President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has said during his adolescence, one of the things he feared most was childlessness.
"I strongly believed in having a family, now that I was an adolescent whatever situation I was in - whether in peace or war. The idea of obucwheekye (being childless was most disturbing). I am, therefore, most grateful to God and Maama Janet for enabling me to have children that have now given me grand-children in the midst of turbulence, initially. They are a wonderful and productive group of Ugandans," Museveni said.
The president who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, made the remarks as he hosted his guests for his 80th birthday celebrations special luncheon at the Presidential Demonstration Farm in Kawumu.
Museveni said that he is a strong believer and in whatever he does, he tries to avoid evil , adding that it is one of the reasons God has been helping the NRM to succeed.
"Although I disagreed with the Scripture Union in 1965, I keep my belief in God and it has helped our movement and I believe that that is the reason God has continued to bless the NRA /UPDF /NRM /Uganda. In sowing the Mustard seed, I quoted some examples of God's intervention
in our struggles. It is these attitudes that I brought into our struggles when we had to deal with the disorientation that actors had imposed on Uganda - politics of identity, under- development, the elite line to the detriment of the mass-line, neo-colonialism and dependency, etc."
He explained that the reason for taking the function to Kawumu and Kijaguzo was to salute the heroism of the masses and the freedom fighters that used this area to defeat the mistake makers in the past governments.
"Kijaguzo Parish headquarters is where I would retreat to write some documents but also to get some sunshine for vitamin D because the Kitemu-Masanga Forest in the valley was always cold and the sun was blocked by the foliage."
"Kawumu camps helped us to adopt the code of conduct (Segirinya's camp); rescue the guns dropped by Kayiira near Ddambwe before the Obote's took them; start addressing the mistake by Magara of killing Kashaanku; the interview with William Pike that exposed the NRA to the
World; and above all, the place at which I ordered General Saleh and Haji Kigongo to, finally start the Western Front in the Rwenzori before I left on the 12th of March, 1985, having confirmed that Obote was about to collapse, to look for more guns to ensure that we had enough armed
soldiers to stop chaos in the country on account of a vacuum consequent to that collapse. There are many other landmark points in this area. Kawumu and Kijaguzo happen to be some of them."
President Museveni also commended the movement members right from the University Students African Revolutionary Front) at the University of Dar-es-salaam with linkages to Makerere University (the Mwesigwa Blacks, the Rwaherus), FRONASA (during the anti-Amin struggle), the UPM (during the short interim period of 1979-80) and the PRA/NRA/NRM (ever since 1981) for aligning whatever they do on the four ideological principles of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-
Economic transformation and democracy and the three historical missions of Prosperity, through wealth creation; strategic security against all threats to Africa; and using the African brotherhood to achieve the first two historical missions.
"I thank, salute and congratulate all Ugandans that over the years have rallied around these principles and goals. This celebration of my 80 years is not just about me but about all the resistance fighters. When we formed USARF, I was 22 years of age. This is a whole 58 years ago," he said.
"Therefore, for most of the 80 years of my life, we have been in the trenches of resistance with the resistance fighters. The resistance fighters- past and present-you have done Uganda and Africa proud."
The president informed Ugandans, especially the NRM members, that right now everything is in place to implement the four principles of the NRM; Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-economic transformation and democracy.
"The only principle that is not fully in our hands is Pan-Africanism where we need to agree with our brothers and sisters in the East African Community about the Political Federation and with the rest of Africa on the Continental Free Trade Area. However, that does not stop you from discussing it among the Ugandans and reaching out to the East Africans to discuss instead of speaking on the behalf of foreign parasites all the time," he urged.
"I encourage Ugandans to look at our heritage of wealth creation and the brother- hood among wealth creators because of mutual interest, and the social-economic transformation that is concomitant to that modernised wealth creation."
He underscored the NRM efforts in helping Ugandans to achieve prosperity.
"From the beginning, I had in contempt educated people that only cared for the prosperity of their families. I believed in the mass-lines: prosperity for all - bonna bagaggawale; bonna bagemebwe - immunisation for all; bonna basome- education for all; etc," he said.
"Indeed, between 1966 and 1971, together with some of my colleagues such as Mwesigwa Black, we moved, initially on foot, kraal to kraal, sensitising the Banyankore in the cattle corridor to abandon nomadism and embrace modern commercial farming. Unfortunately, Amin's coup interfered with our work; but much of it had taken root."
President Museveni explained that when they came back in 1986, they resumed their efforts and this is the cause of the partial revolution in the agricultural sector in the areas of dairy, beef, bananas, cassava, maize, fruits, the fisheries sector, among others.
"After repeated efforts; by 2022, the homesteads in the money economy had risen to 61% while the bakolera ekidda kyoonka (subsistence actors) were only 39%. We intend to monetize the whole economy with ekibaro (otita, aimar, cura - maximising returns)."
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports,Janet Museveni said the day was great after meeting as family and friends to celebrate and thank God for the life of President Museveni.
"I want to say my thanksgiving in a way of speaking to God and say to Him that there was no better other way to celebrate Mzee's 80th birthday except to say to God, thank you as a nation and as a family," she said.
"I personally needed to say that God knew my heart and fulfilled my prayer. He brought into my life the man I really loved and He chose to make him my husband and the father of my children. The only possible thing to do today for me and our family was to bring our praises and all glory to God," she added.
She described President Museveni as a patient man, an attribute that has enabled him to succeed in his endeavours.
"He is truly blessed with patience, so he has on very many occasions told me stories of what patience does in any life and other aspects; some of which he, himself had to learn through the difficult life he led through the struggle. Therefore, in addition to many who testified about
him, I can also testify that indeed, he is a teacher, and he also demonstrates resilient methods of work."
First daughter, Mrs. Natasha Museveni Karugire said it was a privilege to celebrate their father's birthday, honour him and thank God who has kept him alive all these years.
"Thank you so much Mzee for allowing us the opportunity to appreciate you. We praise God for this day and we praise Him for Mzee," she noted.
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The surviving original freedom fighters who gave their testimonies on the good traits of President Museveni included Gen. Ivan Koreta, Gen. Omule who said President Museveni is God sent and Mr. Kawanda John from Masaka who echoed Gen. Omule's assertion of President Museveni being a person who was sent by God to Uganda.
Gen. Koreta thanked God for the life of President Yoweri Museveni and the work of his mind and hands.
He commended President Museveni for being an exceptional leader who has transformed Uganda.
"The president's attributes include but not limited; very careful planner, if he had not planned very well, we wouldn't be here having this very late lunch and listening to me. He is a very able organiser of structures and of people, it is evident in very many things our President has done," he asserted.
"Our president is a teacher and instructor both in theory and practical. Our leader owns very exceptional leadership skills, his love for the country, region and Africa is also exceptional. You would agree with me that Uganda is much better in social economy, security, personal freedoms etc, than it was in the 1970s. Thanks to President Museveni's leadership."
The President and the First Lady on arrival, led guests on a tour of the museum organised by Mrs. Natasha Karugire, exhibiting the history of the liberation of Uganda.
The exhibition at the museum showcased the genesis of the war of liberation, the strategic transformative changes economically, socially and politically carried out by the NRM government in Uganda.
The event was also attended by the Vice President, H.E Jessica Alupo, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon. Anita Among, the Chief Justice, His Lordship Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of the First Family, Religious and cultural leaders, among other invited guests.
