BABIRYE MILLY BABALANDA: Natasha joins revolutionary ranks through film

There is a part in President Yoweri Museveni’s book chronicling his revolutionary journey where he tells of when he visited his family in Sweden after nine years crisscrossing East Africa during his struggles. When he arrived at the apartment where Maama Janet stayed with the children, it was Natasha (Karugire) who opened for him, then she quickly went to Maama Janet and told her: “there is a man at the door.” She couldn’t recognise her own father. This is the sacrifice that “some among us” had to pay for a free country.

It’s on that note that i wish to congratulate Natasha upon this great milestone of launching a documentary on Uganda’s revolutionary struggles which she named: “Those From Among Us”. 

The documentary was launched on July 27 in Kampala, intended to immoratlise the story of our heros. By putting the story in a form that is modern and easier to consume, Natasha has established herself among the revolutionaries we have among us. Even though she wasn’t in the bush fighting, enduring the absence of her father for long, together with her siblings, is a worthy contribution. To see that she came up with this idea alone means a lot. 

There are many people who have come up with great ideas such as this one, but fail to put it to reality. Natasha has stood out as an innovative, creative and action-oriented person, with a purpose in life.

I have seen many children of great leaders failing to shine in things that matter to society and they instead opt to waste their lives in worthless matters of leisure and merry making which do not contribute anything to the legacy of their parents. 

Indeed, some of these leaders have died and together with their names, their families and legacy; they completely ceased and disappeared.

I wish to thank the children of President Museveni (Natasha, Gen. Muhoozi, Patience Rwabwogo and Diana) for not shaming him. As a statesman who is admired internationally, people are yearning to meet with his children and see them making their own contribution in their unique way of keeping the revolution alive. Natasha has proved that she is worth meeting and a true child of a combatant.

With this film, what she has done will remain in the footprints of Uganda for years, decades and centuries to come. This documentary will be watched by generations of Ugandans. I urge our people to embrace it.

Let us use it to change the mindsets of our people about the history of their country. Let us use it to recognize the efforts of our living and dead heroes and fighters. Let us use it to change the perceptions of some of our revisionist leaders and use it to inspire our young leaders who are taking up leadership positions and roles in this country. It is important that our new generations do not take the freedom, the rule of law and the stability that we now enjoy, for granted. 

Indeed, I have been lately reading about the turmoil in the political parties where the members are at each other’s necks. If the political actors watch this documentary, they will come to appreciate and realise that we need to protect our hard-won peace and that their actions may slide us back into the chaos of the past. Freedom is not easy to achieve and even sustain; yet it is very easy to destroy. 

Our young people need to watch this documentary as a way of building patriotic mindsets that can defend and protect the bigger interests of their country. 

I wish to finally state that in my speech during Liberation Day celebrations this year at Kasaala in Luweero district, I did mention that this project can as well be expanded beyond the FRONASA fighters to embrace the entire liberation struggle of over 

50 years in which President Museveni featured. This covers the period in the 1960s when he was an activist in High School; in the 1970s when he and his friends fought Idi Amin and in the 1980s when he took on the Milton Obote regime. 

If we put these together, it will help to build a complete picture of the struggle to liberate Uganda and for the people of Uganda to love their country more and understand their history better. 

This over 50-year period of struggle will capture the long walk to freedom and depict the other unknown credentials of the statesman and freedom fighter that President Museveni is. Some of our people have made this world difficult to navigate because they do not learn from their history. Particularly, the new crop of leaders do not read our history and that is why they have little to offer in terms of keeping Uganda on a steady path and taking into the ranks of modern economies and nations with a strong footing. 

I support Ms. Natasha’s effort and I encourage and pray for her success. Some people may come out and fight this idea. And some call themselves freedom fighters; but I challenge them to appreciate the price of liberation of our motherland. 

I take the honour to thank the President and Maama Janet for supporting Natasha in this project and for sharing their revolutionary genes with her. The sky is the limit! 

God bless our motherland and the memory of our heroes!  

The author is the Minister for the Presidency