Celebrating Uganda at 57 in Afghanistan.

It was an ecstatic Friday evening on the 25^th day of October 2019; the preparations, environment and the feeling were befitting. This was a moment of celebrating Uganda at 57 by the community of Ugandans in Afghanistan. Thanks to the Ugandan community in Afghanistan, thanks to African brother and sisters, thanks to friends from other parts of the world. You all made it the merry celebration it was, with great display of hospitality and generosity from The Peal of Africa” and spirit of friendship exhibited by guests from other countries.

I am glad, Uganda at 57 in Afghanistan embodied the hope and aspiration for a better Uganda.  Holding this function thousands of miles away from the realities on ground created a rare opportunity of imagination and action. We were able to proudly project Uganda to the world as is and should be. It was therefore an opportunity to compensate for the many independence celebrations which I have not celebrated (by choice) in the past years.  Thank you, colleague and friends for this good memory.

 The function created an opportunity to showcase Uganda’s hospitality and generosity through the tangible and non-tangible value which were shared with all guests to promote knowledge about Uganda’s tourism, culture, values and hospitality. The testimonies from non-Ugandans who have lived or worked in Uganda was “a payback kind” about the beauty and hospitality of Uganda for which we must never take for granted. We must work hard to preserve and better what we have if we must continue to be competitive in the community of nations. “Yes, we can” through deliberate effort that creates an environment which allows space for human ingenuity to thrive, where rule of rule of law is a practice rather than a theory and where honesty and accountability are cherished values by all. In those efforts and values rests the potential to leap Uganda into a model position where every Ugandan can be proud and can thrive.    

It was a great celebration, the emceeing was great, the prayer was angelic, the food was delicious, the speeches were candid and melodic but also laden with hope for a better future of Uganda. In particular, the speech from the UN permanent Mission in New York articulated Uganda Vision 2040. It is a great vision for which political leadership of the country and all other handlers at different levels must work hard to make sure this is achieved. In the “Kabul spirit of Uganda at 57” I would implore that we hesitate to judge implementation of this vision by the record of Uganda government because it may derail the morale which we have picked. However, I would a call upon us all to be very uncompromising when demanding for accountability from those, whose job it is to make sure that Vision 2040 is achieved because Ugandans deserve it.

I personally was getting involved in celebrations of independence after many years of deliberately not celebrating Uganda’s independence. I have for a good number of years believed that it’s not worthy celebrating the Independence Day of Uganda and indeed for other African countries, not because I am a less patriotic Ugandan/African but because of the mockery that this independence has become when judging from the socio-economic development of Uganda/Africa since independence. Even though Uganda is gifted by nature with plenty of natural resources, as a country we continue to post miserable results on the different score cards of the different aspects of Uganda’s life after gaining independence. I have got a legitimate quarrel with LEADERSHIP and the ELITE (subject for another day) on what has been done, how it has been done and what remains to be done.  The way ahead seems long, meandering and hard which requires definite change of course where it MUST NOT be business as usual.

That said, if we must enjoy the fruits of independence, we must build strong institutions, promote rule of law and expunge the current rudimentary practice of “African strong men and women “out the equation.  As a matter of necessity, we must embrace honesty, professionalism and accountability. The GREED OF THE ELITE which causes our complicity with misrule must be expunged with the disdain it deserves.

“For God and my Country”

Long Live Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.