Uganda celebrates National Heroes Day Today

I take this opportunity to announce this year’s National Heroes Day celebrations which will take place on Monday 9th June 2014.

The chosen venue for this year’s celebrations is Bukalamuli Catholic Parish Grounds, Kikandwa Sub county, Mityana District. 

There will be a preliminary function at Kikandwa Subcounty Headquarters where His Excellency the president will lay a wreath at the Mass Grave where hundreds of innocents civilians murdered by the UNLA soldiers were buried.

The president will be accompanied by a few VIPs. He will inspect a Guard of Honour and there will be a Gun Salute.

Thereafter, the president will proceed to Bukalamuli Catholic Parish Grounds to address the public.

The Theme for this year is:   CELEBRATING THE LIVES OF OUR NATIONAL HEROES THROUGH DEDICATED SEVIRCE TO OUR NATION.

Why do we celebrate Heroes’ day?

Giving dedicated service to one’s country is the clearest manifestation of patriotism. It is an embodiment of love, respect, appreciation of the nation’s history and the actors who shaped it.

It acknowledges the nation’s aspirations, her successes and challenges as well as her hope for the future.

The National Heroes whose lives we have been celebrating for the 25th time possessed unlimited love for this country, Uganda.

Therefore, celebrating their lives should not be a one day off event. Honest and genuine celebrating of their lives demands and calls for our recognition of the cause for their heroic deeds and the fruits of their efforts.

It calls for the Heroism that exists in you and me, however little, to follow their footsteps in serving this great nation, Uganda. Our National Heroes should be celebrated as pace-setters.

We are companions in the struggle of making Uganda a better country to live in, which was the major spirit behind their heroic deeds. It is the cardinal duty for every Ugandan therefore, to protect, develop and sustain this spirit.

Giving dedicated service to our nation can be manifested in several ways one of which is our determination and ability to uphold and defend our Nation’s Common Good.

The cardinal values espoused by the NRM government are:-

• Peace and security of Uganda and her peoples
• Sovereignty of Ugandans
• Fundamental rights and freedoms of Ugandans
• Unity among Ugandans based on unity in diversity
• Good governance based on constitutionalism and the rule of law
• Patriotism, national identity and pan-Africanism
• Fiscal and monetary discipline
• Well being of society and fulfillment of the basic needs of individuals
• Social justice and Affirmative Action
• A God- fearing nation

The NRM Government, on its part, has made commendable efforts to uphold these principles as a strategic foundation of Uganda’s development.

Take the example of security and peace: in spite of the insecurity at beginning of its reign, caused by more than ten insurgent groups, Government finally established unprecedented peace and security in the whole of the post-independence history of Uganda.

Thanks to our truly disciplined forces the UPDF, the deserving companions of our National Heroes, the whole country is peaceful and her borders secure.

As for the sovereignty of Ugandans, our 1995 Constitution which was the result of mass-based participation of Ugandans, strongly guarantees it.

”The power belongs to the people”, so stresses its first Article. The challenge for you and me is how we use this power, for instance, in voting for people into positions of leadership and responsibilities.

Hon Frank Tumwebaze MP

Minister for Presidency and Kampala Capital City Authority