments made by Bank of Uganda governor Tumusiime Mutebile who blamed the fast population growth on the apparent lack of tangible results to show for the high and sustained economic growth.

President Museveni has previously argued that a big population is essential in creating a big market for Ugandan products.

With a population growth rate of 3.4 percent, Uganda ranks third in the world with the fastest growing population rates. If no measures are taken to control this rate, Uganda is en route to doubling its current population of 31 million by 2050.

Mutebile, who is one of the co-editors of the new book titled ""Uganda's Economic Reforms: Insider Accounts," said Uganda has registered impressive economic growth rates averaging 7.8 percent over the last 18 years, but that high population growth has meant that the wealth that has been created has been consumed by the 'excess number of people' making it appear as if there were no positive changes in people's lives.

"Mr. President, we should begin to talk about high population growth in your next government. It is really that [high population growth] that is making people not feel the impact of high economic growth rates." Mutebile told the president.

Uganda currently has the biggest population of 55,000 soldiers in the regular army and several thousands more in other militias. Uganda's big army is only matched by Rwanda's, 35,000 which when compared to its population of 10m .is quite big. Kenya and Tanzania each have 25,000 soldiers, which is quite small compared to the their population size of 39m and 41m respectively.

Museveni argued that with more women attaining higher levels of education and securing office jobs, population growth will slow, but that it should be allowed to go down by itself not forced.

But most of Uganda's donors would disagree with the president when it comes to the country's policy of population. Many of them continue to castigate the government's reluctance to tackle high population growth.

Jane Rintoul, the head of UK's development agency DFID said last Friday that her organisation intends to support programmes aimed reducing Uganda's runaway population.
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