Ex-Gambia VP hails Museveni for starting Nyerere Leadership Centre

The former Gambia leader, who was speaking at a Media Blitz Roundtable organised by the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre, also noted that leadership is got through hard work.

The event, which was held Tuesday afternoon, June 6 at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, is part of the 2023 Presidential Lecture Series that will be held for three days.

The first event was today, the next is dubbed Ekyooto and it will be at Nsambya Gardens on Wednesday, and Charlene Ruto, the daughter of Kenya’s President, William Ruto, will grace the event.

The final event will be held on Thursday a the Yusuf Lule Audorium at Makerere University.

Today’s event was dubbed One on One with Young Female Leaders on Transformative Leadership and it was attended by student leaders from Uganda Management Institute and Makerere University.

Fatoumata Tambajang told them that dialogue is one of the missing components in African leadership and urged them to work together.

She also advised them to never accept a leadership “position in which you are not competent” unless they’re willing to put in the work and get the skills.

The former Gambian vice president noted that she’s always been “convinced that Africa can be changed” through strong visionary leadership.

She said that she was inspired to become a leader after being born into a family of four daughters yet her father was against them going to school because he “was protective of” them.

She said she went to school at the age of nine but having a vision and goal helped her keep on track.

Tambajang hailed President Yoweri Museveni for allowing her to come into Uganda without a visa.

“Borderless Africa starts with the leaders,” she said.

She also paid tribute to the president for ensuring that the centre is established to nurture Africa’s future leaders.

“The establishment of the centre is a political statement,” she said.

She called on younger leaders to work together because the challenges of leadership require a combined effort of strong men and women.

Fatoumata Tambajang referred to gender equality as a partnership that provides equal opportunities for both men and women to fulfil their potential.

“Without peace and stability, we can never have development,” she said.

The Executive Director of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga said the institution was launched in 2018 by President Museveni to honour of the legacy of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere.

This will be done through “fostering and continuing his legacy around nationalism and Panafricanism.”

The Centre conducts research on policy, holds cross-sectional conversations and dialogues and trains young leaders in leadership.

Andrew Tumusiime, a founding board member of the Centre, said that President Museveni “started the centre to honour the man he looks at as his mentor.”

He noted that it’s a timely initiative as it empowers the youths and leaders of tomorrow and Uganda has 77% of its population below 25 years.