More Heroes To Be Hounoured Sunday

ABOUT 100 Ugandans who contributed to various struggles in the country are to be formally recognised on Sunday during the 13th Heroes Day celebrations, presidency minister Prof. Gilbert Bukenya said on Friday, reports Hamis Kaheru.“This time we shall put emphasis on recognising all those who have made sacrifices in different struggles,” Bukenya said.He said this year’s anniversary would be different from the previous ones where those recognised were mainly part of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) struggle. President Yoweri Museveni is to preside over the celebrations at Kololo Airstrip in Kampala. “The recognition will be across the board, not specific to a particular struggle. Those to be recognised include pre-independence strugglists because there are people who sacrificed a lot so that we could have independence,” he said. “We shall also recognise those who participated in struggles against dictatorship. The NRM struggle has been the climax of the struggles but previous strugglists should also be honoured,” he said. Bukenya could not cite names of those to be recognised, saying a committee was still working on the list. “They are about 100 and this is a cumulative figure which includes even those who have died,” he said. Bukenya said besides issuing medals, government officials would also visit families of the strugglists to assess their living condition. “A medal is good but supplementing the family is also good,” he said. Bukenya said no foreign guests were invited to the celebrations because “we would like the heroes to be the guests.” He said the recognition would continue but the theme would change from armed struggles to recognising those who have contributed in other fields like the economy.Ends