President Museveni has invited 42 heads of state across the world to come and attend his swearing ceremony scheduled for next week, 12, May 2021.
This was revealed by the Minister for Presidency Hon Esther Mbayo while addressing journalists today at Uganda Media Centre.
“His Excellency the President has extended Invitations to 42 Heads of State both from Africa and the rest of the world, and so far, 21 have confirmed attendance,” said Mbayo before adding that a total number of 4,042 have been invited to the function.
“The function will take place at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala starting at 7:00 a.m. The Swearing-In Ceremony will be very different from the usual. In other words, it will be a ‘scientific’ one i.e. we have extended invitations to few numbers of people to the tune of 4,042,” she said.
It is worth noting that in the 14th February election, president Museveni beat other contestants to retain his seat with 58.6 percent.
Museveni brushed off ten other candidates to extend his presidency to 40 years after he garnered 5,851,037 votes, representing 58.64% of the 9,978,093 valid votes.
His closest opposition challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s had a cumulative tally of 3,475,298 votes (34.83).
Below is Minister Mbayo’s Full Statement about the Swearing in Ceremony of President Museveni on May 12, 2021.
Fellow Ugandans and members of the press, on the 14″ of January 2021, Ugandans went to the Polls to exercise the right to democratically elect leaders at both the Presidential and Parliamentary levels of Governance. As the case has been in the past General Elections, several Political Parties and various groups presented their agenda promising to deliver Uganda to the “promised land”.
After a careful evaluation of these Parties’ and groups’ proposals, the majority of Ugandans once again chose to Secure their Future by returning H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to the job of President with 58.38% of all the votes cast at the Presidential level.
Article 103 (8) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (as amended) provides that, a person elected President shall assume Office within twenty-four hours after the expiration of the term of the predecessor.
Under Section 58 (2) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005, it is a requirement that, before assuming the duties of the Office of President, a person elected President shall take and subscribe the Oath of Allegiance and the Presidential Oath specified in the Fourth Schedule of the Republic of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution (as amended).
As a Standard Practice, these ceremonies invoke a lot of National Pride in which the President-Elect receives one by one the Country’s Instruments of Power, namely:
1. The Constitution
2. The National Flag
3. The Presidential Standard Flag
4. The National Anthem
5. The National Coat of Arms and,
6. The Public Seal
It is to that effect that, I take the Honour to inform you and the world over that on 12 May 2021, Uganda will hold the Swearing-In Ceremony for the President elect Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who was successfully re-elected into Office for another Term.
The President elect Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of the January 14th 2021 Presidential Elections with 58.38% by the Independent Electoral Commission of Uganda defeating the other 10 presidential candidates that participated in the Race.
The theme for the Swearing-In Ceremony is, “Securing the Future”
The function will take place at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds in Kampala starting at 7:00 a.m. The Swearing-In Ceremony will be very different from the usual.
In other words, it will be a ‘scientific’ one i.e we have extended invitations to few numbers of people to the tune of 4,042.
The logic behind limiting the usual numbers and the fanfare that characterize such functions is to be able to strictly observe the Standard Operating Procedures set out by Ministry of Health against the spread of Covid 19 pandemic.
This function is therefore strictly by invite.
The rest of the Ugandans will watch the proceedings on all our national televisions and radio Stations.
The National Organizing Committee in the Office of the President that is charged with organizing this function has put in all the necessary measures to sit our guests in such manner that there will proper social distancing of our guests at Kololo.
Those that are coming in from outside Uganda will also be catered for (observing SOPS) both in terms of transport and accommodation.
All invited guests will undergo Covid 19 tests before attending the function and all procedures of undertaking those tests will be communicated to them by the Invitation Committee that has been put in place.
The following categories of people have been invited :
1) 17 Delegates from each District
2) All members of Parliament Elect
3) All former Presidential Candidates who participated in the January 14″ General Elections.
4) All Ministers and Ministers of state
5) All CEC members
6) Members of the East African Legislative Assembly
7) A few People belonging to the Business Community
8) A few Religions leaders
9) A few Cultural leaders
10)Half list of the normal VIPs
Over and above, The National organizing Committee (NOC) is strongly guided to observe SOPs to avoid guests invited from both within the Country and those from outside Uganda the dangers of contracting Covid 19.
His Excellency the President has extended Invitations to 42 Heads of State both from Africa and the rest of the world, and so far 21 have confirmed attendance.
Elections are democratic processes by which the citizens of a country or a nation exercise their sovereignty to make major political decisions concerning the direction which they want their country to take.
They do this by electing their leaders periodically.
Under the leadership of National Resistance Movement (NRM), Uganda’s democracy has deepened and blossomed, to the extent that anyone with the necessary requisites can contest.
Since 1986 under NRM’S leadership, Uganda has held several elections, beginning with indirect elections of 1987, 1989, 1992 and progressing steadily to electing Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government leaders directly through universal adult suffrage in 1996, after the promulgation of the 1995 pro-people Constitution.
Since then, five such elections have been conducted, i.e. 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021.
The making of a pro-people Constitution in 1995 by the people themselves, was a big and strong block for building and entrenchment of the democratic system and culture of having elected leaders through regular free and fair elections at every level.
Strengthening the Independence of the Judiciary is equally another very firm block put on the Foundation for ensuring and protecting human dignity and sovereignty of Ugandans.
Ugandans should appreciate the reciprocal responsibility that accompanies their rights and freedoms.
Governance in Uganda is people-based. The nation boasts of a strong foundation with well above 500,000 elected leaders, from the bottom to the top most level. This is no mean achievement.
Ugandans are hereby charged with protecting and defending the principle of holding these elections regularly, promoting the development of multiparty dispensation, through principled and sanitized political engagement and continued recourse to courts of law in case of any serious disagreements and/or abuse of law.
Ugandans are charged with the responsibility of upholding the Constitution, the cornerstone of securing Uganda’s sustainable development.
NRM has put the country on the path of sustained growth and socio-economic transformation.
The preparations for take-off have been driven by deliberate and well-planned efforts. NRM’s goal is to transform Uganda from a peasant to a modern, industrial and prosperous society by 2040.
Uganda’s economy in 1986 was a mere US$1.5 billion. Today it Is 64 trillion shillings, which is about US$ 24 billion. In terms of size, the economy has expanded 16 times in the last 28 years.
The economy could have expanded more if it was not for the internal sabotage, we normally have to deal with, especially the delay of projects by the different power centres.
Milestones have been achieved in all sectors of our government le peace and security, health, education, infrastructure, energy development, agriculture, the oil sector, ICT, foreign cooperation etc.
Finally, Uganda is on the right trajectory. Through our collective effort, the democracy rating is rising and maturing while people’s freedoms are entrenched and safe.
Where we have fallen short in the management of our electoral process as government, we have put on all the remedies and moved forward. Indeed, no country under the sun has achieved 100% perfection of democracy.
It is always a learning process which we must perfect as we learn from our shortfalls.
For God and My Country
Hon Esther Mbayo
Minister for Presidency
MP Luuka District