By Ndawula Ronald
I have spent 2 decades of my life serving, sacrificing for and trying to build my community so as it may be a better place for me, my kids and the posterity.
I became a mayor of Luwero town in 2001 at exactly 30 years and had immense drive and ambition to make things work in my post war small town of luwero.
Admittedly, I was naive, and had very little knowledge of government and governance but had the zeal , tolerance and pin pointed focus of seeing a better Luwero.
When I achieved this feat of becoming a Mayor, I thought I could get funders from within and without to miraculously change my small world of Luwero to the vision I inherently harboured every day.
I went to USA in the SISTER CITIES CONFERENCE with the aim of getting a city to partner with my town of Luwero so that I can change it for the better.
I gave a headline speech in the conference of Mayors in Toledo – OHIO USA and my name and speech appeared in the “TOLEDO BLADE ” a local newspaper as, ‘A young unknown Mayor from Luwero City in Uganda challenges the Sister city conference to assist his town which has one road of tarmac!’
I was challenged by some mayor from Israel telling me that Sister City conferences are not about seeking for AID, but he was shut down by my many supporters when they told him the conference was about sharing experiences not only about the successes of the cities but also about their challenges and listening to each other.
I turned an overnight Hero , got invited to attend the many forums sitting on the sidelines of the conference till the closure of the conference but unfortunately got no immediate help for the much needed support I had envisioned and sought.
Many Mayors gave me their business cards and promised me if I can follow them up in their respective cities they can talk to their respective governments as they were not in position to make independent decisions about the kind of relationship between Luwero and their cities.
This was hard because Luwero town council didn’t have the muscle to finance those journeys and meetings I was supposed to follow up on.
I was kinda of frustrated because I thought I would be a failure if I returned with nothing yet people had high expectations about my journey and they trusted my wits then.
While in USA I visited and met several Mayors especially on the eastern coast and I realised it was not easy for the Mayors to come up with the assistance I desperately and urgently needed.
I eventually made a decision to start working ‘Kyeyo’ jobs so that I can finance some of the projects I strongly believed could be worked on.
I was very fortunate, when I reached USA I caught up with my brother Phillip a son of Luwero who was very helpful and accorded me all the assistance, attention, advice and provided a platform on how to go about all I wanted to accomplish.
I started working and most of the money I was sending it home to build the Luwero stadium. A construction committee was formed comprising of the late Enosi Wagaba and Mr Kakonge Jackson who enabled me fulfil my dream of starting the now Luwero stadium.
So many things happened thereafter and trying to finance the tree planting campaign in order to beautify the town, a bursary scheme to pay fees for orphans and supporting market vendors in the many areas of Luwero and paving the Kikuubo avenue.
I came back after 4 years and was welcomed as a hero and I had shifted my focus to stand for district LC5 chairman .
When I came back we started construction of the Luwero taxi park and the Luwero town council offices.
While in US, My speaker and several others felt like they could overthrow me so that they take over the Mayorship!
Hajji Nadduli intervened and a coup detat failed.
I used to get all information on phone and I used to call on local radios to deliver my opinions and instill hope to my people.
On my return I was referred to as a man who successfully governed a town on phone calls.
All the time I stayed as Mayor , I didn’t have much time to fight with people because I was so involved in making things happen and for the betterment of my town.
I may have failed to achieve all my dreams for this home town but I was a POSITIVE PACE SETTER for all the tangible developments trending now like , office block , stadium, taxi park and luwero market.
I didn’t have much time for small fights and enjoyed the beauty of a dream town am yet to see.
It is disheartening to see the town we will always call our home to be engulfed in petty, frivolous and inconsequential issues which are stagnating, derailing and depriving the leaders of the much needed focus a prerequisite for development.
I pray if one of you can’t tolerate each other, then knock out one another. In the alternative, you either resign, or cease the battle because as citizens of this beautiful home we are missing out on the much needed development.
Ndawula Ronald, the author is a Concerned Luwero citizen and former chairperson Luwero District
