NALI, a cradle of ideological awakening

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OPINION

By Hellen Seku

The National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi stands as a powerful symbol of Uganda’s enduring journey towards empowerment, self-reliance and national prosperity.

Like a compass navigating turbulent waters, NALI has guided generations of leaders through the ideological principles enshrined in the 1995 Constitution, particularly Article 1, which upholds the sovereignty of the people.

More than just an educational institution, NALI is a cornerstone of Uganda’s historical, present and future identity.

It is not merely a national and ideological school. It is a continuation of the critical debates on Uganda’s and Africa’s post-independence trajectory. These debates gained momentum soon after independence and questioned the ideological clarity and commitment of the leaders who inherited power.

At its founding, NALI was born out of the realisation that Uganda’s political independence, and that of other African nations, would remain incomplete without deeper Pan African integration. This integration was viewed as essential for both strategic security and economic prosperity, two intertwined objectives that could not be achieved in isolation.

Yet, in the years following independence, many African leaders failed to act on the vision of unity and transformation.

In countries like Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria, post-colonial armed forces often remained aligned with colonial-era interests, lacking the ideological orientation to serve their people. These forces were not equipped to address the genuine needs and aspirations of Africans.

The failure of leadership in Uganda eventually led to the rise of Idi Amin’s dictatorship. In response, the Front for National Salvation (FRONASA) was formed, an armed liberation movement that allied with progressive regional partners, including the Tanzanian people under the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and the FRELIMO movement in Mozambique.

Together, they played a pivotal role in deposing Amin’s brutal regime. However, the transitional government that followed was soon co-opted by elements that had supported Amin’s dictatorship, requiring a renewed commitment to liberation.

These circumstances catalysed the formation of the National Resistance Army (NRA) and later the National Resistance Movement (NRM), both rooted in a clearly defined ideology prioritising Uganda’s interests. This ideology inspired a broad-based, protracted people’s armed struggle, culminating in the NRA’s victory and the assumption of power on January 26, 1986. From that point, Uganda’s fragmented armed forces were restructured into a unified, people-centred army, the NRA, later renamed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) under the 1995 Constitution.

NALI reflects and continues the ideological dialogue that began in the 1960s among student groups at institutions like Ntare School and Busoga College Mwiri, among others.

These early discussions evolved into broader revolutionary movements, including the University Students’ Revolutionary Front, and influenced the formation of FRONASA, NRA and NRM.

The institute today remains a platform for addressing core national questions: Who holds power? To whom does it belong? What is democracy? Who defines Uganda’s destiny?

At the helm of this ideological mission is President H.E. Gen. (rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the chancellor of NALI, also a founding participant in the ideological discussions of the 1960s.

He continues to teach and engage Ugandans in defining this generation’s historical mission, strategically outlined in Uganda Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan.

NALI has nurtured the ideological foundations of Uganda’s transformation, from its early study groups during the liberation struggle to the drafting of the Ten-Point Programme in 1983.

This programme laid the groundwork for the four core ideological principles that continue to guide Uganda’s development: patriotism, pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy.

In conclusion, NALI is the institutional embodiment of a long-standing national and continental debate. It reinforces the ideological clarity needed to achieve Vision 2040, unifying African people, ensuring prosperity and securing strategic interests.

These three interconnected goals form the bedrock of our historical mission. It is, therefore, incorrect to claim that NALI merely indoctrinates citizens in support of the NRM.

Instead, it cultivates a national mindset rooted in ideological clarity, without which our vision would falter and our national direction would be compromised.

The writer is the commissioner, National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC), State House