All Senior Six vacists in Uganda will undergo patriotism training at the National Leadership Institute (NALI), Kyankwanzi, under a renewed government programme aimed at promoting discipline, patriotism, national identity and responsibility among young people.
The Commissioner of the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC), Hellen Seku, said the programme will begin this year, with the vacists expected to spend about six months at Kyankwanzi.
Ms. Seku made the announcement today at Immaculate Heart Girls’ Secondary School Nyakibale in Rukungiri District, where more than 1,700 students from four institutions completed a week-long patriotism training programme.
“I can assure you, head teacher, we are going to begin this year. So, this year we agreed with Jaaja (President Museveni) that all Senior Six vacists are going to Kyankwanzi. You’re going to go for about six months,” Ms. Seku said.
She said patrons, coordinators, teachers and head teachers who have not undergone patriotism training will also be required to undertake refresher courses.
“All patrons and coordinators are going to do a refresher course, including teachers and head teachers who have not yet trained, even those who have taken long. We want everybody to undergo the training,” she said.
The announcement marks a revival of a programme that previously brought students and other Ugandans together at Kyankwanzi for ideological and patriotism training.
One of the head teachers who attended the event, Gadgar Kibayo Arinitwe of Makobore High School, recalled undergoing a similar programme at Kyankwanzi in 1993 after completing Senior Six.
He said the lessons acquired during the training continued to influence his outlook on life decades later.
“We were at Kyankwanzi for two months, but I must confess that the values we acquired then have kept shaping our outlook on life,” Mr. Kibayo said.
He recalled being taught what he described as the “10 Commandments of a gun”, including a rule against taking alcohol while in possession of a rifle.
The students who completed the programme were drawn from Immaculate Heart Girls’ Secondary School Nyakibale, Karoli Lwanga Institute of Health Sciences, Kinyasano Girls’ High School and Makobore High School.
They underwent ideology sessions facilitated by various trainers, alongside early morning drills and parades.
According to Ms. Seku, the training is intended to inculcate good norms and values among learners while extending patriotism education beyond schools to other sections of society.
She said the NSPC had also been mandated to reach students in higher institutions of learning and young people working in the informal sector.
“That’s what we are doing here, and we want to thank His Excellency once again, for he has now given us the mandate to go to higher institutions, to go to all the youth in the informal sector. That’s why you saw us taking boda boda men to Kaweweta for training,” Ms. Seku said.
She also cited the training of Ugandans returning from South Africa as part of the wider effort to expose citizens to ideological and patriotism training.
“So, we want every Ugandan to get a dose of ideology. This is the time when this country needs an ideological direction for everybody,” she said.
Ms. Seku also thanked the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for supporting the programme by providing instructors whenever requested.
“We want to thank the CDF because every time we write to him asking for instructors from a certain region, he is always quick to respond,” she said.
Patriotism as a national responsibility:
Ms. Seku told the students that patriotism should be viewed as a responsibility of every Ugandan.
“Patriotism is a calling for all Ugandans. When you read our Constitution, Article 17, Clause 2, says every Ugandan shall undergo patriotism training, and the Government shall ensure that such facilities are provided,” she said.
She urged the students to protect the country, work hard and maintain discipline as they pursue their education and prepare for employment.
“You must work hard. That’s why you are in school: to begin working hard. Working hard begins with you in school,” she said.
Ms. Seku also challenged health workers and teachers to regard their professions as forms of patriotic service.
Addressing nurses and medical students, she urged them to serve patients with integrity and respect, saying their responsibility should go beyond treating diseases.
“You shouldn’t only be doctors and nurses of diseases, but even ideology. Handle clients very well,” she said.
She described teaching and military service as professions that require sacrifice and service to others.
“Teaching is a patriotic calling,” Ms. Seku said.
Students cite discipline, Kiswahili and resilience:
In a memorandum presented on behalf of the participating students by Mercy Okuyangabire, Speaker of the Students’ Council at Immaculate Heart Girls’ School Nyakibale, the learners said the programme had taught them to become more responsible, disciplined and patriotic citizens.
Okuyangabire said bringing students from different institutions together had also enabled them to build friendships, exchange experiences and appreciate their shared responsibility towards Uganda’s development.
The students said they benefited from practical sessions, mentorship, ideological discussions, drills and interactions with facilitators.
They also highlighted the use of Kiswahili during parades and army songs as one of the notable aspects of the programme.
“Initially, Kiswahili would stop in classes, but now we get to use the Kiswahili language out of class, and it has helped us to understand very well,” Okuyangabire said.
The students said they had also gained knowledge about Uganda’s history, survival skills, resilience and perseverance.
They said the early morning drills, sometimes conducted in difficult weather conditions, helped them develop physical and mental fitness.
The programme also covered environmental protection, entrepreneurship and integrity.
“We were sensitised on environmental protection and preservation. We were guided on being job creators, not just job seekers. We also learned about living lives of integrity, doing the right thing even when no one is watching,” Okuyangabire said.
The patriotism training covered security and ideological patriotism, national identity, discipline, HIV/AIDS awareness, transformative discipline, Pan-Africanism, patriotism and political history.
Other areas included citizenship under Article Nine and patriotism cooperatives.
The programme was facilitated by senior officers from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), including Brig Gen Justus Rukundo, professional lecturers and NSPC coordinators under the State House.
Among the NSPC officials involved was Capt Richard Owaruhanga, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of training.
The Regional Coordinator for Patriotism in Kigezi, Richard Ndyamuhaki, challenged the students to demonstrate the values acquired during the training in their families and communities.
“What I expect from the participants is that, from what you have undergone, we should see a positive change in your families, in your community, in society, and also in Uganda in general,” he said.
He urged the students to demonstrate love, unity and service.
Teachers welcome programme:
The head teacher of Immaculate Heart Girls’ School Nyakibale, Sr Tumusiime Sabino, welcomed the programme, saying it would help learners develop a sense of love for their country and prepare them to confront challenges, including unemployment.
She also praised the decision to bring together students from different institutions for joint training.
Monica Kobusingye, the Deputy Principal of Karoli Lwanga Institute of Health Sciences, said the training should be extended to more students and institutions.
She described the programme as a milestone in nurturing responsible citizenship and urged the students to uphold integrity, discipline and unity.
“A person who holds integrity will not destroy their nation. So, we expect integrity from our health workers,” Ms. Kobusingye said.
She urged the trainees to carry the values acquired during the programme into their professional lives, particularly in the health sector.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Rukungiri, Wilberforce Ongom Ahimbisibwe, who was among the facilitators, emphasised discipline as a critical ingredient for success.
He told the students that academic qualifications alone were not sufficient without discipline, respect and good character.
He also urged them to reject corruption and bribery, saying the practices undermine service delivery.
“As young patriots, make sure you desist from corruption,” Mr. Ongom said.
He further urged the students to participate in environmental protection, including discouraging the use and cultivation of wetlands.
“As a patriot, go and tell your parents that using a wetland is wrong,” he said.
The students said they would carry the lessons learnt during the training into their schools, families and communities.