State Minister for Karamoja, Janet Museveni a huge hit in Chicago
On her first international foray as Minister of State for Karamoja, First Lady Janet Museveni thrilled UNAA Chicago delegates Saturday afternoon with a polished performance that got a standing ovation from an overflowing, standing-room only crowd. Cool,
By Opiyo Oloya
On her first international foray as Minister of State for Karamoja, First Lady Janet Museveni thrilled UNAA Chicago delegates Saturday afternoon with a polished performance that got a standing ovation from an overflowing, standing-room only crowd. Cool, calm and poised, Hon. Museveni weathered what had threatened to turn into a raucous question period into a decidedly brilliant demonstration of her political smarts. She determinedly addressed issues of corruption, tackled the question of why the UPDF had taken twenty years fighting the LRA, and waded calmly into term limits.
Hon. Museveni was the keynote speaker at the UNAA’s Northern Uganda Forum chaired by Dr. Ben Omara Abe from Seattle, Washington. The event began shortly after two o’clock with delegates rushing through lunch in order to hear the minister address the issues of development in Karamoja. With all the chairs occupied, expectant delegates crowded the back of the room and the doorways.
When the minister finally walked into the room, the crowd cheered and ululated. Soon, though, Hon. Museveni took the podium to address the best attended Northern Forum since its inception more than a decade and half ago. She greeted all the delegates and brought greeting from Uganda. “By God’s grace, there is now peace and stability in all parts of Ugandaâ€, she announced to loud applause. However, the First Lady was quick to point out that the real work had just begun in helping to rebuild the war affected regions. She pointed to Uganda Women’s effort to save orphans (UWESO) as an example of what a Ugandan made solution could do to change lives. In this case, UWESO empowered women to do for themselves what others could not do for them. “The degree of hope your country has in you means that no Ugandan should be left out of the effort to rebuild Ugandaâ€, she said amidst cheers. She urged delegates to invest whatever they could to help those at home with small scale projects that do not cost a lot of money.
The other panelists included Opiyo Oloya (Toronto), Dr. George Otto (Toronto), and Rosette Serwanga (Boston). Oloya called for robust salaries and benefits for northern Uganda teachers in order to attract and retain the best educators from all over Uganda. Dr. Otto spoke about the slight improvement in the health of population, but argued that there is still more than needed to be done in order to eliminate preventable deaths.
The main attraction though was the address by Hon. Museveni. The minister displayed her political savvy in the question and answer session. Eager delegates soon became loud and seemed to become unruly as the minister answered a question. To the question of UPDF prolonged campaign against the LRA, the minister answered by asking the question, “How come, the United States with the best army in the world has taken so long to fight the war in Iraq?†she asked to loud applause. But the First Lady reserved best for last when she decided to take on the issue of term limits. Coolly without missing a beat, she said she was happy to answer the question. “I believe that question was meant for my husband, and I will be happy to take the message to himâ€, she said as the audience lept to its feet in standing ovation.
The session however had one surprise. The room went silent when Mr. Charlie Lakony of San Diego took to the microphone to protest his innocence as a participant of the alleged new Northern Uganda rebel movement the UPF. “I am standing here to say I do not have a PhD. Secondly, I am not a rebel of the UPFâ€, said Lakony to a huge applause from the audience.
The forum was also attended by Uganda Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, government ministers and officials.
On her first international foray as Minister of State for Karamoja, First Lady Janet Museveni thrilled UNAA Chicago delegates Saturday afternoon with a polished performance that got a standing ovation from an overflowing, standing-room only crowd. Cool, calm and poised, Hon. Museveni weathered what had threatened to turn into a raucous question period into a decidedly brilliant demonstration of her political smarts. She determinedly addressed issues of corruption, tackled the question of why the UPDF had taken twenty years fighting the LRA, and waded calmly into term limits.
Hon. Museveni was the keynote speaker at the UNAA’s Northern Uganda Forum chaired by Dr. Ben Omara Abe from Seattle, Washington. The event began shortly after two o’clock with delegates rushing through lunch in order to hear the minister address the issues of development in Karamoja. With all the chairs occupied, expectant delegates crowded the back of the room and the doorways.
When the minister finally walked into the room, the crowd cheered and ululated. Soon, though, Hon. Museveni took the podium to address the best attended Northern Forum since its inception more than a decade and half ago. She greeted all the delegates and brought greeting from Uganda. “By God’s grace, there is now peace and stability in all parts of Ugandaâ€, she announced to loud applause. However, the First Lady was quick to point out that the real work had just begun in helping to rebuild the war affected regions. She pointed to Uganda Women’s effort to save orphans (UWESO) as an example of what a Ugandan made solution could do to change lives. In this case, UWESO empowered women to do for themselves what others could not do for them. “The degree of hope your country has in you means that no Ugandan should be left out of the effort to rebuild Ugandaâ€, she said amidst cheers. She urged delegates to invest whatever they could to help those at home with small scale projects that do not cost a lot of money.
The other panelists included Opiyo Oloya (Toronto), Dr. George Otto (Toronto), and Rosette Serwanga (Boston). Oloya called for robust salaries and benefits for northern Uganda teachers in order to attract and retain the best educators from all over Uganda. Dr. Otto spoke about the slight improvement in the health of population, but argued that there is still more than needed to be done in order to eliminate preventable deaths.
The main attraction though was the address by Hon. Museveni. The minister displayed her political savvy in the question and answer session. Eager delegates soon became loud and seemed to become unruly as the minister answered a question. To the question of UPDF prolonged campaign against the LRA, the minister answered by asking the question, “How come, the United States with the best army in the world has taken so long to fight the war in Iraq?†she asked to loud applause. But the First Lady reserved best for last when she decided to take on the issue of term limits. Coolly without missing a beat, she said she was happy to answer the question. “I believe that question was meant for my husband, and I will be happy to take the message to himâ€, she said as the audience lept to its feet in standing ovation.
The session however had one surprise. The room went silent when Mr. Charlie Lakony of San Diego took to the microphone to protest his innocence as a participant of the alleged new Northern Uganda rebel movement the UPF. “I am standing here to say I do not have a PhD. Secondly, I am not a rebel of the UPFâ€, said Lakony to a huge applause from the audience.
The forum was also attended by Uganda Ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, government ministers and officials.