How the Bastille day came to be
Jul 14, 2017
Bastille day supplement
Bastille Day: Celebrating the event that made France a republic
The French revolution started with the storming of the Bastille prison. A few weeks later, France adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen as its constitution.
France was inspired by the American Declaration of Independence that contained the iconic statement: "Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights." The declaration ushered in a change of leadership and independence for France, with the creation of a modern French Republic.
How it all started
It was on July 14, 1789 when angry French peasants, tired of the absolute power of their king, stormed the Bastille prison east of Paris.
France, at the time, was under the rule of King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette. It was an absolute monarchy, meaning that whatever the king and queen wanted, they got.
It did not matter that the French people were starving on the streets, so long as the royal banquet tables were full. The nobles were invited to dine at the royal table or stay at the palace.
The peasants, on the other hand, were starving on the streets. Antoinette is recorded to have shouted: "If they can't afford bread, let them eat cake." This was in response to a question of what starving people should eat. Such disregard of the people's suffering only sparked more anger. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS STORY
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UGANDA ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION COMPANY LIMITED (UETCL)
Focus on agriculture, says French ambassador to Uganda
As France marks the Bastille Day, which signifies the start of the French Revolution more than 200 years ago, Umaru Kashaka spoke to the French Ambassador to Uganda, Stephanie Rivoal, on this and other issues pertaining to the Republic's relations with Uganda
What was your first impression about Uganda when you took up your posting here?
It was my first time in Uganda, but I was well aware of Africa in general. I have been to Sudan, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Liberia and many other places.
I think I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the country, climate, the potential, especially in agriculture and tourism. I was also pleasantly surprised by the people. They are easy-going. So, I think my first impressions were positive.
Tell us about the Bastille Day, what are some of the enduring memories of this day?
Exactly 228 years ago, today, ordinary French people took a bold decision to free themselves from oppression. The revolutionaries stormed the Bastille fortress, a symbol of the oppressive monarchy.
The French Revolution brought about a wind of change from down to the top in all people's mind, attitude and way of thinking.
The revolutionary spirit of the French led to the birth of a new nation, the First Republic under the motto of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", where every citizen has their place, whatever the differences in opinions, religion or race.
Unlike some other countries in Europe, such as Belgium, Sweden and the UK, which are still monarchies, France is no longer a monarchy.
There are no reminisces of the monarch in institutions. We are still into a strong president that could be symbolically speaking a monarch, but the way the institutions are working are involving the people from A to Z.
So, for us, the French, the Bastille Day is the symbol of the freedom of our country and the beginning of the Republic and the Republic, carries strong values with it.
It holds the values that we have written all over the place of equality, liberty and fraternity. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS STORY
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France injects sh1.8 trillion into projects
By Umaru Kashaka
The French Development Agency (Agence française de développement or AFD) has injected over sh1.8 trillion into Ugandan development projects during the past 20 years, with more than sh988b over the past three years.
The French ambassador to Uganda, Stephanie Rivoal, told New Vision on Tuesday that the move reflects the agency's willingness to support sustainable and inclusive development in consistency with the main priorities raised by the Government and private actors.
"When I say sustainable and inclusive, this means it should benefit all Ugandans, with the objective of promoting growth, creating jobs and reducing poverty, in addition to building resilience to climate change outbreaks and preserving natural resources for the benefit of the next generations," she says.
Rivoal says over the past years, AFD funding has been focusing on four main pillars. "First, supporting the energy sector through generation of renewable energy, extension of the national grid and regional interconnection and improved access in rural areas," she says.
Rivoal notes that Bujagali (committed in 2009) and Muzizi (works to start) hydropower plants; Hoima- Nkenda transmission line substations (works ongoing); rural electrification in 25 districts in western Uganda (works ongoing), are among the projects funded or under implementation.
The envoy says the second pillar is improving water supply and sanitation systems in urban areas, such as water treatment plants, network rehabilitation and extension, and public water points.
She says that among the projects funded or under implementation are National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Ggaba water treatment plant extension and rehabilitation (committed in January this year) and the Katosi water treatment plant and transmission main reservoirs (works to start). CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THIS STPORY
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MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT
MINISTRY OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENT
UGANDA ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPNAY LIMITED (UEGCL)