labor-leaders

"It is outrageous that, to this day, Algeria does not have a council of experts, appointed for their international scientific expertise, at a high level within the State, to assess any projects related to archaeological research, monument conservation-restoration, or museum management."

"This is not an amphitheater; it's a theater. Your question comes a bit too late, as a concrete theater has recently been completed in a completely unsuitable location, which detracts from the integrity and aesthetics of the site. I fail to see the purpose of holding this festival in Timgad, as it has no connection to the historical significance of Thamugadi."

"Now that I am a fully sworn-in MP, I pledge to engage my colleagues and work together to establish various committees aimed at driving sustainable development in Mbarara City and the entire region. These committees will bring together bankers, craftsmen, politicians, business leaders, and healthcare professionals to collaborate for the greater good."

"In Uganda, we must begin seeing women as human beings, not as property. I demand a public apology from MP Twinamat­siko to all women in Uganda, delivered through the same television station he used to make his harmful statement that women should be beaten."

"Our commitment to supporting our communities, especially in times like these, is crucial for all stakeholders, as we all have a shared interest in the well-being of our country."

"I want to assure them that February next year is still ahead of us. I know I won my votes honestly—I didn’t bribe anyone, I didn’t pay boda-bodas to ride around at night, and I didn’t send money for people to gather by the roadside. It was the love of the people that helped me win."

"The government must ramp up waste management campaigns and enhance public education on proper waste handling and disposal."

"I would like to express my gratitude to President Museveni for his leadership over the years. His efforts have been pivotal in promoting peace and fostering national transformation. I also thank our youth for their commitment to embracing vocational training and acquiring skills that are vital in the modern economy. As a member of the Budget Committee, I am pleased to announce that we have agreed to allocate additional resources to the State House, with the goal of further empowering these initiatives."

""Today marks a significant milestone for the hardworking people of Yumbe. We will forever remember Türkiye's support, and we are committed to making Yumbe a model region for fish farming by intensifying our efforts to honor this generous assistance."

"As leaders, we have a significant role to play in supporting and enhancing government efforts to combat the pandemic that has devastated the country."

"The Ministry should treat this as a critical issue, given that milk is a perishable product. The rationalization of the DDA will not result in the expected savings outlined in the Certificate of Financial Implication, as the information provided was misleading."

"Why are the small cats taken to prison while the big cat is left free? No one is above the law in this country. Will we ever see the General face trial in a court of law for brutalizing a woman here?"

"I am committed to serving with the utmost honor for everyone. While the swearing-in is significant, it won't be truly meaningful or memorable unless I fulfill my duty through service."

"We recognize that limited access to finance is one of the biggest challenges women face, particularly in marginalized communities worldwide. Financial stability is crucial to building resilience. Empowering women financially creates a ripple effect that benefits not only their families but also their communities and entire nations. Without access to financial resources, women struggle to save, grow their businesses, and lift their families out of poverty."

"As a district, we faced issues of misappropriation of funds; however, the reports from the Office of the Inspector General of Government and the State Housing Anti-Corruption Unit have not yet been released."

"This grant will help uplift the economic well-being of many women by removing the barriers to finance that most women face. Community-based savings groups offer access to essential financial services that are often scarce in rural areas. These groups provide a safe place to save, opportunities to borrow small amounts with flexible terms, and a strong network of support and solidarity. We are deeply grateful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for their invaluable support."

"These issues can be addressed if the Government ensures that integrating the DDA into the Ministry of Agriculture does not compromise the ongoing recognition and accreditation processes, which are essential for market access."

"The plan aimed to acquire 75,000 females and 5,000 males at a total cost of Shs 25.68 billion. However, Shs 26.09 billion was spent to procure 73,900 goats."

"We are not doing enough to educate our community about wetlands, coastal areas, and how to establish sustainable settlements."

"They made the decision after touring parts of Entebbe on June 19 to assess the damage caused by the rising water levels."

"You are a father to me. I never had the chance to meet my grandfather, Idi Amin, but in you, I’ve found a true grandfather. I will continue to spread your message wherever I go."

"Your Excellency, you are a father to me. I never had the chance to meet my grandfather, Idi Amin, but in you, I have found a true grandfather. I will carry your message and share it wherever I go."

"I can't imagine leaving here without expressing my gratitude. I'm overwhelmed with emotion and didn't prepare a speech, but I just want to say, you are like a father to me—thank you."

"I don't agree with the idea that politics is inherently a "dirty game." Rather, it's the people involved who determine whether it remains "clean" or becomes "dirty." I once heard an illustration that I think captures this idea well: Politics is like water. You can add mud to it, making it dirty, or you can keep it clear and use it for good. Ultimately, politics itself is neutral; it's up to us, the participants, to decide whether to keep it clean or let it become polluted."

"Sports, particularly football, plays a crucial role in improving the welfare and health of players. Our goal is to nurture young talent, helping them reach greater heights both locally and internationally. It is important for the youth to stay active and disciplined, avoiding idleness and the dangers of drug use. As an ambassador, I will continue to support the development of football in Buikwe District and advocate for the district whenever possible."

"You forgave my father, despite his mistakes, brought us back home, provided us with a house, and gave us an education. Because of you, I am now a doctor."

"I have to admit, before I got involved in politics, I too shared the common belief that politics itself was inherently dirty. To me, this meant that anyone who entered politics was bound to engage in corruption, dishonesty, and compromise. This belief often leads people to think that people of faith should avoid public life altogether. However, when I eventually joined, I discovered something different. While it's true that many individuals act according to that cynical view of politics, I found that, with God's guidance, it's entirely possible to participate in politics without resorting to the "dirty" aspects that many associate with it."

"The community has settled in this wetland without adequate awareness, but once the settlement was established, enforcement should have been implemented sooner."

"The committee deemed the minister's refusal to provide information about the recipients of the mismanaged iron sheets as an act of contempt of Parliament due to his uncooperative behavior."

"The committee observes that Hon. Nandutu Agnes' actions were premeditated for personal gain, constituting an abuse of office. As the substantive Minister of State for Karamoja, Hon. Nandutu was expected to be fully informed about the internal workings, programs, and activities of the ministry."

"We are making progress and staying on track."

"I decided to watch the news because I was curious to see who the new vice president would be. Meanwhile, my phone kept ringing nonstop, but I was so fed up with it that I chose to ignore it. Then, during a segment on the list of ministers, I saw my name and thought, "What?!" That's when it hit me—suddenly, I understood why my phone had been ringing off the hook."

"Some of the challenges we face involve "pulling ropes," especially when it comes to context. In today’s world, global factors affect nearly everything. Implementing programs in a unique environment can be difficult because it’s challenging for partners or donors to fully understand and perceive the situation as you do. For example, with HIV mobile testing, some may find it difficult to accept the idea of bringing services directly to people, which can seem unusual. Global programs often come with challenges in creating interventions that truly address the specific needs and realities on the ground."

"By the way, we aim for 99:99:99—our targets are always set higher than the national ones."

"Yes, I have been actively involved in national politics. I served as the Woman Member of Parliament for Rakai District from 1996 to 2006, and during that time, I also held the position of Minister of State for Internal Affairs from 1998 to 2003."

"I'm glad the Ministry has finally addressed the issue, even though it took some time. As the saying goes, better late than never it's a pleasure to see progress."

"I believe the university definition of politics is accurate when it describes it as "a way of sharing power and scarce resources." Harold Lasswell also famously defined politics as the art of "who gets what, when, and how." This highlights that, whether or not we are directly involved in formal or public political spheres, issues like power, resource distribution, equity, and justice are relevant to everyone. They affect us all in some way."

"HIV has profoundly impacted many aspects of our military culture. In the past, soldiers often had a different mindset, including behaviors like sharing women, as reflected in the Kiswahili saying, "we eat from the same saucepan." There was little jealousy among soldiers, and solidarity was the norm. However, the HIV epidemic has forced a cultural shift. With a better understanding of how the virus spreads, soldiers have realized that maintaining these behaviors could be deadly—not just for them, but for their families and communities. Continuing to live by the old practices of sharing everything could have fatal consequences. HIV has pushed soldiers to rethink their approach to relationships and health, emphasizing personal responsibility and caution."

"Setting higher targets motivates us to work harder to achieve them. I remember when the government first focused heavily on eMTCT, we were still far behind. But we always strive to do our best."

"The current system is illogical, as it permits districts like my ancestral district of Pallisa, with an annual revenue of only 130 million shillings, to be represented by five MPs who collectively cost the nation 900 million shillings annually."

"Everything has its pros and cons. From a practical standpoint, the military encourages open discussions about any issue. However, this approach can sometimes mean that deeper, personal matters are not fully addressed. People may downplay their true concerns and hesitate to share issues that deeply affect them. Despite this, we have well-established psychosocial services, including trained counselors and psychologists. The uptake of these services has been encouraging, with many soldiers actively seeking help. Today, almost every division has a psychologist. Initially, psychologists were brought in to address HIV-related issues, but their roles have since expanded to cover a broad range of psychosocial concerns, offering holistic and multidisciplinary support."

"Our partners provide two key contributions. First, they bring in technical expertise that is not readily available within the military, allowing us to access specialist healthcare workers. Second, they ensure that resources are used efficiently, ensuring that funds allocated to programs are spent effectively and achieve their intended outcomes. They report both to the funders and to the military for program implementation. Partners help by hiring skilled professionals on a short-term basis, such as physicians, to carry out specific tasks. Additionally, they ensure that all activities align with the guidelines set by their funders while also delivering services to the military."

"In the structured environment of the military, we are better equipped to identify when a colleague is struggling. Peers play a key role in providing psychosocial support, as they are often the first to recognize when someone needs help. The peer support model is effective because of the strong bonds formed in the military. Soldiers quickly become like family, living and working together closely. If someone is affected, their peers are likely to notice, sometimes even through the chain of command."

"The DSDM model involves reaching out to communities directly, where we maintain contact with our clients. We find it more convenient to deliver medication to our clients rather than asking them to travel to health facilities, as many lack transportation or are too ill to make the journey. We identify key points where a large number of clients gather, and that’s where we deliver the medications. This model proved particularly effective during the COVID-19 outbreak. While it existed before COVID, the restrictions during the pandemic helped us organize and streamline the process. It was originally implemented by health workers in remote areas where our soldiers are stationed, and we would gather medical records for certain groups, refill prescriptions, and deliver the medication to those locations. The pandemic only amplified the scope of this initiative, and it continues to function effectively today. We’ve since expanded the model. Now, a multidisciplinary team goes to specific locations to offer a variety of services, rather than just delivering medications. In addition to dispensing drugs, the team conducts disease monitoring, TB contact tracing, and even viral load testing. Essentially, we’re bringing the entire healthcare facility to the community. People now know that on specific days, they can access healthcare services right in their own neighborhood, instead of having to travel long distances to find a clinic. As long as a battalion is stationed in a particular area, we will continue to offer services to both the soldiers and the surrounding communities."

"Our figures tend to be higher than those of the Ministry of Health, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s not just the soldiers. We serve soldiers, their families, and the surrounding communities. In fact, in many of our service areas, civilians make up the largest percentage of our clients. We often hear feedback from people who prefer the services provided by military facilities. In fact, we are performing exceptionally well in most of the programs we run."

"Yes, it is. One of our key achievements is the introduction of the mobile approach for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC). I believe the UPDF was the first to implement this model, and now it has been adopted widely. It’s not just about pioneering these initiatives, but also about responding to the unique needs of the situation. We realized that establishing a traditional health facility to serve our troops would be impractical—when would we ever complete a whole battalion? And with soldiers often deployed to remote locations, getting them to a fixed facility would be challenging. This is why our funding model is so distinctive. Current funding focuses on high-incidence areas, but often, these areas don’t have our troops. Instead, our soldiers may be stationed in regions where the HIV prevalence is lower, but they still require services. In some of the most remote locations, the prevalence might not be high, but access to healthcare is extremely difficult. It's not just about providing services to soldiers, but also to the surrounding communities who live in these hard-to-reach areas. We must ensure that people in these regions have access to care. It’s been valuable that PEPFAR has recognized the unique challenges of military health needs and routed funding through URC-DHAPP, an organization that understands military logistics and can effectively negotiate at that level. When mapping HIV distribution across Uganda, the scientific approach is logical, but it doesn’t account for the large group of people—soldiers and civilians alike—who still need care, whether it’s treatment or prevention services. Without a tailored approach, these individuals might be overlooked."

"The primary challenge remains reaching soldiers stationed in very remote areas, especially since, during wartime, they are not allowed to move freely or travel alone. It’s not feasible to send just one soldier for testing; instead, we must move them in groups. To address this, we established teams equipped with security escorts to carry testing kits and reach soldiers in their deployed locations. Whether in a room, an open space, a tent, or even under a tree, these teams would set up a secure and professional environment to conduct testing. They ensured that the space was spacious and maintained confidentiality, even in such remote settings. Initially, we conducted one-on-one counseling and testing, but over time, as stigma decreased, we shifted to group counseling and testing, making the process more efficient and inclusive."

"The UPDF was one of the key organizations that led the fight against HIV/AIDS, with guidance from the Commander-in-Chief. As one of the pioneering institutions, combining this effort with our regular military duties—especially in hard-to-reach areas—was no small accomplishment. It's an achievement we should not underestimate. Due to our presence in these remote regions, we have a responsibility to provide services not just to our soldiers, but also to the surrounding communities. As a result, the civilian populations in these areas have greatly benefited from our outreach efforts."

"Around 2012 to 2013, we began discussing with our partners the idea of creating a branded condom specifically for the military. It was essentially a form of social marketing. Although condoms were available, soldiers weren’t using them, despite knowing how to do so, and the same applied to the wider community. We wanted to understand why they weren’t using existing condoms, and we discovered that when people get accustomed to something, they often don’t value it. So, we thought, “Let’s create a condom that would appeal to them and encourage use.” We continued discussions with our partners, pushing for this idea. When PACE was securing their contract, we made it clear that we wanted this initiative included. The demand for this new product came directly from the military, an innovation led by us, but of course, we needed to bring in our partners as experts. The idea was to create a unique condom and brand it specifically for our soldiers. PACE helped bring this vision to life, and thus, the Ulinzi condom was born. The response was overwhelming, especially due to its camouflage design. People started to appreciate not only the design but also the quality. Soldiers and civilians alike began requesting them. Interestingly, when we distributed the Ulinzi condoms alongside other brands, like the pink ones, people would often refuse the pink ones in favor of Ulinzi. However, with the conclusion of the PACE contract, funding for these condoms also ended, and now they are out of stock. Despite this, whenever we visit communities, people still ask for Ulinzi condoms, saying, "We want Ulinzi." Civil-military relations are about creating synergy between the military and the civilian population. It’s about identifying areas where both sides can collaborate and work together, with either the civilian community contributing to the military, or the military supporting the civilians. The underlying principle is that we cannot exist in isolation. While the military runs its own health programs, there are specific services provided by the Ministry of Health that the military may not have the capacity to offer. One example of this collaboration is the "Tarehe Sita" initiative, where two weeks of the year are dedicated to providing community services. During this time, the military engages in activities such as offering healthcare, rehabilitating water sources, improving livelihoods, and working alongside the community. We also have our largest SACCO, Wazalendo, which focuses on training people in economic empowerment. While the military may have limited resources, we do our best to offer what we can in terms of health services. Tarehe Sita, which commemorates the birth of the UPDF, is a reminder that the army cannot function in isolation. The support of civilians was crucial in helping the military achieve its objectives, so it’s important that we give back and show appreciation for our shared existence. The Directorate of Health, along with our partners, plays a key role in this. As part of our community service efforts, we provide medical services, while the engineering brigades focus on infrastructure, sanitation, and town cleanups. The Directorate of HIV, under the medical services division, contributes by addressing health needs related to HIV, and our partners help implement these initiatives, ensuring that the UPDF fulfills its responsibility to give back to the community."

"I'm trying to find a way for people to connect and experience how onsens have developed here in Japan, even if they don't have scientific knowledge about it, while also understanding the value they offer."