Like most people of his generation, President Yoweri Museveni was born at a time when hospital records of birth were not the norm. So unlike his children and grandchildren he cannot say for sure what his exact date of birth is.
However he has adopted September 15, 1944 as his natal day after piecing together circumstantial information of his birth from his dear mum Esteri and an old lady with a sharp memory.
President Museveni said that he “I was born approximately on September 15, 1944; there were no hospital records of my birth but from accounts from my mother Esteri who I was born three months after a massive cattle vaccination which I put in September.
And an old woman who said I was born when she was harvesting Omugobe (cow peas leaves) that are usually harvested in September, I decided to be diplomatic and put my actual date on September 15, 1944. I may not tell you the exact date, that am not sure, but certainly am not in danger of not knowing the season,” he said at his 70th birthday celebration last Sunday.
Exalting family life, with profound gratitude to his parents, President Museveni urged young people, his children and grandchildren not to squander their health.
“I’m grateful to my parents – Amos Kaguta and Esteri Kokundeka – for raising and educating me. It gave me a very rare opportunity for me to do what I have done.
“My young people, my children and grandchildren, what you need is to look after your health. Don’t squander it by taking alcohol, smoking and umalaya (prostitution). If your health is good, you can do a lot of things. I don’t know what I would be if I did all that,” he testified.
The President used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to his wife Janet for raising “great children and building” their family.
“When we got married, they were turbulent times, I didn’t look after the children, it was Janet. She was very strict. She did all the work and am very grateful to her. The Banyankole say that when a man becomes of age he has to kwombeka (build a home).
“She built our home. Okwombeka now means getting an education, after get a wife, then children and after that wealth. Janet has helped me do all this,” he praised her.
The Museveni family and friends first attended a thanksgiving service led by Rev. Emmanuel Katamunanwire after which the President hosted his guests to a family lunch and shared warm thoughts with his children about family.
“Make sure you have families. Life without family is meaningless. I hear some people like it that way but this undermines the purpose of life. I get a lot of happiness and purpose from my family. It is eternity, you pass on the torch. It is a part of eternity to have children,” he said.
He also urged them strongly “to work for wealth”, adding however, that could not do so “you don’t love and fear God.”
President Museveni advocated unity among his children and admonished them against allowing another person to suffer “if it is within their means” to help them.
“Don’t be selfish. Help each other and don’t let people divide you. When you do that, God does your work for you. I have not done my work for my family, I have been working for Uganda and for Africa and most of my work has been done by God. I hope many of you will reach this age and surpass it,” he said.
The First Lady Janet Museveni praised and thanked God “for the life of Museveni”, and that like the Biblical Gideon, he has taken him through challenging times and sought him out to do a multitude of things for the country.
“God’s goodness has lifted this man and used him to do a multitude of things. We don’t take anything for granted. You have blessed us with wonderful children and grandchildren. We thank God,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the children, Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba thanked God for the 70 years he has given their father and the 28 years they have lived as a family, recalling that for many years they all lived apart.
“We thank Mzee for what he has done for us as a father and holding the family together despite busy schedule as a statesman. We ask God to protect you. For many years, we thought we might not live to see this day due to a lot of problems and trials,” he said.