Recently, while addressing delegates at the launch of the Global and Uganda Human Development Report 2015 the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Easrt African Affairs Kirunda Kivejinja, castigated Ugandans who claim that ‘westerners’ have benefitted fro government ‘on account of favouritism and patronage’.
He instead told those in attendance that the westerners were hard working and were selling the fruits of their sweat to earn a decent living.
There is a lot of wisdom in Mr Kivejinja’s comments, mostly coming at a time when the country is bracing for elections next year.
It is important to note that Uganda, as constituted under the law, is a multi-lingual and multi-cultural society, whose citizens have over the years enjoyed a largely harmonious co-existence. This therefore, means that Ugandans have been able to manage their unity in diversity.
In fact it is the co-existence and ability to manage a unified diversity that is responsible for the development the country has witnessed, irrespective of the enormity or otherwise.
Indeed, at this point in our country’s history, pragmatism coupled with patriotic valour are important ingredients that will take us to the next level and any form of disruption in that positive direction should be denounced with the fierceness it deserves.
Lastly, as Ugandans we need to inculcate a sense of nationalism in our minds if we are to determine the future of our motherland Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
We have few options!
