M7, TAYEBAWA SOUND HISTORY ALARM! “Write Your Life Stories Before They Disappear”
KAMPALA — President Yoweri Museveni has challenged Ugandans to document their life experiences, warning that important chapters of the country’s history could disappear if those who lived through them fail to tell their stories.
Museveni made the call while launching the autobiography of the late Lt. Col. George Wilson Kamya, Soldier of Faith, saying personal accounts by people who participated in Uganda’s defining historical events provide future generations with an invaluable record of the past.
The President’s speech was delivered by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa at the book launch held Friday evening at Kololo, Kampala.
Lt. Col. Kamya, who died in 1993, was the father of former Minister and Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya, now a Senior Presidential Advisor.
Museveni described Soldier of Faith as a moving and honest account of Kamya’s life, arguing that autobiographies are not merely about individual achievements but can help explain the circumstances, struggles and sacrifices that shaped Uganda.
“When a soldier sits down to write their autobiography, it isn’t an act of self-praise; it is an act of duty,” Museveni said.
He warned that without deliberate efforts to record personal experiences, important memories could disappear as generations pass.
“The story of Africa and the story of Uganda will be preserved for generations if we document our life stories,” he said.
Museveni said Kamya’s story takes readers back to principles that influenced Uganda’s liberation struggle, including discipline, ideological clarity, Pan-Africanism and the aspirations of the people.
He linked those themes to the principles that later shaped the National Resistance Movement, identifying patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation and democracy as its key pillars.
According to Museveni, patriotism remains essential to Uganda’s unity, prosperity and security, while Pan-Africanism is important because the country’s economic and strategic interests extend beyond its borders.
Deputy Speaker Tayebwa, who said he had read Kamya’s autobiography, said the book contains lessons for both current leaders and younger generations.
One of the issues that impressed him was Kamya’s ability to live and serve across different cultures, countries and political eras without losing his identity.
“I found Lt. Col. Kamya in the book as a man who walked through four cultures, three countries and several political eras, but never lost his footing,” Tayebwa said.
Tayebwa said the lesson is particularly relevant today, when Ugandans increasingly travel abroad for education, employment and business.
He warned that exposure to other cultures should not mean abandoning one’s identity, values and roots.
The Deputy Speaker also highlighted Kamya’s religious faith, arguing that spirituality and military discipline are not contradictory.
“An officer who prays is not a weak soldier, but rather is often a steadier one,” Tayebwa said.
He urged soldiers and other people in positions of responsibility to draw guidance from faith when confronted with difficult decisions and the pressures of public service.
Tayebwa also pointed to Kamya’s investment in education and family as another important legacy.
He said the late officer ensured that his children received education and went on to carry forward his legacy.
“It also reminds us that life is not finished when the body is laid down. Our mission can still be accomplished when we leave behind a strong foundation for our family. We must invest in our families,” Tayebwa said.
The Deputy Speaker further used Kamya’s life to condemn identity-based politics, arguing that the former soldier’s experiences across different countries and cultures demonstrate the danger of reducing people to ethnicity, religion or nationality.
“The book records an East African life—a man who kept his identity even when the flags around him changed,” Tayebwa said.
He added: “Politics of identity are barbaric and wicked.”
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