Kagame, Obiang get heroes medals

President Museveni yesterday presented his Rwandan and Equatorial Guinea counterparts with heroes’ medals as the NRM party celebrated 26 years in power. Over 90 other people were also honoured with medals.

At a function held at Sebei College, Tegres in Kapchorwa District, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo were given the Excellent Order of the Pearl of Africa Grand Master medals.

President Kagame was recognised for his role in the five-year bush struggle that brought the NRM/A into power and also for his support of the East African regional integration.

President Museveni said Mr Obiang, the current chairperson of the African Union, is his role model and that1979, he has been exemplary in determining growth, stability and maintained a democratic government that should be recognised.

“Your countries’ foreign policy has shown that you believe in African solutions to solve African problems especially in conflict resolution. Now therefore as a mark of appreciation of the afore said, I award the most excellent order of the pearl of Africa, the grand master,” Mr Museveni said of his guests in a citation read by Gen. Elly Tumwine, who heads the committee that selects medal recipients.

The two presidents pledged to work towards economic empowerment of the African continent and also maintain a conducive foreign policy that will improve relations, unity and democracy.

President Kagame dedicated the medal to all those who participated in the war, especially fallen comrades.

He termed his participation “a modest contribution” to freedom in Uganda that was also returned in kind when Rwanda needed the same help to topple dictatorship.

Turning to matters domestic, President Museveni singled out corruption as the major disease that continues to derail Uganda from achieving what he called a full democratic cycle.

He said widespread corruption in the public sector has greatly undermined his government’s effort to complete the liberation process, albeit registering remarkable success across different sectors.

To fix the problem, President Museveni announced that he will resort to “old tactics” to fight corruption, by largely engaging the Young Turks in the campaign.

Daily Monitor