Kitgum, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged leaders to never impose themselves on citizens through force, warning that authoritarian rule inevitably collapses.
Speaking during the 49th commemoration of St. Janani Luwum Day in Kitgum District on Monday, Museveni said Uganda’s history under former dictator Idi Amin offers a lasting lesson on the dangers of leaders who seize power without public consent.
The President, accompanied by First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni, led national celebrations under the theme “Anchored in Christ for Stability, Peace and Unity.”
The event began with a church service before wreaths were laid at Wii-Gweng in Mucwini, the final resting place of Archbishop Janani Luwum and his wife.
Reflecting on the 1971 coup, Museveni described Amin’s first mistake as imposing himself on the country through military force.
“Amin ruled me only for a few hours,” Museveni said, recalling how he learned of the coup on January 25, 1971, while preparing to go to work in Kireka. Within days, he said, he left for Tanzania to begin organizing resistance.
He stressed that leadership must be earned through persuasion and service, not intimidation. “Leaders should not impose themselves on citizens but instead persuade them through good services,” he said, adding that reliance on fear mirrors the same mistake Amin made.
Museveni also criticized the use of killings to silence opponents, describing it as Amin’s second major error. Even during armed struggle, he said, both the cause and the methods must be just.
The President thanked Northern Uganda for electoral support, linking it to government investments in infrastructure, electricity expansion, roads, schools and health centres. He, however, cited poverty reduction efforts, including the Parish Development Model, and pledged to personally address reports of cattle rustling in East Acholi.
He also fulfilled a Shs60 million pledge to the Priests of Kitgum Diocese.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, welcomed pilgrims from across the country, describing the commemoration as a celebration of faith, justice and moral courage.
“This is not just about an individual; it is about faith, justice and the values he preached,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
The Bishop of Lango Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Alfred Olwa, called for renewed courage and unity as the country approaches the golden jubilee of Luwum’s martyrdom.
St. Janani Luwum Day is observed annually on February 16 to honour the Archbishop who was killed in 1977 after condemning human rights abuses under Amin’s regime.
Nearly five decades after the Archbishop’s death, the message of the day centred on moral leadership — and the warning that power imposed by force ultimately fails.
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