The Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, Richard Todwong, has called on student leaders to denounce sectarianism, tribalism, and religious divisions.
He highlighted that genuine leadership involves serving the nation impartially.
“As young leaders, once you hear of a leader speaking about sectarianis, tribalism, religion lines, that one is not a leader. Be yourself, build yourself, volunteer in the party, do some mobilisation in your village, it may look small but you will be picked by the party at a right time,” noted Todwong
Addressing student leaders from higher institutions of learning gathered at Nkumba University for a two-week patriotism training, Todwong stressed the importance of self-awareness, mentorship, and personal growth in effective leadership.
“Seek serious mentorship, build yourself so that you get the capacity to handle the hardships faced by your community,” he advised.
He said, NRM has a commitment to fostering a culture of patriotism and national unity among Ugandan youth, the reason why such trainings like these are organised to the benefit their age group.
Todwong also emphasized that all leaders need to transcend sectarian interests for the sake of national interest.
He highlighted that the NRM has fostered a sense of national identity, transcending ethnic and regional divisions.
This, he said has promoted national unity, recognizing Uganda’s diversity as a strength rather than a weakness.
“As the ruling party, the NRM has implemented patriotism training programs, targeting youth, student leaders, and other groups programs which he says “aim to instill national pride and responsibility, encouraging individuals to contribute positively to Uganda’s development,” he noted.
He stressed the importance of emphasizing Ugandan values such as hard work, resilience, and community service values are essential in shaping a patriotic and productive citizenry.
“For those of you who are interested in joining politics, I would like to advise you to go slow, understand your point of entry very well because we have seen young people like you joining Parliament straight from the university but if they are lucky, they are elected for two terms,” he added.
“However, I have come to mentor you to be total leaders not one off leaders. Go back to your places of origin, understand their levels of production and why they are still poor, use your knowledge as a graduate, all of us started like that,” Todwong noted.
He also stressed that NRM has has promoted economic nationalism, through encouraging Ugandans to support local businesses and industries, an approach that has stimulate economic growth, reduced reliance on foreign aid, and promoted self-sufficiency.
The training program is part of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps’ mission which is to inculcate values and norms of patriotism in students and youth of Uganda in order to develop resourceful, responsible, disciplined and resilient citizens who are loyal and ready to defend and transform Uganda.
The Chief Patron and President of Uganda H.E Yoweri Museveni and First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni will officially close the training on January 17, 2025.
