By Ambassador Henry Mayega
One of the best performing national institutions Uganda’s finest President, Yoweri Museveni, has nurtured perfectly well is the UPDF; why? Because it’s non-parasitic, has fabulously safeguarded our national borders in a sea of regional insecurities and exuded the highest level of professionalism compared to the immediate post colonial armies the British colonizers left here and their oppressive and repressive splinter hordes that repressed nationals with impunity.
Just recently, the UPDF’s Engineering Brigade (UEB) refurbished Mandela National Stadium at Namboole, Wakiso District. That UPDF’s feat wasn’t without political rapids however; supported by some local politicians with a cognitive deficit, folks were made to grossly encroach on that land yet the gallant UPDF officers, through persuasion, recovered over 120 acres of the land from interlopers who had moreover created false graveyards as a way of laying claim on public land. And Ugandans should remember that this was happening the second time; before the initial construction of Mandela National Stadium folks had dug such graves and in them were banana stems!
Fortunately, the facility has been fully restored by the UEB for public use. These are actions that speak to President Yoweri Museveni’s dexterity in the way he conducts public affairs and by extension, the unsung heroism of the UPDF which continues to be radiated through the institution’s actions.
Many, especially from the opposition, are always quick to de-calibrate the UPDF’s contribution to our national wellness and stability. For instance, some less sagacious amongst the opposition have shouted in western capitals so that some of our gallant soldiers are sanctioned – NUP tribalistic oligarchs have been the worst at doing those things.
Elsewhere, the UEB has foot-printed itself at: Firstly, Entebbe Airport – where a multi billion extension of the facility has afforded us ultramodern appearance in both capacity and content; it should be noted that, for decades that airport had neither seen any such expansion nor modern tech being used, save for the renovations that severally occurred there over the years. No wonder of recent our international airport has experienced the biggest surge in arrivals and transits not comparable to the past’s paltry numbers.
Most recently we had back-to-back international meetings amongst others the Common Wealth Speakers Conference, NAM, G77+China conference and IGAD that burgeoned arrivals to unprecedented levels. And the pre-1986 insecurities had adversely affected all manner of national sectors including arrivals and transits through Uganda.
The renaissance, therefore, of such sectors is good for our country’s wellness and global standing forget about the sanctioning west that seems to target us because of the anti-sodomy law that we enacted recently. What the hell should someone teach us how to legislate.
Secondly, the UEB, just recently, completed Makerere University’s perimeter wall; the construction of that barricade had eluded Uganda’s prime institution for a while thanks to VC Barnabas Nawangwe’s administration that oversaw the actualization of that project. Goons from the university’s neighborhood would access the institution through its porous boundary to steal, rape, trespass and idle in the campus with reckless abandon. There were also cases of some fraudsters who made several attempts to encroach on university land but have now been stopped in their tracks.
The perimeter wall has secured Uganda’s oldest university from those and other ignominious and mortifying occurrences.
Thirdly, some years back, the UEB constructed the Kololo Airstrip pavilion; that changed the face of that aerodrome. Currently, several national events are held at the facility including Uganda’s national day celebrations of every October 9. With hundreds seating capacity, the facility has been particularly instrumental in adding to the number.
Amb. Henry Mayega
Consul General
Uganda Consulate General
Dubai, UAE
