President Yoweri Museveni has saluted war heroes who died fighting for the political freedom, liberation and the peace that Ugandans are enjoying today.
Speaking today during the 30th Heroes Day Anniversary celebrations at Kasanje Town Council in Wakiso District under the theme “Celebrating the Courageous Heroes that Brought the Peace and Prosperity We Are Enjoying.”
On arrival at the venue, President Museveni, who braved a downpour, paid respects to the late veteran heroes that fought for the peace and liberation of Uganda and laid a wreath on the Kasanje Town Council Monumental Site.
Kasanje is remembered as a place that turned into an operational base and barracks for the then government forces between 1980 and 1985.
Hon. Dr. Paul Kawanga Semwogerere, the then President of Democratic Party represented the area in Parliament.
The Uganda Freedom Movement rebels and the Democratic Movement considered it also as a natural haven for their activities where brutal arrests and killings of people took place.
In his remarks at Kasanje playgrounds, President Museveni said that Uganda is a land of heroes since it has just recently celebrated the Christian and Moslem heroes who died because of their faith while today the country is also celebrating war heroes.
“On this day in 1981 at a village called Kikandwa in Nakaseke, the government army came and arrested nine of our supporters and executed them without trial and legal procedure.
We have here a mass grave where we remember such people. All together in Uganda, there are 43 mass graves with a total number of 70,000 skeletons. We chose this day to salute the heroism of such people who died for Uganda to get peace,” he said.
President Museveni noted that while it was important for Uganda to celebrate heroes, it was equally important for the people of Kasanje to engage in wealth creation activities to get out of household poverty.
He advised them to copy the four-acre model farming that he had done at the Presidential Demonstration Farm in Kawumu in Luweero District.
“Infrastructural developments like roads are for everybody. A drunkard, liar and a night dancer can all use a road but wealth creation is for an individual. Your leaders should get time and tour the farm so that you copy what I am doing,” he said.
Mr. Museveni warned landlords who were evicting tenants that had stayed on their for a very long period of time to stop it.
He reiterated that the new land laws gave the people who had stayed long on the land to keep there. He told the people that landlords, who threatened them using some Army people to evacuate the land, should be reported and immediately dealt with.
The President promised to work on the Mpigi-Kasanje-Nakawuka-Kisubi road. He commended the electorate in Wakiso District for sending him MP Peter Ssematimba and MP Rose Mary Sseninde, who he works with well.
During the function the President asked the parade to play a song called ‘Kino kye kiseera kyetuyina okuwona amagombe’, to commemorate and celebrate the heroes that had fought for the country.
The President also awarded and decorated medals to 100 people in the categories of Golden Jubilee, Rwenzori Star, Masaaba Star, and Luweero Triangle to outstanding individuals, civil servants and the military for their outstanding service to the country.
Parliamentary Speaker, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, 2nd Deputy Premier, Kirunda Kivejinja, traditional leaders, Ministers, MPs, heads and representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, local and religious leaders, among others, attended the celebrations.