President Yoweri Museveni has said the just-concluded Afrika Kwetu trek has helped him to see how his government systems work in relationship with his ruling party National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Museveni, who was addressing journalists in Birembo, Kakumiro district about the jungle trek on Friday noted that there is a very big disconnection between NRM leaders and voters.
“I have been able to check on our old cadres and I have seen how our system works. The main challenges I have noticed will be addressed through holding regular meetings with leaders,” he said.
In the trek which he started on Saturday last week at Garamba in Wakiso district, Museveni walked with 200 Bazukulu, government officials plus well-wishers.. While speaking about the trek he encouraged young people to always have discipline while pursuing their goals like how they did in pursuit of freedom.
“The main message is you young people look at the history of the one who came before you who had a deep understanding of what Africa needs but also had the discipline to struggle for it, so it’s understanding first, but also discipline and commitment to fight for it,” he said.
The trek officially ended on Friday at Birembo. The trekkers allegedly travelled for 195 kilometres to commemorate the heroic sacrifices of Uganda’s freedom fighters and also sensitising the country’s youth ‘Bazukulu’ about the struggle for power in the 1980s.
The trekkers moved through 8 districts starting from St Edwards Garamba Senior Secondary School at 7:30 am, from there they continued to Mityana, Kiboga, Kasandha, Mubende, Kakumiro and finally ended the walk on Thursday at 04:30 pm at Birembo.
Afrika Kwetu trek comes 20 years after President Museveni made the same trek in 1999 between January 3 -11, where they walked over 200km retracing National Resistance Army (NRA) guerrilla bases in the Luweero Triangle.
Unlike this 2020 Africa Kwetu trek, the 1999 trek was commemorating the successful attack on Kabamba barracks on January 1, 1985, by NRA fighters led by Gen. Salim Saleh.
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