The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa has applauded First Daughter Natasha Museveni Karugire for her new documentary “Those From Among You”, a film that highlights Uganda’s difficult past, the politics, the people and the key events that shaped the current peace and stability.
The Deputy Speaker was on Thursday evening (July 27 2023) speaking at the official launch of Natasha’s NRA documentary film premiered at a colorful event at Arena Mall, Century Cinemax in Kampala where he warned that “those who do not remember the past mistakes are condemned to repeat them.”
The Deputy Speaker who was accompanied by his wife Mrs.Anita Tayebwa, joined other high-profile guests at the premiere of the new NRA documentary. He suggested that deliberate efforts be made to ensure that the Natasha documentary reaches the young people to help them understand the context and the real meaning of war, peace and stability.
“In our generation, we define peace on whether we have access to social media, we define peace on whether you can go to a Club at 3am, we define peace on whether you can drink yourself silly and still find your way home and we also define peace on whether you can abuse responsible people and get away with it,” the Deputy Speaker said.
“But from what I have seen in the NRA documentary, that time (1980-1986), it was a matter of survival… just talking about a mere private soldier wouldn’t guarantee you another day of life. [In the reign of terror], this is what people were going through that time.”
The new film, produced by the First daughter, offers deep insights into the five-year gorilla war that brought President Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement into power hitherto the National Resistance Movement (NRA).
On February 6, 1981, (NRA) fighters fired the first shot that marked the beginning of the five-year Luweero Bush War that eventually overthrew the regime of Milton Obote (1980-85) and Tito Okello (1985-86). The gorilla war sought to end tyranny, vote rigging, insecurity and other atrocities.
Former Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki described the documentary as a befitting tribute to the gallant sons and daughters of Uganda who have in meant stages of the struggle have endeavored to make Uganda a better place to live in than they found it.
“Those who forget history are doomed, and those who learn from history are also doomed to repeat it,” the former CJ said.
He also recalled how he was given the responsibility of drafting the 1995 Constitution and struggled to write a preamble, explaining in clear terms why Uganda was making a fresh start after long years of turmoil.
“The lawyers are fond of saying whereas, whereas and whereas but I said no, we must recall the tragic history, the constitutional and political instability, which Uganda has experienced, and we must recognize the struggle against tyranny and exploitation. We must commit ourselves to build a better Uganda,” former CJ said.
“This documentary is a story of struggles, it’s a story of making Uganda a better place to live in and a story which in my view, fulfils the generation mission of our time…”
Security Minister Jim Muhwezi, one of the NRA heroes, congratulated Natasha for producing the NRA documentary and asked the young people to keenly watch it and ensure that the past mistakes are not repeated.
“Those of us who were there and who are passing on one by one, we wonder whether the future generation will ever know what we went through. This documentary is a true record of what happened and I appeal to the youth to watch and internalize the documentary so that we don’t again go through what we went through,” Muhwezi said.
The First Daughter, Ms Natasha Museveni Karugire explained why she came up with the NRA documentary and in a special way thanked President Museveni, Janet Kataha Museveni and others who walked with her throughout the journey.
“I have been asked why the story and my response has been why not the story. If one day you woke up and found yourself in the middle of an Ocean, how would you be able to know your baring to know how to continue with your journey? These things we have documented aim at helping us trace the journey from where we set off as a nation so that we understand how we got to this place in time,” Natasha said.
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