By Mulengera Reporters
Now aged 80 years, Mzee Vincent Sekono has been many things-and has been in public life since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics and public administration from Dar es Salaam University. Having previously studied at St. Henry’s Kitovu and UCC Nakawa, Sekono was enrolled at Dar in 1967 and graduated in 1970.
He was a classmate and course mate of Gen YK Museveni whose assertiveness as a young man, he recalls, first manifested during the very first inductional/introductory lecture they attended at Dar. The man inducting them under “Introduction to Political Science,” was an American professor who made lots of positive referencing to his home country, the US, during the two hour engagement with his fresh students.
Sekono says Museveni’s keenness on global politics manifested that very day. “He came when some of us had already taken our seats infront. He chose to sit at the back. Towards the end of the lecture, the American professor asked if we had any questions. No hand went up but after a few minutes, Museveni raised his hand. I don’t remember the exact question but I recall it was a very long one as if he was giving his own lecture and he actually ended up eloquently and fearlessly contradicting everything the professor had taught us. He told him look, I’m equally knowledgeable on that subject [of America’s history] because I have been reading a lot about it.”
Sekono reminisced all this on Sunday evening while featuring on CBS’ Jjenvudde program (7-8pm) which is hosted by Omusajja wa Kabaka Birimuye Matovu. Jjevunde is the Luganda word for ‘my life story’ and it’s a platform the king of Buganda put up for such accomplished men and women to come and share their experiences in order to inspire the younger generation.
Many eminent Baganda have appeared on this program and for the next few weeks, it will be Sekono who is famous for many things-including pioneering decentralization as PS Local Government Ministry, Chairman NSSF Governing Board and also Secretary for the Electoral Commission, which delivered the 1980 general elections whose outcome Gen Museveni protested by declaring his bush war of 1981-1986.
He recalled how Museveni was always very argumentative at Dar es Salaam University and how he generally despised material things and opulent lifestyle. “After dinner, we would go to have a beer or two as young people from Uganda. He would confront us saying we are being insensitive and inconsiderate to the peasants back home in Uganda, who had sacrificed to send us to University. He would say why are you squandering peasants’ money? He one time threatened to write to the Ministry of Education in Kampala to have our scholarships to study in Dar es Salaam, cancelled.”
The other Ugandan contemporaries at Dar included Eria Kategaya, JB Kawanga, James Francis Wapakabhulo, Betty Bigombe’s future husband, Joseph Mulwanyamuli Semwogerere, Senior Counsel John Katende and others.
Sekono recalls how Museveni had a unique keenness on the activities of South Africa’s ANC, Mozambique’s Frelimo and other liberation movements which were based in Tanzania as of that time.
“Beyond the courage and eloquence with which he confronted the American professor on the very first day, he was also very political and keen at students’ politics too. We felt he was too young for the things he was discussing and seemed knowledgeable and keen at, for his age. One time JB Kawanga, who had been with him at Ntare School for HSC, told me that boy has a big future back home in our national politics. He predicted that one day, he will be President and I said how will he overcome Obote who seemed to be invincible for the Ugandan top seat as of that time? But later on, I cautioned myself and said you never know because JB Kawanga, who was telling me all this, had been with him at Ntare and knew him more than any of us.”
Sekono recalls that, whereas Museveni avoided drinking and scolded friends who did, he liked ball dancing and would occasionally join them in the evening to go out of campus to join the Tanzanian night life-and do exactly that.
