In my life of constant wars, my best soldiers were not Banyankore or Bahima. No! Rather they were Acholi, Madi, Lugbara and Karimojong. It doesn't matter how you look or what language you speak. All that matters is who you are as a person.
An Address of Reflection
Your Excellency, Mr. President, @KagutaMuseveni
I bless God for your Bible, Ak47 and Pen as tools to protect and lead Uganda.
When standing before you at the microphone, consistency and clarity of thought are not just expectations, they are requirements. Over the years, I have had the rare honor of pitching ideas and sharing memos directly with you. Each of those moments became a masterclass in leadership, cultural identity, and raw statecraft.
I recall the second time in October 2024, I stood at the podium to pitch the strategic deployment of youth leaders across our nation. Attempting a philosophical approach, I anchored my pitch in scripture: "In my Father’s house, there are many rooms ………" But this came after we reported to you about a campaign supported by @edthnaka, Brig Gen Isoke and Hon @BalaamBarugahar "Clean Hands: Clean Conscience campaign.” An anti-Corruption campaign. Your Excellency, your response was swift and grounded in raw economic reality. You reminded me that our young people must not simply look for existing "rooms" to occupy, but must become job creators themselves. You laid out the stark statistics of how many young Ugandans graduate annually against the limited capacity of government jobs. You challenged us to build our own foundations, shifting our mindset from dependency to innovation.
In September 2025, I found myself back at the microphone again, pitching an initiative to demobilize young people from election-related violence. Before I could even dive into the logistics, you interjected with a phrase that set the tone for the entire room:
“I am never forgetful." Upon hearing my name, you immediately unlocked its ancestral roots. You reminded me of the deep meaning of Okot—derived from rain, or one born with a watery umbilical cord. I was glad to hear you speak about all the things you remember from each of our villages. You translated its cultural essence into your own language, referring to Kanjura. And then you shared a piece of wisdom that I will carry for the rest of my life:
“When you forget, you die easily.”
In that moment, Your Excellency, you showed us that memory is not just a cognitive trait; for a leader, it is an active tool for survival, identity, and governance.
In January 2026, the rhetoric turned into reality.A week before the election, we were being deployed to execute peace parades, engage student leaders, and hold dialogues to ensure a peaceful election cycle. As I sat in your Conference Room holding the microphone ready to brief you, you threw a curveball that caught me completely off guard: “Now, my son... Are you employed?” I smiled, and a wave of anticipation swept over me. For a fleeting second, I imagined walking out of State House with a formal presidential appointment. I answered honestly: “Currently, I am not employed, Your Excellency, but I am readily available for service.” Your response was simple, profound, and instantly celebrated by the 27 young leaders in the room. You looked at me and said:
“Don’t worry, my son.”
As the cheers echoed through the room, the true realization hit me. The formal title did not matter. The trust had already been extended. Your Excellency, you had just given us our first official deployment on the frontlines of national peace, right when our country needed it most.
Thank you giving opportunities to young people to serve at all levels.
Shall we continue to Contribute where we are deployed? YES!
Respectfully.
Okot Francis(La’Paicho)
The kind of patience that @norbertmao has during this process, is the same patience he will have during his tenure as the speaker of parliament in tolerating cantankerous mps at parliament and it’s the same patience that @KagutaMuseveni has had for this country since 1986.