President Yoweri Museveni launching the Pearl of Africa Destination Brand at Kololo ceremonial grounds on 21st Jan 2022
By Nabendeh Wamoto S.P
Your Excellency, Jambo Sir, and happy new year together with family.
Mzee, I don’t intend to offend, displease or disappoint you your Excellency.
This morning your Excellency, I have had a very cordial telephone conversation with one of Uganda’s and your trusted military officers and we both agreed that much more budget allocation needed to be directed into conservation (both plant and animal life) to mitigate the current global number 1 threat (enemy) i.e. climate change.
In the same debate, we again analyzed our current security threats and concurred that Uganda is now generally sandwiched by all friendly neighbors viz; Ruto’s Kenya, Hassan Suluhu Samia’s Tanzania, Salva Kiir’s South Sudan, Paul Kagame’s Rwanda, Felix Tschisikedi’s DR Congo save for those militant (terrorist) gangs domiciled in Eastern DR Congo but this is now going to be catered for by the collective East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) currently commanded Major General Jeff Nyaga of Kenya
Mr. President Sir, this year’s (2023-2024) budget just and only for this one financial cycle, swap defense ministry budget with Uganda Tourism Board’s budget allocations and we shall easily meet our national dream of Vision 2040, climb into middle income status and achieve the global SDGs. Pardon me Mr. President, I am not a professional planner, Economist or political scientist, I am a patriot and a nationalist, trained in tourism and hotel operations, that is why your Excellency and your government variously in the past times gave me a chance to also make a security contribution by participating in the activities of CHOGM Uganda 2007 where I chose for the sake of my country and faith to be a volunteer even when the others were making a kill money-wise.
I was asked to write many papers that formed guidelines of hosting a successful meeting and expose Uganda as a top tourist destination. I am therefore, indebted your government Sir.
Your Excellency and your government Sir again allowed me to humbly cater for regional war managers (security and defense officials) at the inception of the army senior college in Kimaka and thereafter you deployed me in your office (President’s office).
In the world today your Excellency, security and defense budgets can no longer be left in the hands of a chosen few and hidden in monster “classified” because the consequences of poverty which is a driver of instability and insecurity do affect all of us (whole population).
In the year 2003 at the invitation of Civil Aviation Authority conference, I was requested to make a counter representation in response to one by my fallen brother and friend Brig. Gen. RO2874 Noble R Mayombo, then Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) concerning security as a generator of tourism to which I with convincing examples challenged that the other way round is the most appropriate.
Tourism can actually drive mass prosperity hence peace and security. I gave the Seychelles Islands as a case in reference to back up my argument that tourism has majorly made the Seychellois enjoy a much higher standard of living than Ugandans yet their tourism industry is solely beaches and sun bathing.
At the time (2003) every child in Seychelles was going to school for 12 years of free and compulsory education, all citizens (adults and children) on the streets had shoes.
By the year 2000 there was practically no crime in the Seychelles because of the tourist dollar and in the same year, the whole country had only about 120 prisoners most of them drug traffickers.
Old people in the Seychelles receive their pensions and health services were free for all and very efficient. The citizens whether black, brown or white all live in racial harmony.
Corruption in Uganda Mr. President is now our enemy number one which is geared to be the worst form of insecurity yet in the Seychelles corruption is almost nonexistent.
It is argued that the Seychelles is so small a country, that if one did attempt do some evil thing like corruption, it would be noticed by everyone everywhere. Isn’t Uganda small also?
Finally, there is no hatred among the Seychellois. All this is because of tourists who during some seasons double the number of nationals.
Mr. President, let’s put money where we see .
The author can be reached via: +256 776 658433, Email: simonwamoto@yahoo.co.uk
