UGANDA: I AM A TESTED LEADER – SAM EVIDENCE

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Lord mayor Lukwago and other Opposition leaders should learn from me.

By Sam Evidence Orikunda.

When I lost an election in highschool to become a Prefect my hopes of becoming a leader were shuttered and yet I had been a leader in the O’level but in a different School. While in O’level I had served as information Minister and every Friday I was supposed to appear in front of students and give weekly round – up of what transpired in the course of the week. So when I lost in highschool I wondered how life was going to be while studying and being treated as a mere student who wouldn’t be wearing a tag and not commanding any respect from other students. Somehow I had got used of being a leader.

The electral process in highschool was not all that easy because fellow students accused me of speaking too much English which to them was pride and I was too young compared to my opponent who was older and strong. it was so hard to explain to them and I realized my opponent was taking advantage of it and no Wonder he won the election..The evening of my loss was a bad one, looking at the face of other students was a problem to me because I was angry and offended..till when I reached in my bed, relaxed my minds and accepted the loss..I still believed that I was better than the person who defeated me. I hd made a moving speech on campaigning day and for him he just mentioned his name, spoke a few words and took his sit, .I knew I was a good public speaker and I was smarter than him even when he was doing sciences..His shirts were always hanging and he wouldn’t iron his uniform. I think he was a shaby young man both in behavior and dressing. No wonder on the day of taking an oath he failed to read a written oath in front of students.. inside me happiness was killing me.

Thank God I had been a good boy, very disciplined and too much into religion I had at the same time made my relationship with the administrators of the school very smooth and working. I didn’t know that one of the school administrators had identified me and was taking watch of me for long..so there was a vacant position in the prefectorial body which they sat and anonymously agreed to appoint me and this saved me the stress of losing an election.

This didn’t take long, because one evening one of the person’s who was in charge called me and tipped..this wasn’t like how government does it where the appointment of someone comes to him as a surprise No! He tipped me, and asked me if I was willing, I answered yes! and he told return back to the dometry and be a good boy. I went with thousands of thoughts but with happiness, First of all an announcement would be made on a morning assembly in front of every student, Secondly I would be asked to move in front raise my hands and wave just like Bishops say “Peace be with you all” to me that was an interesting moment..I loved recognition so much. So I wondered how I would dress, how I would smile and how would put on my smile and raise my small hand in the air and wave to my subordinates.

The evening of breaking the news to the students I stayed with in the dometry was an interesting one, I came and shouted Good news! And students shouted back, please tell us! And I went on, Do you know what guys! I have been appointed a minister! Of course those who didn’t like me didn’t welcome the story, they kept Quiet, those who liked me hugged me and congratulated me, I was the boy in the days Lugambo throughout that night and following day!

It’s from those events that I rose from a mere student, to a student leader. I would attend the meetings, put on a tag and get supper after everyone. It’s from that time that I got the opportunity to always speak to the big maltitude of students which I enjoyed most. So what would happen to those who didn’t like me and those who said I was proud..they had nothing but to accept and respect me as their leader. Most of them became friendly others chose to be enemies for life, even today when I meet them they don’t want to look at me directly in the face, some didn’t go on with studies and some I haven’t been able to see them since then.

I learnt a lot of things in that experience. People don’t usually vote the able leader, once you try to show your Electrate that you’re more able they will vote you out and choose your opponent. I do not know the science behind this and I have finally found it in the politics of old people.

Some people carry feelings in politics, they will see you, hate you and decide to go against you for ever, most of those people labour much to have your name soiled. They try much as they can for you to lose, they do not have anything against you but hate, some are jelous and envious.

If you decide to pay back, you ruin your picture in public, as run battles with them some things go wrong automatically because as you do, you might insult or say something that isn’t expected from you. But when you do your work, enemies and people who fight you will have no choice but to accept and follow. Of course they will discredit you and enjoy talking ill against you but if you’re doing right, you have the majority and the person with the majority is always the leader no matter what the minority think and do.

Ends.