A country of heroes is a country of steady progress! This year’s 34th Heroes’ Day Anniversary Celebrations was an opportunity to emulate our trailblazers and place ours on the path to become heros in our own right.
On behalf of the National Organizing Committee (NOC), I congratulate all Ugandans upon successfully celebrating this great day and welcome all those who made it to Kasaala Catholic Parish Grounds in Butuntumula Sub-County in Luweero District where the national celebrations were held.
Unfortunately, we missed the attendance of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who was in isolation due to a mild Covid-19 infection. Our Number One hero, we thank God for your health and pray that you fend off the problem and come back on the main to work for the people you so love!
H.E the President was represented by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja. Present were colleague ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs) and other leaders and dignitaries. We were privileged to have His Excellency Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and serving as the Vice President, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of the United Arab Emirates and his delegation in attendance to celebrate with us our heros.
It was such a colourful day deserving of the occasion. I thank members of the NOC for a good job done and the security teams for keeping us all safe and the people and leaders of Luweero for hosting us.
In taking the celebrations to Luweero, the aim was to bring the story back to where the liberation struggle was mostly fought, in which process, heros were made. We shall never forget tales of the “Luweero Triangle”. The personal sacrifices and commitment to liberate this country of the then rebel leader, Yoweri Museveni, can be recalled and immortalised in many ways because of the breadth of revolution they envisioned and executed. We have Liberation Day (January 26), Tarehe Sita (February 6) and then Heros Day, all dedicated to immortalising the struggle.
It is unfortunate that some of our freedom fighters were not able to complete the struggle. They lost their dear lives at the hands of ruthless and heartless soldiers implementing very lamentable orders of the bad regimes.
At times, I am deeply distressed when I hear some leaders making uncharitable statements and not acknowledging the struggle to liberate Uganda where we lost many of our gallant sons and daughters. This is not only a mindset challenge but it is largely an ideological gap.
It is important that people do not take the freedom, the rule of law and the stability that we now enjoy for granted.
As we remember all the fallen freedom fighters, we celebrate those still living. God knew that we needed to remain with some so as not to lose the intimate memories of the bush. Specifically, it is very important that we honour the individual contribution of H.E the President, the great revolutionary leader who saw it all.
Gen. Museveni is not only our hero for leading a bush war that liberated Ugandans for good, from a sad chapter of anti-people governance without direction, he has continued the struggle to emancipate and liberate Ugandans from all ills that pervade society. He has brought the revolution to the door steps of all our African brethren. We may take time to realise this, but we are sure to get there under God-guided leadership. Detractors may want to undo the fruits of the struggle, others twisting the story of what happened in the jungles of Luweero and even back to the FRONASA days yet they were not on the ground, simply because they lack a contribution of their own.
With consolidation and clear-headed leadership, all parts of Uganda are benefitting from the sacrifices of our heros. Human capital development is happening at unprecedented rate in the history of Uganda.
H.e the President’s current vision to grow household incomes for our people through the Parish Development Model (PDM) cannot be taken for granted. For us who have just returned from his ten day’s tutorship at Kyankwanzi, we now have a special appreciation of his vision for this country and it is this Vision that we must hand down to the grassroots. By the way, what makes detractors think that a revolutionary leader who has found numerous liberation struggles can fail to justify his struggles among the people and get them to embrace their own chance at heroism in the course of transforming our country for good?
It’s all a matter of the current generations deciding to make a mark and do just that. If you can change your people using this wealth building messages, you will have turned yourselves into heroes to be celebrated on and on.
Heroes are not only those who use the gun to liberate their country but even those who apply their leadership and mobilisation skills to change the people are heroes that should be celebrated.
Let me use this opportunity to thank the President for his directive to Ms. Natasha Karugire to visit the families of the fallen FRONASA freedom fighters and come up with a documentary depicting their ordeals in the struggle for a free Uganda. This documentary will further bring the stories of our freedom fighters to life help to change the mindset of our people on the way to consolidating Uganda as a Land of Heroes.
On another note, as we marked the day, bodies of UPDF soldiers who were heartlessly murdered by terrorists in Somalia were returning home and families were in the process of according them dignified burials. These combatants are real heros of our times; they died to protect the rest of us and our fellow Africans. We salute them, indeed; and commiserate with their families and pray that their souls may rest in eternal peace. We will never forget you, our Heroes!
I, once again, congratulate all Ugandans and our dear friends, upon marking the 34th Heroes Day celebrations!
For God and My Country!
The author is the Minister for the Presidency
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