Min.Esther Mbayo
Uganda will on June 9th 2019 celebrate the 30th Heroes’Day anniversary, an annual event to pay tribute to people who exemplified and defended the highest values of patriotism and sacrifice for the wellbeing of the country and its citizens.
Among others, heroic values to be celebrated include proven integrity, patriotism and sacrifice, acts of bravery, setting a good example, truthfulness, and love for others.
According to Minister for presidency Hon.Esther Mbayo revealed that this government owes a great debt to the sons and daughters of this country and all the other heroes and heroines who fought for Uganda to be free.It is a debt we can neither repay, nor ever forget.
And so, Ugandans, willon 9th June 2019 gather to remember Heroes both living and departed. The idea behind such a national gathering is to celebrate, preserve, protect and propagate the precious inheritance in the name of liberty our Heroes and Heroines left us.
‘’This year’s celebrations will be held at Kasanje Town Council in Wakiso District. Our theme is “Celebrating the Courageous Heroes that brought the peace and prosperity we are enjoying”. She said
On the same day, H.E the president will award different categories of medals to 100 distinguished Ugandans who have exhibited heroism in various ways.
Basing on facts related to the arms strangle,Kasanje wasa fightingcorridor against the fascist regime of UPC in 1980sand was at first dominated by the Uganda Freedom Movement (UFM) led by the late Dr. Andrew Kayiira before they joined hands with another fighting group FEDEMU of the late George Nkwanga. These two later merged with the NRA en-route to liberating Uganda in 1986.
Prominent fighters of the UFM/FEDEMU include Maj. Gen. KasiryeGwanga,late George Nkwanga, Major General Adda Hussein (Retired), Brigadier. Mark Kodili (Retired) Col. Kalyesubula (Retired), Captain. Kiwanuka, Major. RwamitiNyago, Captain.KamyaNkima, Captain. Paul Kavuma, Major.Nsubuga, LeutenantNanseraLubega among others.
What is criticalabout Kasanjeand Mpigi areas is that they suffered brutal arrests and death of the citizens especially after thebotched attack on the Lubiri barracks by the UFM forces in early 1982.
In Mpigi District, hundreds of lives were lost to the whims of these state agents of the then ruling Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) government as they “assisted” the army in hunting down anti-government rebels. Mpigi of the time encompassed today’s Districts of Mpigi, Wakiso, Butambala and Gomba.
The Uganda Freedom Movement rebels and later the Federal Democratic Movement (FEDEMU) considered this predominantly DP district a natural haven for their activities, between 1980 and 1985 the area was represented in Parliament by Hon. Dr. Paulo KawangaSsemogerere, the then President-General of the Democratic Party. In reaction, the UPC government apparently condemned Mpigi as a rebel territory and unleashed state forces without mercy.
We therefore remember those patriotic countrymen and women with pride because they did not die in vain as they laid a strong foundation for our progress of the last 30 years and an undisputed legacy. These heroes were ordinary Ugandans, many of them young people who put their youth to the liberation of their motherland that is the reason as a country we have deliberately decided to focus on the youth by setting up programmes to empower them economically, enabling them to effectively participate in politics at all levels and creating an enabling environment for social interaction. We recognize the potential of the youth to work and capable of developing and defending this nation, this why the NRM Government, on its part, has made commendable efforts to uphold these principles as a strategic foundation of Uganda’s development.
We are compatriots in the struggle of making Uganda a better country to live in, which was the major spirit behind their Heroic deeds. It is the cardinal duty for every Ugandan therefore, to protect, develop and sustain this spirit.
The NRM Government further recognizes that, the spirit of Heroism can only be meaningful if we uplift our motherland Uganda into a modern, stable and industrialized country that will make every citizen happy and proud to live in. This can only be realized if we sustain the impressive economic growth, entrench our democratic values and jealously maintain peace and stability we are currently enjoying.
Certainly, there is still much to be done, but there is also much more to cause a celebratory mood in the progress made towards bringing Uganda to the ideals for which both living and dead Heroes sacrificed themselves.
According to the Monetary Policy Statement released by Bank of Uganda on 1st April, 2019, it was indicated that the Economy is projected to attain its potential Economic growth of 6% -6.5%.This growth rate puts Uganda well ahead of the of the Continental economic growth rate of 4.0% as projected by the African Development Bank for the year 2019.
The March 2019 Consumer Price Index (CPI) Data released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) indicates mixed inflation development. On the one hand annual headline inflation remained unchanged at 3.0% as in February 2019 while annual core inflation rose from 3.7% to 4.6%, approaching the Bank of Uganda’s medium term policy target of 5%. This figure is well under the East African convergence criterion of 8% required, among others, for a monetary Union.
Other parameters of the economy indicate impressive performance for example Revenue collection for the last three quarters of Financial Year 2018/19 has surpassed projected figures.
In conclusion, as we celebrate this 30th Anniversary of the Heroes’ Day, all Ugandans are called upon to reflect deeply and seriously on the sacrifices these gallant sons and daughters of Uganda made. Let each Ugandan get committed by celebrating the courageous Heroes that brought the peace and prosperity we are enjoying. Besides, let these celebrations also rejuvenate our collective commitment as a country in: consolidating the values laid down by our Heroes and the achievements registered; while at the same time, focusing our resolve to bravely face the new challenges into the future as we work to complete the NRM Government five year term and look ahead to the next term 2021 – 2026.
