As we celebrate the 38th NRM/A Victory Day anniversary on Friday, 26th January, 2024, we remember with deep reflection and admiration our fellow countrymen and countrywomen, either dead or alive, who fought for a fundamental change through a protracted people’s struggle that lasted for five years under the Visionary leadership of Revolutionary Hero, and now President, H.E Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. What was their inspiration and purpose? How far or near are we from achieving what they envisaged and what remains to be done?
Understanding that would help us appreciate why it’s in order that we keep up with the culture of celebrating Liberation/Victory Day as we look back on the journey of transformation as a free nation.
This historical day gives us an opportunity as citizenry to assess our individual or group contribution to the attainment of the ideals which sparked a patriotic flame in the minds of the then youthful 27 gallant sons of Uganda to spearhead the liberation effort and lay down the famous Ten- Point Programme outlining where they wanted to country to go.
The theme for this year’s Anniversary celebrations is: “Building A Country We All Cherish”. The Theme takes cognizance of all the efforts and sacrifices made by the brave men and women to liberate Uganda from anti-people forces that had held citizens hostage during the immediate post-independence era of our Country.
The theme fits into that of the wider NRM Manifesto 2021-26 in which H.E the President and NRM Party committed to “Secure the Future of all Ugandans” over the next five years. Thus, theme for the 38th NRM/A Victory Day forms a basis to assess and report back to the wider Ugandan populace towards building a Country we all cherish and by extension, a point of reference within the region and the continent.
NRM/A has majored in securing the livelihoods and future of Ugandans by building a foundation for Pan-Africanism; Socio-Economic Transformation, Democracy and Patriotism which are the building blocks for a Uganda to be cherished by those living today and those to come in posterity.
The NRM revolution has succeeded, and will continue to hold well into the future, because the Movement deliberately laid a firm foundation and rallying point for the people of Uganda from all walks of life to join the resistance against immediate post-independence dictatorship which had disrupted Uganda’s healthy start in 1962. This was a people’s resistance, with no external base, relying entirely on popular community support, to save their country from total collapse and abuse of the dignity of human life. Everybody, apart from those who attempted to thwart the unstoppable resistance, contributed to its emergence in one way or the other.
Kindly, NRM started off by forming a broadbased Government which welcomed in its ranks non-NRM figures to serve. NRM remains open to every Ugandan to belong and contribute in nation building.
Upon coming to power, President Museveni emphatically “preached” and laid a firm foundation for reconciliation and national harmony, proving that people of differing cultural, religious and political allegiances can be called to serve under a broad-based Government in national interest. Whenever we remember and commemorate Liberation/Victory, we renew belief in that tenet as a logical method for promoting cohesion, unity, peace, development and transformation for all. All the failing countries you can name in the world are bedeviled by sectarianism and exclusionism. NRM will never pursue such ideologies which, unfortunately, some forces are attempting to drive into the picture, but they will be resisted.
Under President Museveni’s leadership, Uganda has registered tremendous steady progress in all sectors of the economy. The details of this progress can be found in the Synopsis prepared for this event and which should be widely circulated by the media, RDCs, CAOs, etc, so that H.E’s Bazzukulu can read and internalise what we are talking about.
President Museveni is a strong advocate of African unity and Integration. He is among the African statesmen increasingly credited for championing African unity and Integration. Indeed, African diplomats fondly refer to him as “the African Bismarck”. He is driven by the urgent need to permanently cure Africa’s vulnerable position in the global arena of economic and political giants.
The question is “Integrate to do what?” The answer is “to prosper and secure our collective futures.” When NRM is assuring Ugandans of continuity in a secure future, the same message is meant for all Africans. Let’s unite and work for peace, stability and rule of law, but also be able to feed our people and prosper them.
That’s why after 38 years, it is time to focus on the objective of getting everybody into the money economy. It is with this thought in mind that Government has declared an all-out war on poverty, through embracing our sense of togetherness, national identity and unity. Working together, and adopting the mindset of the Liberators, we can’t fail to change the status of our people. We have life, peace and a healthy population willing to liberate themselves from backwardness and lack in a sea of abundance of resources.
We are now in the second year of full implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), following up on Bonna Bagaggawale, OWC under NAADS, Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), Uganda Women Empowerment Programme (UWEP), etc. PDM is for all Ugandans regardless of their political belonging, ethnicity, religion. Every citizen must benefit from the NRM/A revolution as NRM remains to stand for unity in diversity as a bedrock for open Government, peace, faster transformation, shared prosperity and living well.
Long Live NRM, Long Live Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Long Live Uganda!!
Happy 38th NRM Liberation Day celebrations, Uganda!
The author is the Minister for the Presidency
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