By Norah Mutesi and Shamim Saad
The National Theatre is hosting over 25 secondary schools from central and eastern Uganda in a music dance and drama (MDD) festival to commemorate Uganda’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The MDD festival is under the theme: 50 years of Independence: The role of patriotism in pocio-economic transformation.
Speaking during the opening, security minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa said the theme enables young people to recognise that the way forward for Uganda is transformation.

He urged people to be patriotic and sacrifice for the nation like the independence veterans sacrificed for the country’s freedom.
“The development of our country is not going to come from outside Uganda, but from our sweat and blood,’’ Muruli said.

He invited all Ugandans to be part of the Kololo celebrations tomorrow and ignore camps, which plan to moan instead of jubilating.
Education minister Jessica Alupo urged the youth to embrace the ongoing tree-planting drive.