55 years on, it is possible to build our nation

Oct 09, 2017

During colonialism, we could not unite because most African countries were not free, most African leaders wanted to remain big (fishes) in small ponds.

By Stephen Asiimwe

As a nation, we have made quite some progress in various fields of endeavour over the last 55 years of Independence. Uganda like any other state is a product of colonialism.

Uganda's cohabitation began in the 18th century when Queen Victoria granted the Imperial British East Africa Company a royal charter to annex British East Africa into her British overseas market, since then, Uganda and other countries on this continent are still markets for products from its masters. Let us embrace the theme of this year's Independence celebrations (Uganda's freedom must be anchored on the spirit of hard work, resilience and commitment)

Therefore, as we celebrate Independence, we must recall the flamers of 1995 Constitution. National objective and directive principles of state policy most especially objective (IV)

i)The state and citizens of Uganda shall at all times defend the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda.

ii)  The state and citizens of Uganda shall endeavour to build national strength in political economic and social spheres to undue dependence on other countries and institutions, but what we see today with political class hiding or wanting us to believe that our society can keep in the hands of Neo-colonialists dressed in different gowns. Uganda should know how Italian politician Giuseppe Mazzini galvanised small tribes  into classic nation with centralised military command, religious treasury and leadership existentialism, sentimentality, loyalty to common myths, language and ethnicity must be institutionalised into state values otherwise we cannot build a nation of suspicious character.

During colonialism, we could not unite because most African countries were not free, most African leaders wanted to remain big (fishes) in small ponds as Mwalimu Julius Nyerere once said, countries like Switzerland is a voluntary unity of four ethnos based on proximity, common market and interests, America was made of Cosmopolitan individualists bound together by American dream frontrialism and the myth of manifest destiny. What Ugandans need is to join together and build a united, better and developed nation, devoid of threat and intimidation at 55 years we must respect each, debate and discuss any matter of National importance.

It is worth noting that Uganda is not the only country in the world to pass through such stages of development. The ancient nation of Israel was founded on the principle of common good, kinship and religion. Israel began as 12 Sub nations (ethnos) in 1446 BC. At first it worked as cohabitation without a central bureaucracy, standing army and treasury. It later metamorphosed and it is now one of the nations in the world you wish to emulate in terms of development.

As nation, our Constitution is about changing status quo since it was enacted and promulgated in 1995. It has given us a vision for conducting a social democratic transformation of our country. Therefore, Ugandans must take up its implementation as fundamental pillar of our patriotic duty. It will be dangerous not to remember at least today that we still have a journey but remind ourselves of where we have been and probably where we are going.

In 1908, after Church Hill had visited Uganda, he said in his book "my African journey" there is no other country in Africa like Uganda for magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life, bird, insect, reptile, beast for vast scale- Uganda is truly the "Pearl of Africa". The kingdom of Uganda is fairy tale, the scenery is different, the climate is different and most of all, the people are different from anything else where to be seen in the whole range of Africa.

Therefore, as we celebrate 55th anniversary of our Independence, it is possible to build a united strong nation since NRM has already given a foundation for social, economic transformation. As Mark Twain said, don't go around saying the world owes you a living, the world owes you nothing, and it was here first. We have an obligation and the challenge to continue building an integrated balanced, socio economic and political culture that does not exaggerate some aspects at the expense of other dimensions of national life.

Happy celebrations!

The writer is a Pan African and the RDC for Kabarole district

 

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