Africa-Press – Uganda. Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo delivered a heartfelt keynote address at the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters in Makerere-Kavule on Friday, praising the second cohort of the party’s School of Leadership for choosing action over apathy in a time of political uncertainty.
Despite mourning the recent loss of his brother, the Makerere University lecturer made time to attend the ceremony, underscoring his message about standing firm in the face of personal and political challenges.
“I respect you because, unlike many of us, you chose not to hold your hands. You chose to do what you can do in your capacity, which is better than doing nothing,” Ssentongo told the graduates.
Reflecting on his earlier visit to the school, Ssentongo recalled how the facility had just been raided by security forces, and most of its equipment confiscated. Yet, the trainees remained undeterred.
“When I visited earlier this year, the school had just been violently raided by security, and most equipment had been confiscated,” he said.
“Yet, I found the room packed with people, waiting to learn.”
The professor praised the trainees’ discipline and commitment to learning, encouraging them to use their new knowledge for the good of others.
He cautioned against selfish leadership ambitions and challenged the graduates to interrogate their motivations.
“What is motivating you to stand for that position?” he asked. “Is it to maximize the happiness of those you seek to represent?”
He reminded them that leadership is about service, not slogans, and that the most powerful testimony of their education would be seen in their conduct, not their credentials.
“We do not expect you to always remind us about what you studied,” he said. “We simply want to see the difference in your actions.”
The event marked the successful completion of Level 1 of NUP’s leadership training programme, which aims to nurture principled, ideologically grounded political actors.
The ceremony was a celebration not only of academic achievement but of commitment to a cause that its participants say is bigger than themselves.
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