"I have come to bless you" -Museveni to Cranes

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has visited the Cranes camp to morale-boost the national football team ahead of their 2006 World Cup/ Nations Cup match against Ghana?s Black Stars today.

?I have come to bless you,? Museveni told the team at Mandela national stadium, Namboole yesterday.

Museveni, flanked by education and sports state minister Henry Oryem, stressed the importance of stamina and endurance in soccer.

Skipper David Obua introduced his teammates to Museveni.

The president, who was with the team for barely 10 minutes, promised a longer stay with the team in future. The group two match will kick-off today at 4:00pm at Namboole.

Meanwhile, Alfred Wasike and Cyprian Musoke quote Museveni as saying that power does not belong to the courts, the Parliament or the President, but to the people.

Museveni said this yesterday while addressing rallies of Movement mobilisers and supporters at the Windsor Children?s Park at Kamwokya, at the Uganda International Conference Centre and at Mengo Kisenyi.

He stressed the need to respect the people?s power in decision making, saying all power ultimately belongs to them.

Museveni warned people against trampling on democracy, saying it was restored through bloodshed.

?The most important issue that led to the bush war was to restore democracy. Since 1966, Obote usurped the power of the people by the barrel of the gun, and until 1994, we never held any genuine elections.

?We gave you the authority but there are those speaking like they don?t understand that the authority is yours. We are going to explain to them.?

The crowd that chanted ekisanja (presidential third term) songs, included Kampala LC chairmen and councillors, UTODA staff and bodaboda riders.

At the International Conference Centre the group was led by their chairperson for the 2000 presidential campaign, Hajat Mariam Kasigwa, and Kampala MPs Margaret Zziwa and Francis Babu.

?Because we got this democracy from bloodshed, nobody can take it away from here on the table,? Museveni said.

He said the bush war was meant to usher in a regime that respects security of person and property, and to remove extra-judicial killings by State agencies. He said the agriculture and construction boom in Uganda was a result of the security of person and property.

He urged the people to support the Movement ?because it does not behave like a barren spouse who does not produce. You have seen for yourselves that the Movement is productive,? triggering deafening cheers.

He said he had commissioned a study to find a solution to urban poverty by taking care of shopkeepers, bodabodas, market vendors and other businesses ?to find out the best way government can help fight poverty by raising household incomes and producing for local and foreign markets.? Ends

Published on: Saturday, 3rd July, 2004