President Museveni passes-out 1,372 patriotic secondary school teachers

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President Yoweri Museveni has passed out 1,372 secondary school teachers from the Greater Mbarara and Ntungamo regions who have been undergoing a patriotism course at Ntare School, Mbarara City.

The training, which started on August 26, 2025, ran under the theme: “Transforming Teachers lives through Patriotism”.

During the pass-out ceremony, President Museveni congratulated the participants for successfully finishing their course.

According to President Museveni, the effort of patriotism, which he launched in 2009, is very crucial for the country.

He explained that it is very dangerous to have citizens, especially educated people, who don't know what is required to live a good life.

"This is why I keep saying management of a society is like medicine, where the doctor must make a diagnosis of a patient and therefore prescribe a medicine. Similarly, leaders, whatever they are, must have a correct diagnosis of a society. If they don't, that society will fail,” stated Museveni.

A release from the Presidential Press Unit states that in this address to the mammoth gathering, Museveni noted that when the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came into power, the party leaders took the trouble to know the problems affecting Uganda and how to solve them. They did this by identifying the three historical missions and coming up with the four core principles of the NRM, he revealed.

Museveni elaborated that, "the moment you become a wealth creator, you will need the four principles of the NRM. The prosperity of Ankole, Buganda, Acholi and other regions depends a lot on Uganda. That's why we were able to say that you people love Uganda, why? Because you need it for your own prosperity, hence patriotism".

During the elaborative lecture to the teachers, he added, "Patriotism is not emotional; you love because you need it for your own good. If you say you care about Ankole, but you don't care about Uganda, you are not serious because Uganda is the one which helps the Banyankore and other tribes to be prosperous.” 

President Museveni also underscored the role of Pan-Africanism in promoting external markets.

“Once you start producing, you will find that the internal market of Uganda is not enough. That's why the NRM says that you people love Uganda, but also love East Africa and Africa. That's the second principle, Pan-Africanism.

The third principle is socio-economic transformation and then democracy.”

At the same event, President Museveni explained why the government took a decision to first pay scientists better at the expense of their counterparts," he elaborated.

“We need: roads, factories, veterinary doctors, crop scientists.

Since we need these very badly, why don't we start by paying scientists a bit better so that they help us to go to another level? But when we did that, maybe we didn't explain very well, some people said that all of us must get. Now, we the little we have, if we try to give all of you at a go, then we shall not be able to go anywhere. What we need now is how to maintain that road, not poetry. It's not that we don't want to pay others well, but we have what we call urgency. That's the logic,” Museveni explained.

“I'm glad that now you seem to understand, and we are moving systematically. The Arts teachers will also be paid well. Artisan teachers should also be paid like scientists. I will sort that out because artisans are scientists," the President assured the audience and nation at large.

According to the PPU release, Museveni also assured his audience that he will investigate reported bribes from people yearning to get the teachers onto the payroll.

For personal income, President Museveni tasked the teachers to create wealth through the four sectors of the economy, which include commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services and ICT.

On her part, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Museveni, congratulated the participants for successfully completing a life-impacting training.

“I believe it will transform our schools and above all restart the lives of the participants, the teachers themselves,” she said.

Mrs. Museveni commended Hellen Seku and the entire National Patriotism Secretariat for what she described as "job well done by keeping the fire of patriotism burning in the hearts of our young people and now reaching out to touch the teaching service itself.”

In her report, the minister also reemphasised the importance of the Education sector, saying that teachers are a critical asset in the country because they impart the value of patriotism in the minds and hearts of the young people.

“The time a teacher spends in the life of a child or young person is valuable in moulding what it means to love one's country. This love for one's country is demonstrated when citizens put the interest of their country before the pursuit of personal interests,” Maama Janet noted.

Emphasising the importance of the course, the First Lady said, the spirit of patriotism challenges the citizen to look at themselves as a central contributor to their nation's well-being for the common interest of all, as opposed to focusing on the pursuit of personal interests and gains.

Maama Janet, according to the release, also explained that when service, hard work and unity are passed in the interest of the common good of the people in the nation, such a society is unstoppable in whatever they set themselves to do.

“There are several examples of nations that have transformed themselves into socio-economic giants by simply pursuing ambitious goals for the nation in the best interest of the common good," she added.

On the other hand, the First Lady advocated for sacrificial service among the teachers, explaining that that's how a critical mass of people transform their society.

“It is important that we appreciate that the nations that are doing well were not always doing well. The welfare of the public service workforce was not always that good when they were still in a state of limited resources. However, they did not destroy the little they had; they preserved it and built on it to get to where they are today," she stated.

Hellen Seku, the Commissioner, National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC)-State House, reported that the Secretariat organised the training following requests from several secondary school teachers.

These people, she added, felt that they needed to undergo the training to become change agents to the students and communities around them.

She said that the objectives of the training were:

- empower teachers in promoting patriotism through role modelling

-discipline and a commitment to national cause

-ultimately developing a generation of responsible and loyal citizens

“The course objectives aimed also at developing their abilities to foster harmony and a spirit of hard work for national building and hence wealth creation as well as inculcating values and norms of patriotism among teachers,” she stated.

Commissioner Seku further lauded President Museveni and the First Lady for what she described as their "strategic guidance and leadership in the initiative.

The Head teacher of Ntare school, who is also one of the coordinators of the program, Saul Rwampororo, said the participants’ well-being during the training was fully sponsored by the National Patriotism Secretariat - State House.

“These participants have had first-hand patriotism lectures from high-level professionals and have also been trained in standard parade drills by skilled military personnel. I'm sure the quality of patriotism they have acquired is standard.”

On behalf of the trainees, Perez Assimwe, the Chairman Memorandum Committee for Trainees, appreciated the facilitators and instructors who took them through the training session, explaining that the content was broad enough and sustainable for the course theme.

“The 1,372 patriotic teachers were so cooperative and responsive to every activity that took place in this training camp,” he said.

“Your Excellency, during this training, all the trainees were able to gain knowledge on the need for the East African Integration and Pan-Africanism, patriotism and its core values, political economy, the social systems and man’s role in transformation, financial literacy, Principles of the NRM, among others.”

Asiimwe also thanked President Museveni for giving them an opportunity to be the first group of employees in the region to receive the patriotism training.

“We are indebted to you for enhancing science teachers’ salaries and the fruitful engagement you had with teachers of arts in regard to their salary enhancement come the 2026-2027 Financial Year. This is a real indicator that you really care for the bazzukulu,” he added.