Uganda’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire, has lauded the relations between Kampala and Havana.
Otafiire was speaking at a dinner organised to celebrate 48 years of Uganda – Cuba relations in Mbuya. It was hosted by Cuba’s Ambassador to Uganda H.E Tania Perez Xiques at her residence.
“Cuba stood with us as a friend in need when we had nobody standing besides us. When we came here in 1986, the first person to stand with us other than Mwalimu Nyerere, was the Republic of Cuba,” Otafiire said to cheers from guests who attended the event.
He added, “If nothing else has happened between us and Cuba, I can simply say, thank you for helping us survive. Because the first medicine we had was from Cuba.”
“Tell the people of Cuba we shall be eternally grateful for that first handshake and holding our and making us survive these 37 or so years, because without you, I don’t know what would have happened,” Otafiire told the ambassador of Cuba.
Kampala and Havana enjoy warm relations. A sizeable number of Ugandans have graduated from Cuba’s world class medical institutions.
Former Cuban leader El Comandante Fidel Castro, together with President Yoweri Museveni, helped inspire the establishment of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Tuesday’s event was attended by a host of diplomats, Ugandan officials including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine and lawmaker Jimmy Akena who also doubles as President of the Uganda Peoples Congress. The chairman of the Pan Africa Movement, Daniel Rugarama and Newton Balenzi, an administrator in the body were also present.
Otafiire used the occasion to challenge the United States of America to stop bullying Cuba.
“….you Americans, why don’t you also stop bullying the people of Cuba…,” Otafiire said.
The US maintains an unjust economic blockade on Cuba that has been on for the last 60 years. However, over the years majority countries have voted against it in the United Nations General Assembly.