By Mulengera Reporters
At her 77th birthday thanksgiving event that was held at Migera UWESO Secondary School in Nakasongola on Sunday, First Lady Janet Museveni deliberately addressed the problem of corruption which she said had grown into a “cancer that will decimate our homeland,” if its not decisively tackled on good time.
Janet made reference to the holy scriptures in Jeremiah 17:11 and John 2:15-17 to respectively castigate public officials who steal public funds in Kampala in order to build opulent mansions and plush infrastructure projects in their home districts upcountry, and to also incite the youths to enthusiastically embrace her anti-corruption movement that will be fashioned along the Uganda Youth Forum (UYF) model which she used in the 1990s to rally millions of Ugandan youths into the fight that resulted into rolling back and gradual annihilation of HIV-Aids.
Through the UYF, the young people were sensitized about Uganda’s ABC strategy which emphasized messaging around Abstinence, Being faithful to one’s partner and Condom use for those who were unable to adhere to the first two. Several speakers, including her husband YK Museveni, daughter Patience Rwabwogo and best friend Mrs. Sheba Rukikaire, gave testimonies corroborating that without Janet intervening the way she did through the UYF, thousands of Ugandans youths would have contracted HIV-Aids and gone on to lose their lives.
In her speech, an emotionally charged Janet said she was confident that the God who enabled her have so much impact through UYF at the time Uganda was battling Aids, is still ‘gracious’ to her enough to bless her new fight against corruption which she said is much easier to fight than HIV-Aids was. She said all she needs is getting as many young people on board as is possible and the corrupt will then be identified and decisively crashed.
She said she is sure of victory because the corrupt (whose dirty dealings she seemed to know much about) are already a cursed lot whose mischievous conduct has already caused their children and grandchildren to be condemned.
She demonstrated her intolerance towards those who pretend to be Christians and yet proceed to use that same cover to engage in corrupt acts which are clearly anti-Christ. She also rejected the wisdom that corruption is an African way of life and instead vowed to obliterate the corrupt in a manner that will set a standard and become a model to be emulated by other African countries struggling to stamp out corruption.
She made reference to the fact that Uganda’s success story against HIV-Aids became a source of inspiration for the rest of the continent. She implied it’s possible the successful fight against corruption she is going to lead will result into another Ugandan success story to be emulated and benchmarked upon by the rest of Africa.
Besides Dr. James Magara, the very eloquent dentist who chairs the UYF currently officed at Kololo, Janet made it clear that a lot of young people are sick and tired of corruption and will naturally embrace her crusade against the same. All these young people require, is empowerment and a formal platform mandating them to push back against the corrupt public officials.
She then proceeded to name some of the public-spirited persons she will be counting on because of the clear commitment they have previously demonstrated working with her on similar causes. These include the much-revered Bishop Joshua Lwere and Vision Group Editor-in-Chief Babra Kaija. She said these two have previously worked with her and effectively demonstrated enthusiasm while executing Emerging Leaders Forum-related errands. ULF unites young leaders at the University level and has a presence in all Universities of Uganda. Through this Forum, Janet is sure of reaching hundreds of thousands of energetic youths scattered in the different institutions of higher learning of Uganda.
She added Deputy IGG Annie Muhairwe (on whom the President heaped praises in a subsequent speech), Supreme Court Justice Mike Chibita (who actually stands high chance to become the new CJ next January when Owiny Dollo will be bowing out) and Prof Anthony Kakooza who is the President Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity and also teaches law at Makerere University.
The President’s wife said the trio has been very effective in impacting attitudes of hundreds of thousands of young people who they mentor during annual youth conventions organized under her patronage. Ms Janet added Beat Bisangwa who she said was making a lot of difference and impacting attitudes of thousands of young people and future leaders across Uganda through her Regional Youth Summits initiative.
She also took note of UCAA Deputy Director General Olive Lumonya and her personal friend Mrs. Jolly Kaguhangire both of whom she praised for contributing through an organization called Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO). Since it’s founding in 1980s, UWESO has impacted millions of vulnerable orphans and widows whose lives were disrupted as a result of HIV-Aids depriving them of their parents and spouses. She also saluted her Personal Assistant Irene Kawuma, the eloquent born-again lady from Busoga who is always the MC at Mama’s public functions.
Kawuma, an eminent worshipper at Makerere-based Deliverance Church, indeed found favour with her principal and their relations with Janet can be likened to that of Siamese twins. They have a lot of chemistry between them and this was all clear as Kawuma emceed at the Migera BD event where she cracked jokes and freely related with Janet on the microphone in a manner only her daughters would ordinarily be expected or permitted to.
Irene Kawuma declassified and playfully let out many of Janet’s personal secrets as Yoweri and Janet Museveni let out hilarious laughter while nodding in approval. She equally relates well with the Museveni daughters who equally were in attendance at Migera where eats and drinks flowed endlessly. So upbeat was the mood among guests, not even the heavy downpour that fell as the Musevenis arrived would dampen it.
There was also plenty of entertainment provided by Pastor Brian Lubega (a gospel singer), the UWESO school kids and a one David Mukisa who actually unveiled a song specially made to mark Janet’s 77th birthday. Being the First Lady’s favourite song, “Goodness of God” played endlessly as Kawuma repeatedly insisted that her principal can never have enough of it.
Overall, the praise and worship session was led by the Covenant Nations Church (CNC) choir members who came with their senior Pastor Patience Rwabwogo Museveni. She too delivered a powerful submission demonstrating why Janet is simply the best mother in the world, before leading a prayer session at the very beginning of the event for which guests began arriving as early as 10m and went on up to past 5pm.
Having run through what she called Janet’s ‘rich legacy’ that is synonymous with genuine prayerfulness, Godliness, kindness, selflessness plus touching lives of tens of thousands of youths through UYF, orphaned children & vulnerable women and widows through UWESO; and University students through the Emerging Leaders Forum, Irene Kawuma (who is also an under secretary at the Ministry of Education) proclaimed that Uganda was lucky to have such a First Lady. She prayed to God to make her live for as long as the biblical Joseph or Moses who respectively lived for 110 and 120 years-so that she continues using her God-given gifts to be able to impact many more people.
Alot of referencing was made to the book of Nehemiah (2:17b about the need to rebuild the corruption-broken nation so that it doesn’t become a disgrace), Psalms 92 (about long life) and Proverbs 31 which is about a ‘virtuous wife’ who a clearly enchanted Gen YK Museveni described his Janet Kataha to have been in the last 52 years they have lived as husband and wife.
Deputy IGG Annie Muhairwe, a blue-eyed girl of both the President and First Lady, took the second reading which basically was the entire Proverbs chapter 31. She kept smuggling in the names Yoweri and Janet Museveni to drive the point home, which made the First Couple laugh uncontrollably and generally lightened up the mood at the event which was attended by a few carefully selected Ministers, MPs, business community representatives, Judicial officers, security chiefs and a delegation from Buganda Kingdom that comprised of Kabaka’s young brother Prince David Wasajja, his wife Marion and Minister Daudi Mpanga whose mum Joyce Mpanga was UWESO CEO more than 25 years ago.
