Tuesday, 30 September 2014 22:01
With politics commonly branded a
‘dirty game’, it may be scarcely surprising that not many old boys of St
Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) embrace it.
But those who have played the ‘dirty’
game, despite having learnt at school that cleanliness was next to
Godliness, are keen to see more of their peers involved in the
management of society.
During the annual reunion at City Royal
hotel in Bugolobi on Friday, ministers Hilary Onek and Matia Kasaija led
calls for fellow SMACK OBs to join the run for political office.
“Politics is simply management of
society; it is not a dirty game; it is thieves that make it dirty,”
said Onek, the minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, after
receiving a lifetime achievement award from the SMACK Old Boys
Association (SMACKOBA).
Onek lamented that these thieves have soiled society; it is the honest politicians who have to come in to clean up.
“In Kisubi, they teach us to be
obedient,” said Onek, mimicking the prayerful pose of First Holy
Communion recipient. “But these [other] people are running around
everywhere.”
Onek, however, admitted that politics is
not for the weak-hearted. He compared it an anthill dance common with a
certain Congolese tribe: everyone has to dance on top of the anthill,
with those who fall off getting eaten. Having been dancing since 2001
and still counting, he seemed to suggest, he certainly is not a weak
man.
Matia Kasaija, the state minister for
Planning, echoed Onek’s message, saying there was no reason why SMACK
OBs should be cleaning up dirty work of bad politicians. He urged senior
OBs to be “strategic” and get their younger comrades into positions
where they can exploit their potential and grow.
Inspiration
Other politicians who went through SMACK
include former DP President General Paul Ssemogerere, former MPs John
Kawanga and Michael Mabikke, and former Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya.
The keynote speaker at the reunion was Mathias Katamba, the managing
director of Housing Finance bank, who spoke on “inspiring lives”.
Katamba, who thrived at Uganda Finance
Trust before moving to HFB, said that to lead inspiring lives, people
needed to focus on four things – perspective, values, relationships and
lifestyle. He urged fellow OBs to get involved into initiatives that
benefit their communities and society, giving the example of Rotarian
Emmanuel Katongole.
“How many of us,” Katamba asked, “find time to write books?”
Besides Katamba, Onek and Kasaija, other
OBs recognised included Rama Makuza, the MD of Civil Aviation
Authority; Dr Christopher Ebal, the chair of National Water and Sewerage
Corporation; and Dr Ambrose Agona, the incoming director general of the
National Agricultural Research Organisation.
SMACKOBA is planning to build a
classroom block at the college, so it can meet the demand for its
distinguished educational services. OBs heard that once the works have
been costed, they will all be invited to pledge to finance items, until
the whole block is completed.
rimkav@observer.ug
rimkav@observer.ug
