Tones of misapprehensions have been conceived about National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi by different sections of the populace, those who subscribe to the opposition and ruling party alike. But who can blame them?
Kyankwanzi has probably been a kitchen of the most tendentious (depending on who you ask) political decisions cum resolutions of our generation. The misconceptions are indeed defensible considering the fact that we live in an era where opinions are shaped by the media, mainstream and social media in equal measures, not to forget of course that the views expressed on the media pages are tailored to suit the interests of those who express them; isn’t it wise of indigenous Africans for the old adage that he who pays the piper calls the tune?
But as Napoleon noted; the world suffers not because of the violence of bad people, but the silence of the good ones. We have stood, arms akimbo, and watched our only Leadership institute being ridiculed by the violent views of those who live in a world darkened by cynicism. We only judge NALI-Kyankwanzi by how many NRM Caucus meetings it hosts and the number of resolutions passed in favor of NRM bigwigs passed from its ambits to brand it an extension of NRM-O. However, the NRM Caucus only occupies on average 10days of the NALI Calendar, so what happens during the remaining 355 days of the year?
For the last 30 years NALI has trained many national leaders in the public service, military, and willing members of the populace regardless of party affiliation or political belief. It is indeed prudent to assert that Kyankwanzi produced both Hon. Frank Tumwebaze and Lord Mayor Elias Lukwago.
The curriculum of NALI is one designed to shape a National culture of hard work. It is only a fact that a country can develop to that extent on which its citizens attach value to hard work (China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan are classical examples). With it’s motto of “Displine, Knowledge, Skills and Resilience” it is not an accident that the UPDF is what it is today (Bearing in mind that the first graduates of Kyankwanzi were NRA Combatants who metamorphosed into the UPDF). One cannot also negate the fact that Uganda has made these great socio-economic-politico strides because of the values inculcated in the implementers of government programs from NALI.
Finally, as we gear up to attaining a middle income economy (which of course will not discriminate along sectarian or political lines) we need to muster every drop of energy and venture into production. That can only be done by being dialectical. By being objective, doing concrete historical analysis in order to stick to the main link. We need to understand the laws of socioeconomic transformation and how production of surplus commodity stimulates growth hence increasing the economic base. We need to understand that indeed the laws of necessary conformity in social development are to the effect that when the production forces change production relations conform of necessity and when the economic base changes the superstructure conforms of necessity. If you know any other institution in which these concepts are taught to everybody apart from NALI, then come my friend; come let’s reason together.
Gumisiriza Ian Jeremiah, PELDC, NALI
