KULWA KATONDA NEGWANGA LYAFFE

At the recently concluded home coming event for the alumni of Busoga CollegeMwiri, veteran politician, civil servant and Rotarian, Hon. Henry Kyemba, talked about the time, towards the declaration of Independence of Uganda from colonial rule, the new Prime Minister Dr Apollo Milton Obote chose to lend (or was it borrow?), the motto of our former School to this young nation of Uganda. I am not aware of the genesis of this motto prior to being adopted by my alma-mater, but it has recently been the muse for my thinking about who I am and what my particular role on earth is.

The Motto -loosely translated to mean ‘For God and My Country,’ implores the Ugandan citizen to pursue their dreams, mission and vision, not to the fulfilment of their own selfish ends, but to a but on a much higher calling - that is GOD. This is because God is the beginning and end of all human life and endeavour. I am aware that some of the readers of this blog might not necessarily agree with this prism of thought and argue that the pursuit of self-fulfilment is also godly. I do not necessarily disagree. I can only add that this should not be the end. Rather, we should strive to position ourselves –be it financially or otherwise- to be of help to our God and our nation.  Indeed, the second part of the motto further instils in us a love for the country and its citizens or inhabitants. Once again, the focus here is not one’s individual needs or fulfilment per se, but on the advancement of the nation/country.

I am reminded of a story of a farmer who invested heavily in planting quality seed in his land amidst poverty and hunger in the neighbourhood. One need not be surprised that when the crop was ready, the neighbourhood helped themselves to the benefits, much to the farmer’s chagrin. Obviously the solution here would have been to help the neighbourhood plant their own seed so that there is not only bountiful harvest, but also enough crop for everyone. Besides, if the farmer had attempted to sell his produce, the neighbourhood was too impoverished to purchase it from him.  There are numerous examples of people who have engaged in the selfish accumulation of wealth, only to lose it when they are either frail or when there is a change in the leadership of our nation.

The raison d’etre for adopting this motto are therefore true today as they were at the time when it was being coined. An objective assessment of this nation, its resources and potential would reveal that we are indeed ‘Gifted by Nature’ although I would rather say we are ‘Gifted by God.’ While Uganda has over the years undergone a lot of civil strife and mayhem, the root causes can, to a great extent, be attributed to the clash between selfishness and the pursuit for happiness and equal opportunities for all.  While a lot of strides have been made over the years to strike a balance between selfish ambition and national outlook, it is fair to say that indeed, focusing on God first and our country, is more beneficial than not.

I submit

Daniel R. Ruhweza

Mwirian, Christian, Nationalist, Rotarian, Nature-Lover 

Creating a UCLF Probono Fund

Dear Friend

Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity is an association of Christian legal professionals which was started in 1987 as a fellowship of Christian law students but has since grown to about 400 members who are working in all facets of the Justice, Law and Order Sector.  

The Vision of UCLF is a world where justice and human dignity is a reality for all.  

The Mission of UCLF is to share our faith in Christ Jesus, promote access to justice and the respect for human dignity, through speaking up, fellowship, mentorship and defending the rights of the vulnerable.

Since 2005, UCLF has supported indigent persons to access legal aid services in the districts of Kampala, Gulu, Wakiso, Mukono, Masaka, Kasese, Moyo, Kayunga and Buikwe districts of Uganda. This is normally done through the support of donors like the DGF, BMS World Mission, amongst others. The main areas of emphasis by UCLF are criminal public defence, students programs,  civil legal aid, the paralegal services, legal education, and research and advocacy work.

In pursuit of the above, the Fraternity is organizing a dinner to fundraise for a UCLF Pro-bono Fund. The funds realised will enable the secretariat arm of the Fraternity to serve more of the indigent population of Uganda who are in need of pro-bono legal assistance, (either because they are in conflict with the law or are unable to defend themselves in civil suits). 

The UCLF experience so far shows that each case in the courts takes approximately UGX 1,000,000/= to resolve. It is hoped that the Fratenrity will therefore raise Uganda Shillings 100,000,000/= which will enable it assist at least 200 citizens.

The dinner will be held at Protea Hotel by Marriott Naguru Skys on the 1st of November 2019 starting at 6.30pm under the theme LAWYERS IN THE MARKETPLACE: Transformers Not Spectators. 

In light of the above, we kindly invite you to attend this dinner and/or support this cause. For more information, please contact our Mr Vincent Mutonerwa on 0772667125 or on the email info@ugclf.org

Dr. Daniel R. Ruhweza

President 

TWO STORIES

Number 1 : One Good turn deserves another

He was at his wit’s end. He had run out of options. The letter in his hand was not good news at all. He looked at his wife sleeping in the bed and pondered deeply. She was going to lose it all in a few days’ time. A beautiful compound in the middle of the city. A bungalow. Five bedrooms. Spacious. The house was going to be sold off by the bank. He had fallen into some hard times and couldn’t make the payments on his mortgage.

He hardly slept that night 

Rrrrrriiiiiinnnngggggggg   Rrrriiiiinnnnnggg

He dragged himself out of bed. He could smell the aroma of fried eggs from the kitchen. His wife had always been an early bird. Beautiful. loyal. Hardworking. She knew nothing so she was humming away to the radio in the Kitchen.

Rrrrrriiiiinnnggggg  Rrrrrriiinngggg

8.30 a.m.

He had hardly slept due to the worry worry. The house was going.

Hello?

Good Morning Sir. My name is blah blah blah from the Bank of …..

I am going through your paperwork at my desk and would like you to come by for a small chat

Blah blah blah

He wondered what else the bank had to say. Were they kicking him out earlier?

Sssshhhhhhh……. The sound of frying in the kitchen

More humming in the kitchen

He adjusted his necktie and run his hand through his unkempt beard one more time. A quick glance at the mirror. The receeding hairline was no welcome sight especially in this times. The children were away at the University.

Coat adjusted. Necktie strengthened again. He breathes in and walks to the kitchen.

'I am going out briefly' he murmurs to his wife.

‘Your breakfast !’ she shouts as he shuts the door behind him

She makes some more remarks behind his back but his mind is too clogged to listen

More shouting? He walks on

...........

The young man at the bank - Smart Pants we shall call him- had a sly smile on his face. His eyes were cheeky and he wanted to make small talk. Our Mr. Depressed is in no mood. Smart Pants was all over the place making small talk. Mr Depressed sits still. Uninterested. Depressed! He could only envisage the sight of his property being thrown out of his home. The cries of his wife. The faces of the neighbours. He slumps furthe rin the seat dejected. The eyes itch and grow wet. The soft leather chairs of the bank were no comfort at this moment. ‘Calm down and do not make a scene’ he tells himself. His tongue was dry and he waited the bad news.

So, Mr……. (Smart Pants begins)

Like I said on the phone…Well, let me start by telling you story ...

Mouth dry no mood for stories but well…. Mr Depressed thought.

Smart pants continues

At age seven, my father called a meeting one early morning to tell us that our home was going to be sold by the bank. I recall the look on my father’s face as he spoke. At that young age, my face sunk as he narrated what that meant. The next day however, Dad returned with a bright smile. He mentioned that a certain kind man whose name was (at this point the young banker reveals Mr Depressed’s name) had so graciously refused to sell the house.

Mr. Depressed tries to remember the name of Smart Pant’s father. His eyes widen just a bit as he recalls the surname. It was that jittery Deputy City Clerk he remembered. He had begged for an extension of his mortgage when hard time had come to bite. Mr. Depressed had given him a fresh lease of life. The house had been saved.

So Smart Pants was now saying some exciting words. The words were like water to the drought struck plant called Mr. Depressed.

‘I have never forgotten your name Sir. I would like to repay the favour too.’ I am giving you an extension with no pressure. Pay as and when you are able. The bank Management has agreed with me that you are too valuable a customer to lose’

Hand shakes

Hugs

Mr. Depressed was depressed no more

Now, that fried egg Madam was preparing. I also have a story for her

There was a bounce in his step that morning as he left the bank

One good turn deserves another

Story Number 2: Loading .....

THAT CALL

I received a call this morning. The person on the other side was so excited and exuberant. The words kept pouring out of his mouth. A mixture of Luganda and English (don’t mind the tenses). You see, the caller on the other side of the phone had slept -like a baby- the night before. Period!

‘Slept well?’ You might ask. ‘I do that each day’ you might think. Not so for the many people that inhabit this earth. Some are sick, some are in prison, some have no beds, some have no land, some have nothing to use to sleep, some have floods in their rooms, and others – like the caller on the other side of the phone – have no roof over their heads!

You see, the animated fellow on the other side has been having more holes than iron roof over his small room. He didn’t have the money to replace the roof. The rainy season we are experiencing, which is a joy to the plants and crops he cultivates, is not a joy to him and his wife at night. The heavier the rains, the more miserable his life gets especially in those cold nights when they stand awake and blinking in their dark room

Today though, he had slept well. ‘Very well’ he said. The speckled mabati roof had been replaced with new corrugated iron sheets. He couldn’t thank me enough for the intervention. I think I blushed as he spoke. That there is my CBOM moment – Church begins on Monday

What are you doing to make a difference – however small – in the lives of others?

YOLO –You Only Live Once

I once listened to a talk by T.D Jakes called Maximise the Moment. The title speaks for itself. So is the adage – You Only Live Once.

Often times we wait for the right time to make a compliment or to give to a just cause or to say hello to the stranger on the daily commute to work or even clear up the rubbish until it is too late to do much about it.  Often culture has conditioned us not to offend or to disturb others but most of these opportunities never return to us. It is said that fortune knocks once at the door. To an extent, this is true. This is because on some occasions, we might be given a second chance to make things right. Why however should we wait for that unlikely chance when we can get it right the fist time?

A dear friend of mine has just concluded a fundraising drive to take his daughter for a rare medical procedure. He told me that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life wondering whether the procedure would or would not have worked. He opted to try against all odds and the Lord has opened the door. We await the testimony.  I recall a friend who was seriously ill and subsequently passed away. On more than one occasion, I postponed visiting him because I was busy with one or another thing and indeed I failed to get the chance to do so. I would have really loved to say thank you to him for the many things he did well for me. I wish I could reverse the clock and just say what an awesome person he was. How could I claim to be his friend and yet never visited him in his hour of greatest need? Some of us have people to forgive, books to write, friends to meet, parents to bless, farms to cultivate, indigent persons to bless, etc but we are not making that required step to do so. As a result, the environment suffers, relationships get worse, health deteriorates, ignorance is propagated etc.

Missed opportunities have such lasting legacies in our personal lives and the lives of others. Whenever we fail to do what we should have done or postpone it for the zenith time (procrastinate), we set in motion a number of undesired consequences.

Procrastinate the procrastination. YOLO

……………