The Burial of A Good Man

On Friday December 9th at about 09;20 GTM, I received a whatsApp message from Edson. The message came to my family group. 

Do you also have numerous whatsApp groups like me? I think I have about 14 or so groups that I belong on this crazy social media platform. But they don't all bother me. I have only three that I check out occasionally. The first one for my family.  My siblings and spouses belong to this and i give this my ultimate attention whenever I can. The other is one that has my friends including Wycliff . It's a small Christian fellowship aka Cell. Let me save you the other and get to the subject matter of my writing today. 

The message from Edson contained sad news. He had just received a phone call from his contemporary Karumuna  about the passing on of a good man. Karumuna did the right thing to call Edson. Karumuna is a young but strong saul. At the time of death, and the death of a loved one, memory runs to who should be informed. its the other loved ones that will come to mind. those one feels ought to know about the emotional moment. those who would otherwise otherwise would share a feast if it was good news. so Karumuna was right. Edson had to know. the two men (now) went to the same class at Primary School. They formed a friendship while still young.

Friendship is a good thing but childhood friendship is better. It is full of love! And as they say, love like rain, does not choose on which grass it falls. Childhood friendships share the most of love. I will one day write about my childhood friend. Pray for me so that I remember to do so soon. 

But let give you a snapshot about our childhood friendships. Just a snapshot! Whenever we made friends, we ate food at their home, almost as often as we ate at ours. Their homes were our homes. Somehow, our parents recognised our friendships and approved of them. Somehow, all our siblings became friends of our friends and our families became friends. In instances where our parents were just acquaintances, our friendships made them friends. so our parents would also start visiting each other.
But let me tell you why I wrote today. I wrote to tell you about the burial of a good man. The good man Mzee Eric Kyonyo was a grandfather to karumuna. This man had his house near the staff quaters of the NTC Kakoba.  The NTC is now transformed into a University. The man I am talking about was not just a neighbour to the now University but a key stakeholder. 

My fondest memories of him were at our church. He had to say something at every sunday service. he spent a long period of time as the head of laity. The small Chapel still stands. it's the chapel of the Good Shepherd in kakoba. he had a specific spot where he sat at church with his also now gone wife. They were both very humble souls. occasionally, he preached. When he preached about love, he shed a tie. He was passionate about the subject of love. love for everyone. If there is anything I remember from his many sermones is the appeal to love and love more. His house was bellow the hills. 

I also remember his visit to our home. At one of the visits, he promised my father that he would supply our family with milk for breakfast. And so we received Milk from him every morning. One of his daughters would bring us the milk on her way to work. So we had his milk. the other part of the story is long. I will not say much about it. It's about his way with us as children. Whenever he visited home, we escorted him to his home. He would listen to us. He would tell us about the importance of studying hard, the importance of respecting our teachers. At his home, he would sit us down and pray for us and then we would run back home. He was was a man of strong faith. I think he would sing any  runyankole/rukiga hymn without aid of relics. 

Now, that is when we were young! Time flies, we felt e had grown up and are no longer children. The good man new this. as is in the Bible , he "talked to us as though we were infants".... He still emphasized the importance of hard work, the importance of friendship, the importance saving, the importance of faith and hope. I worked at Office in the same place I stayed as a young boy. He often called at my office and wished me well. He was a store of wisdom and this I knew from childhood. So I wasted no opportunity. I gathered as much everytime we met.  He knew a lot about the land demarcations. a lot about the importance of Land as a capital of production. A Lot about God. So I tapped. Pray for me I become practical with all this I have.  

But so he died. And like many other, the killer Cancer took him. He went at 75 years of age. Don't say he was old. Not at all. let me tell you, you may follow an elephant days after its passing by! Mzee Kyonyo is not one to forget fast. he left stamps along his path.

So I nearly missed attending the vigil on my Friday of Travel. this was because two reasons. I had to attend the Uganda Child Cancer Foundation  inaugural Childhood Cancer Conference at King's College Buddo. So I tended part of it. I liked their 3C approach. Then I had to drive a long Masaka road and the days of Fika Salama. Apparently I was not stopped at any of the many Police Stops along the way. By the way they use small generators for light at night. I could hear their buzz in the forests.   

But wait, I had an encounter that you may find interesting. I drove part of the long route with two boys. They were about 15 and 17. They had received a phone call that thier mother was badly off and so they had to run back home. She had been bed ridden for about 2 years. Now, in our culture, when you receive such a call from home, you prepare for eventualities. i mean the worst news. It could be that...but they caller just wants you get home and get the bad news first had. I dropped them of at Mbirizi after Masaka. God bless their souls.

In Mbarara, I found an old man holding a mat waiting at Kamoomo stage. I enjoy it when I meet an old man and we talk. I engaged him in talk. He is Nathan Mwesigwa from kyagaaju. A surveyor that has been at his profession long enough to write about it. He was at my school in 1959. The man is my OB from Chaapa. The journey was so short. apparently, he was from Kamwenge to nail a good contract. He may have had his faults but his counsel can be taken by his years of stay on earth and work. He said, avoid okuryangatanisa as you work! The man went to school with the likes of Museveni, Prof. Kamuntu, Bashasha Senior and Kekuruuso these are old lads. anyone in our community would know them.

And so we burried Mzee Kyonyo on Sunday and had community with childhood people. We reminded ourselves of all. I met Joseph  call him Namanya and Katabaazi.

I prayed for the Soul of a good man and drove my small car back to Kitendde at night. 

A weekend at the Farm

I enjoy seeing cattle! And I don't mean standing by the roadside to look at someones cattle grazing on a farm. But I do that a lot also! I enjoy being acquaintances with cattle! I like walking a log farm with their company. Whenever I am get there, they come close, perhaps to greet! so I walk around as they follow or i sit as they graze just near me! the sound of there pulling grass off the ground make me breath in and out easily! I relax, I thank God! 

Of course someone from my neighbourhood would not be amused by that. They would perhaps be surprised if I stated to the centrally. But remember, this is not every ones taste. One of friends in Kampala for example knows nothing a cow. I don’t mean she has never seen one, but she just doesn’t give it a thought to imagine herself feeding one, let alone touching one with her multicoloured fingernails. I can also imagine that any good cow would find her perfume a puzzle. 

Cows have a great sense of smell, they can tell an acquaintance by their nose! I can imagine they would detest the perfume of my Kampala friend or they may love it with time. Cows also have a great sense of hearing, they can tell an enemy by the voice. They take interactions! Cows also have a great sense of sight, I can imagine, they would detest the long bulky hair of my Kampala friend or they would love it. By the way stubborn bulls sometimes tease ladies. 

So I spent this past weekend at the farm. One of the recent addition to the farm had had a baby. A calf so resembling the mother in colour. This was good news. The bad news however is that of recent, the farm has a poor shepherd. Now, I am not sure whether omurisa wente is called a Shepherd. My friends Joseph  and Juliet with whom we share the passion of possessing these horned things ought to guide me. But to be comfortable, I will call home caretaker instead of a shepherd.

This caretaker is so poor to the extent that he milks while standing! For goodness sake, why can’t he Scot while doing this normal cause!  We had a good one called Samuel when I was younger. Samuel had curved out a stool from a tree stamp. He would sit on his stool while milking! The cows loved him! He never tied any of them as he milked! By the way by saying tying I mean okubohera ! English fails me but to say something close, he milked in a rhythm on a rhyme. We called it okukombeza! Samuel had a way with his roles, he spoke to the cattle and they listened. He named the Cattle well. He have funny names o some of them! For example, he named one of them Kagabo! English again fails me but he meant to say that this cow had just one patch of colour. Otherwise the cow was brown with a white patch around the udder. He named it so while it was young, but it grew into a graceful mother. It led the kraal during the mature times. 

Kakoba...Childhood!

Mark Mwesiga Araali (from where Araali came from, only God knows), I'm not known for being emotional but your article certainly brought out exactly that. Its the first article i have read over and over again.

Kakoba; a place we called home for good and colorful 10 years. Memories come in shifts like el nino rains leaving behind nostalgic waves. On a warm evening, we returned home from Bishop Stuart Demonstration P/s to find new neighbours; two healthy (read big) brown boys; Mark and Edmund Tumwesiga. You joined our already big army of wanton boys; Atwine Andrew, Peter, Mugaiga, Innocent, Abibu, Latin and Hakim etc. We would make up a football team. You would later be our inseparable friends. Edmund and I were young but looked at you, as our elder and you did that exceedingly. You acted big brother roles, guided us, advised us and truthfully, we feared you out of respect. You lever of conceptualisation was far higher than your age. You grew before you could grow. I remember one evening when Ayiya (He used to stay at Mr. Ilalia's place) slapped Edmund Tumwesiga (was also the first time I saw that big guy cry and I pray the last). That's when I understood the meaning of the adage...touching a leopard's anus. As his elder brother, you led us to wage war on Ayiya with stones and chased him the whole College over. And we always knew that in you, we were protected.

I remember our evening walks in, around and beyond the College, Nganwa Hall fading paths, climbing the Rwemigina/Kaburangire hills. Recently, I visited them and save for many gardens and pine trees that decorated the plateaus, they are still as refreshing as ever. There is a time, we strolled down those mountains through the water gullies near Mzee Katsigazi's place down to Ekirehe amidst fear of snakes or proverbial animals thought to dwell in those dark places. Like Vasco Da Gama and his ilk, we navigated those vallies till we found our way home.

I also remember the crazy things we did...In your Vacation and there was a dance in the main Hall at the College. And as usual, you were always smart and with your stature, earned you a right to dance with any lady (madam shouldn't read this). But I was a small young man and with little self-esteem (if any). As you danced with a beautiful lady, I looked around and grabbed the nearest to me. Little did I know, she had a disfigured face... And you knew. As I closed in on her, you were silently praying for me not to....and I finally grabbed. In your words, you said "Yaza kumukwata...yaza kumukwata....yamukwataa) hahahahaaaaa. The following day, we laughed our lungs out.

Thank you for loving me, you a brother I owe a life. Your house was our house. Katabazi's porridge was our porridge. And 11 years down the road, you are still my elder brother, mentor, role model and I will never miss an opportunity to listen to you counsel. I shall always be grateful. I thank God that we grew together and to live to tell the tale. Tr. Bazitiire is in Ntungamo, still teaching. And surely, we need a weekend together to share, laugh... reminiscing about Reeba Ahiturugire. May the good Lord grant us longevity to share such in our 80s and 90s with our children and grand children.

Conned MPs failed morality test: Period!

In Uganda, the Police arrested and paraded Franklyn Babibasa suspected of obtaining money from Members of parliament (MPs) who desired to be appointed Ministers. This story was run by various media and many commented. According to the story, some Members of Parliament had recorded statements at the police pinning the arrested man. It was a rather unfortunate story. That a person of the stature of a Member of Parliament can be lured to pay money for a ministerial post points out bigger concerns. For starters, Members of Parliament are expected to be some of the enlightened members of our society. They are should for example be of the caliber that understand that appointment of Cabinet is a prerogative of the Head of State. While sending money to the suspected conman, they intend to bribe the President?

This story in the press fell short of mentioning the names of MPs that had recorded statements with the police but eventually they will be known is the case proceeds to court. Whether the suspect is finery found culpable or not, the MPs who are said to have been conned are indebted to the public and out to explain their actions. It is important that the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, the Leadership of Parliament and the Presidency take interest in this matter. Whereas the Police have duly done their work of arresting the suspect, the public image of our leaders and institutions are at stake in the eyes of the public.

The crux of the matter is the extent to which some members of society seek to attain positions, wealth and privileges through short cuts. Still with the MPs for example, the courts of Law have found a number of them without required academic qualifications to be in Parliament. As a result, their seats have been declared vacant. Normally, the courts stop at punishing such MPs by kicking them out of Parliament and perhaps by issuing court fines. However such MPs out to answer the moral questions. They out to explain why knowingly they chose to use uncertain ways to attain leadership positions.

There is need to rethink the whole idea of reinforcing our moral fabric. The responsible government institutions ought to find ought to find out other strategies of making national leaders accountable to the public for their dishonesty. As the courts enforce the Justice and constitutional matters, the other departments need to complement by looking at the ethics and the integrity of the culpable leaders. 

Such measures would go a long way in mitigating behaviors of the young who look up to the leaders. While the young people for example grapple with unemployment, some of them believe that for anybody to attain employment they have to bribe their way there. Conmen have therefore thrived at targeting unsuspecting graduates both for Jobs in the Private and Public Sectors. The conmen have extended to lower governments and the us suspecting retired long retired Civil Servants who head District Service Commissions been targeted. Whereas some employers or their agents obtain bribes or employ on reference of relatives, in some instances comment take advantage of unsuspecting job seekers.

The notions of hard work and merit out to be championed by our leaders and all those in positions of authority. The Church and the Mosque need to take practical steps in correcting members of their congregations and not only to console them. Such would ensure role models for the future generation.

#Entebbe Road Closed, Opened

I live and work along Entebbe Road. I am honoured. It is the only highway to Uganda's only international Airport - EBB. it is the road to the Main Residence of the Head of State.

Entebbe Road also connects to other important facilities like the education centre for our Country's wildlife, Hotels, Sand Beaches, Universities like Nkumba, African Bible University, Kisubi and Health Facilities like Mildmay, CoRSU, Entebbe Hospital and many more.
There are prominent schools on this highway like Kisubi and Kitende.
Perhaps another important feature to mention here is the Prayer Mountain. In short, Entebbe Road leads to various installations.

It's a busy road. I have not mentioned that this part of Uganda is a preferred residence by many, the affluent, it is along Lake Victoria. They like to build their houses facing the waves. A couple: one of my most friends have a residence this side. They are part of the affluent (I am hoping and praying that they will never read this). We the affluent live by the waters.

So by nature, Entebbe Road is a Busy Road and forever has traffic Jam. 

Police Sirens

On any day at any time, while driving from Kampala to Entebbe or the other way, a police car (shouting) with siren will pass you. Sometimes the Police car leads private cars about 2 or 3. Sometimes the Police Car leads Government cars in a convoy of 2 or 3. Sometimes the Police Car is leading the Convoy of the President. He is always in one of the middle cars in the convoy reading a newspaper! I see my President Often. I always try to wave but he is a busy man.

In all cases, when a Police Car shows up either from the front or behind, all other drivers ought to stop and give away. This is absolutely normal. All of us who use this road know it. it does not bother us at all. Occasionally, stubborn drivers join the convoy from behind and follow, thy flash double indicators just like the convoy and drive fast behind them. This way, the stubborn drivers get to beat the traffic jam. I have never tried this. I drive a small car. It has a small engine. It cannot drive at the pace of such cars.

But I always think about it. Maybe one day I will try to follow. My usual company thinks its the worst idea to try. But these Police Cars leading Private Cars? Maybe they are the affluent who don't want to reach home late. Maybe they are on time for the next flight. Maybe they have an appointment with the Head of State at Home. 

But my interest in writing this was to share with you an interesting idea about this busy road. The road is now temporarily closed. H.E Park Geun-hye the President of South Korea is visiting us. She is our guest currently. I like her. She walks calmly and speaks well. She speaks really fine. She is extraordinary. 

I think the Security detail is right to close off the road since it is being used by our guest. The road is naturally crowded and this could pose a security threat. This is for a fact. By the way, before I forget, I saw H.E Park with my naked eyes, I was stopped along the Road. I packed a side. She passed in her convoy. She was wearing a red thing. I waived. She did not waive back.

So, to access Kampala from Entebbe, one has to use alternative routes. Let me say they are other roads. They are dusty. Some of them a bad. But is will end soon I think. The alternative will sort this with time. As of now, to people who are visiting Entebbe, these roads are confusing. they are meandering. they are congested. You may take 4 hours to reach Entebbe from Kampala city.

The Security Officers who are positioned to divert traffic are vigilant. Some of them have no idea about alternative routes. All they say is "Can you buranchi off now?'' "Can you turn back now?" "Go back there"! "This road is closed" I saw one arguing with an elderly lady. She was reasoning that she was running late for her flight to somewhere. The police said "Can you turn back?". I turned back and left her sobbing. Maybe she is still in Uganda or she left her car and took a boda boda to the Airport.

Dear Police, Dear Police,  Dear Garant Officers and Men, Please equip all officers diverting traffic with guides about alternative routes. I wish they all said, "The road is closed, brunch off from here, drive half a kilometre turn left and follow.. you will find your way."

I said some of them. Maybe they need briefing.

I thank you.

Maybe absence makes the blood heat up!?

Wandeba nanye nakureba hehehe! 

Today the May 7, 2016 I conclude my 3 weeks stay and work in the Indiana State of the great USA. This was a work visit if there is anything called so. 

I call it work visit because it is my role at the PCAU has everything to do with it.  PCAU has a partnership with an excellent organisation in USA called Center for Hospice Care or just say CHC. 

So because of the partnership and my role at PCAU, the CHC paid for my trip to do a staff exchange visit. Perhaps for CHC this was normal but or boy, for me this was a big deal. I embraced the opportunity to get to the great USA. 

It was a season of some politicking here in the USA. A great businessman was taking on a great politician and diplomat in a race. It's a bit interesting, the business man is trying out a political office for the first time and it could be him as the next President of the United States. He wants to make America great again. Isn't America great already ?  On the other hand, the lady, former first lady is giving it her all. May the best win!  

Just briefly and precisely, none that I talked to told me quite frankly whom they would vote for. Be it Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. So I can confidently say that I am not sure whether there are any Republicans or Democrats at CHC. I just don't know! Maybe they thought to keep me off their home politics. Maybe they are as patriotic. And I can tell you they are right. How on earth should a boy from Uganda discuss America Politics ? So actually no one said so loudly to me! Maybe they are all Conservatives? I took it safe, perhaps Americans never tell foreigners whom they will vote for. Sorry or perhaps since I talked to and spoke to Staff at CHC they just found it fit to let work be and politics be. I don't know. 

I enjoyed working with a Social Worker at  Plymouth, I enjoyed stay at the Kiddes' home and food, I enjoyed dinner at the Wargos. I learned and accomplished a lot. 

But wait a bit, this write up was not supposed to be about my experience in the USA.  It was supposed to be about my connection with home. I will return to share with you about Robert Red Fisher, Roberta &Tom Spencer,  Judy the humble lady, Karen, Norah, Jim, Chris, Bob and... oh I will return and make this to you. I will mention each one of them in a about two sentences. hehehe the dancing beautiful gals, they were quite colourful by the way. They quickly picked Denis for a dance -kiss. he was mesmerised! ohh I will return and write it all.  

This particular piece was about the distance! Did you ever hear about this? That Distance makes the heart grow fonder. I think that is crup! Because as I have found out as Elizabeth Ashley said (God bless her soul) ‘Absence does not make the heart grow fonder, but it sure heats up the blood.’ hehehe I thought I missed someone. 

This Miss Katryna.  I missed her. I really don't know why but I whatever reason, I caught myself imagining what the good smile blessed woman would be doing. 
I tell you what, this is about 7683 miles away!  Incase there is anything called love, this could be it. Maybe it is. 

Any way, will be back to write meaningfully. I am sorry if you endured reading to the end! See you same time same station, stay tuned! 

Thank you and good bye!

Today I sat +National Harbor ballroom to attend the 2016 National Hospice Foundation of Gala which was held in conjunction with the +NationalHospice  31st Management and Leadership Conference.

All at the Gala was excellent. I tried American 5 star party sea food. I experienced an atmosphere of perhaps my most dressed up event of my life. I have not seen a people so smart. I think they dress to impress and they got me. Everyone was splendid, the ladies in black party dresses (majority) the gentlemen's tuxedos and bow ties. the ladies in high healed, the gentlemen in Sharp Shinning black shoes. Oh what a show of class.

The Mistress of Ceremonies Anita Brikman was excellent and the experienced Mark Murray and Linda Rock only served to make the whole MC thing memorable.

But the outstanding thing for me was the send off of J.Donald Schumacher the outgoing President and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organisation. What a splendid send off!  Good words from staff and colleagues. John Mastrojohn III the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer led the rest of the Senior Management Team to speak about an outgoing boss. It was a show of thank you and good bye! They gave the man a painting of his face. They praised him publicly and wished him well.

I squeezed by self and fit so well in my chair. I kept thinking, how great it would feel for anyone to say thank you and good bye! I kept thinking why this is not common in my circles. I kept thinking what an opportunity it would be to do this for someone.

Farewell thee J.D.S and wish you all the best in whatever you want to do in your retirement.

Thank you for your words: "one thing I have learnt...is to know when to leave..."

I am still around but will try to honour the leaving. Perhaps someone will honour me when I am leaving: hehehehe

What a good day!

Seeing off Nyakwenkuru!

In March 2016, I lost my grandmother at one of the private health facilities in Kampala city. My grandmother was 87 years old at the time of her death. According to the hospital report, she died due to severe anemia. Like many other traditional women, my grandmother never sought medical attention early at the feeling of an ailment.  Very often, she would inform anybody who cared that she was week but would be well soon. At some point she started giving excuses of her advanced age as the reason for her ailing nature. For a long period of time, she stayed sickly but moving on with her chores.

But once in awhile, my grandmother sought medical attention. This was mostly whenever the pain in her constantly aching legs and back was severe. She would walk slowly (okushotooka) to local health facility. During most of such visits, the health care workers would confirm my grandmother’s belief that the aching of her legs and back were due to her old age. She would receive regular painkillers and go back to her house.  This would lead her to stay in the ‘comfort’ of her pain well knowing that it was as a result of old age.

Much as it was not entirely permitting to her will, my grandmother was convinced to come to Kampala for specialized care at the end of last year. According to all specialists who attended to her, my grandmother would have been better off seeking early medical attention. It dawned on her and all of us who were close to her that the cause her continuous nature was not old age at all. She had a disease killing her slowly. She sought special medicating very late.

The experience of my grandmother at the local health care facility upcountry is strange to many. In Uganda, there are few medical specialists in geriatric care. Given the high patient to doctor ratio, the majority of patients at lower health units are attended to by Nurses. In fact some simple privately ‘clinics’ are managed by poorly trained or not formally qualified medical personnel.  Even where there are qualified personnel at lower government health facilities, they are often overwhelmed by the high number of patients and lack of constant medical supplies. Such circumstances hinder medics from having adequate time and conscience to attend to unique conditions that for example affect the elderly.   

The recently released results of the November 18, 2014 National Population and housing Census showed an improved life expectancy to above 63 years. This means that more Ugandans can now leave longer and therefore the percentage of aging population will increase greatly in coming years. The statistics also showed a high age dependency ratio at 103%. According to the World Bank working definition, age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents of people younger than 15 or older than those of working ages of 15-64 years. The Uganda Burual Of statistics also showed that 8% of the children in the country were orphaned. Just like children bellow the age of 5 years, it is common knowledge that the elderly face a high incidence of disease and require continuous medical attention.  

Without better systems established to support the elderly, the ‘burden’ of caring for them rests on the younger, working population. However, the working population naturally have the ultimate responsibility of their own children and sustaining the state through paying taxes. Such a scenario would literary leave some elderly people neglected to languish in suffering. There is need to integrate programs like geriatric care into the public health system in Uganda.  

2016, As Shaka Ssali:Let us Be Better and Not Bitter!

The year 2016 is here, and the year 2015 which some commentators have labeled a troublesome one is gone. The reasons advanced for this label include the atrocities by terrorists like the Al-Shabaab, the Boko Haram and others. The terrorists attack in Paris is perhaps the most mentioned of all worst things that befell the world in 2015.  The unfortunate unrests in parts of Africa especially in Southern Sudan and Burundi and in other states was also mentioned.

In Uganda, we experienced the death of prominent personalities. Numerous road accidents claimed lives. Fires gutted some establishments and some buildings which were under construction collapsed on workers. There were some skirmishes between the police and politicians, the most pronounced being the undressing of a woman activist. The press curried reports of corruption, delayed payment of pension to senior citizens, conflict between Christians and their Bishop in Sheema District, depreciation of the shilling and poor social service delivery in some parts of the country. The deaths at Ugandan Beaches and the hunger pangs that raved Karamoja were also a bad taste.  Perhaps the most recent bothersome aspect of 2015 was the use of what some commentators termed as ‘abusive’ language by politicians against each other.

However ever, amidst the above, 2015 had a lighter side. The visit by the head of the Catholic Church in December was honorable. The unprecedented event united us as a country. The pearl of Africa was mentioned in world news. Key figures from different political divides shook hands for the first time in 15 years. Ugandans were thrilled!

In 2015, the Uganda Cranes worn some matches, our athletes won medals at international Level, the she cranes represented us well at the world cup! Uganda was listed among the Top 16 Best Destinations to Visit in the World by CNN. The 2015 Quality of Death Index, compiled by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, found Uganda the 35th at offering palliative care in the world.

This is to mention but a few of the happenings of the year 2015. There were other people’s individual achievements of great weddings, academic graduations, job promotions, acquisitions of property and others.

Now that the 2016 is here let us embrace it with new hope. 

Let all public officials face every day of this year as a day to serve Uganda: after all they are civil servants. Let everyone working with a non-governmental organization face each day as an opportunity to serve humanity: after all they are working with humanitarian organizations. 

Let every politicians speak justly and act honestly: after all they are our leaders. Let all religious leaders offer to counsel, to guide, to reach out to, and to pray for the lost, the hungry and vulnerable: after all they are our shepherds. Let every husband and wife face each day with a resolve to express more love to their partner, to work hard and to nature their children: after all charity begins at home. 

Let everyone be optimistic and be full of faith; after all we are a godly nation and it is ‘For God and My Country’! Let us all resolve to leave in harmony with one another and at peace with our neighbors: after all we are brothers and sisters and we share the same colour of blood.

As one of the gallant sons of Uganda, Dr. Shaka Ssali says whenever he is signs out at his popular show on the Voice of America, let us resolve to be better and not bitter during 2016.

A happy and prosperous year to Uganda.