President Yoweri Museveni’s ceaseless and patient gospel on Patriotism is beginning to show results. Patriotism is the first of the four principles of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), the others being Pan-Africanism, Socioeconomic transformation and Democracy, of which the President, again, is the chief advocate in Uganda, Africa and the world at large.
The general definition of “Patriotism” is “A feeling of love and devotion to one’s country.” It’s also known as “Nationalism”. It’s about loving Uganda and putting national unity above tribal, religious, gender or personal divisions.
In May 2024, I wrote an article predicting that Uganda’s future was very bright if the message of Patriotism as advanced by President Museveni, and for which an entire secretariat exists within the office of the President, could be enthusiastically embraced as witnessed in schools all over the country where trainings were going on.
What I didn’t foresee was that the results would come so early. Just two years later, signs are all over. We are starting to reap the fruits of Patriotism directly and subtly.
I start with schools-where much of the trainings have been taking place, added to the fact that an older and wiser President Museveni’s word is taken as gospel truth by his bazzukulu (grandchildren/genz): discipline in schools is at an all-time high. I have not heard of a strike at a school in a long time unlike in the past when it was the order of the day and teargas showers were a regular occurrence. Nothing moves the mind of a child like being taught that love for country is love for self and others. A child rich in the spirit of Patriotism stops seeing the self as separate from others no matter his or her background; stops taking school property as “nobody’s property” in particular. They also think about the impact and cost of their actions and those that would be hurt by violence.
Even when aggrieved and seeking attention to a just cause, they think about civil means to get their voice across. What Patriotism has achieved in schools and institutions of learning is invaluable. Where any strikes may happen, they are the work of the hard of hearing who, it seems, even in heaven they used to exist. The majority are converted, only needing constant reminders and strengthening and to become ministers of the same gospel. Any school that hasn’t trained its learners in Patriotism should contact the secretariat to dispatch a team there immediately.
When strikes, violence and teasing were common in schools, it was a result of the bad seed of defiance and insolence that bad politicians had sold to Ugandans as the alternative political programme. This is something that most people don’t realise. Extremist messaging targeting President Museveni and which was advanced by groups such as UYD, A4C, P10 and “people power” were never going to achieve results of regime change. The promoters knew that.
Hence, they resorted to planting poisonous ideas in the heads of young people so as to radicalise them and turn them into violent “killing machines” that had no respect for authority, including (that of) teachers and parents. Schools and institutions of learning took the heat during that time!
The aim was to grow their numbers and use them to burn and destroy public infrastructure and institutions, to make the cost of governance and untenable in the hope of seeing NRM corrupt that way. What they were doing, instead, is to cause the destruction of social service infrastructure likes roads and buildings at schools, requiring budget diversion from other critical sectors to replace what had been destroyed. Such groups have been defeated by the state and shunned by the general population repetitively at elections, which a well-packaged message calling for love of self and others and the country Uganda has refocus the minds of the learners
Even the 2026 elections were largely peaceful unlike, for example, what we witnessed in 2021, 2016 and 2006. Again, it was the seed of Patriotism sprouting. The acts of violence that arose midway during the campaigns were characteristically engineered by the same unpatriotic and poisonous groups that have only defiance and violence as their “manifesto” to why they should be elected. But the bad groups had only a few people compared to the general population of Uganda. Thus, their attempts to mislead everyone didn’t work. Instead, it’s the pro-Patriotism campaign that has worked. Thanks to Commissioner Hellen Seku, head of the Patriotism Secretariat, and her team of able cadres for deepening the campaign with dedication and conviction.
The revival of the spirit of Patriotism can also be seen from how Ugandans responded to the trade order enforcement and National Clean Days initiatives. Ugandans have embraced both of these programmes without much resistance or undue violence. The trade order, despite its benefit of clearing up public spaces that had been clogged with unplanned and illegal business premises, was a big inconvenience that saw many lose their operating spaces where they earned a living. Nevertheless, the affected have taken the inconvenience in good grace (and Patriotically) in the interest of smarter cities and organised working and living environments. Add that to the bulungibwansi of every last Saturday of the month; people willingly came out to participate in this exercise to sanitise their environments (at no cost). This is precisely Patriotism at work!
The few that have been found defying the exercise do not represent the spirit of the willing Ugandans. Bad apples are in every society but even for those, with additional sensitisation they will have no choice but to comply for the good of the community where they reside and the country at large.
The essence of Patriotism is that one small act done by a single individual for the good of society cumulatively transforms a nation, once it becomes embedded in the national ethos. Very soon, we may see the corrupt, the lazy, the treacherous, criminally-minded and those who badmouth Uganda to foreigners for a few crumbs converted and reformed. A country of 45million Patriots would be unstoppable!
Thank you, Your Excellency, for your spot-on Vision as always and for being the true personification of a role model Patriot yourself through your untiring struggles to make Uganda shine!!
The author is the Special Presidential Assistant-Press & Mobilisation/Deputy Press Secretary-State House
Email: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug
