President M7 lecturing UPDF trainees
President Gen.Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the commander in chief of the armed forces over the weekend took time to lecture 297 UPDF trainees at Kabamba military school.
While speaking to cadets, President M7 first highlighted the achievements of NRA which later changed to UPDF on how they managed to capture power using meager resources and used it to develop a professional army now.
He emphasized that the only way young, educated and energetic people can transform communities is to work towards integration of East African community and Africa as their mother continent.
’’All armies have a doctrine and purpose they subscribe to. This has been true for all civilizations across the world including here in Africa where our armies were clan, and tribally exclusive to cater to the interests of their kings.
These interests were shortsighted and encouraged a false sense of importance and strength in the leaders of the time. This is how by 1900, all of Africa was conquered and colonized with the exception of Ethiopia.
When the colonial armies took over, their mission was to use Africa and its people, to solve the problems of Europe and America. While some came to Africa and got people to grow coffee and cotton at a paltry fee, the others took strong human beings to work on the plantations in America in what is now called the Slave trade. In essence, a very well orchestrated plan where they achieved free labor, on free land from the Red Indians.
It is important to note that the colonization of Africa was not caused by lack of courage on our ancestors’ part, but for lack of a galvanized and centered strategy. ‘He said
M7 briefed them on how forming the post colonial, or liberation army’s like in the case of Uganda (UPDF), had to carve out a strategy steeped in the core beliefs of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-economic transformation and Democracy.
He added ‘’So, for every individual that aspires to leadership, or public service as these young people about to finish their training, these beliefs must be understood and shared, in the journey to surmount the myriad strategic challenges.’’
He praised and thanked the army leadership, instructors and fraternal partners in this endeavour for African human resource development.
