Fatoumata made these remarks during her keynote address on the closing day of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Center Annual Presidential lecture series, which took place at Makerere University's Yusuf Lule, Central Teaching Facility (CTF) on Thursday.
Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang speaking at the event.
The three-day visit which commenced with a reception at Sheraton Hotel on Tuesday finally culminated in a panel discussion held at Yusuf Lule CTF in Makerere, which was attended by various dignitaries and special envoys.
In a lecture titled "Celebrating Women, Pan-Africanism, and Community," where Fatoumata addressed a fully packed auditorium, she said that Africans should be able to travel within the different African countries without the need for visas arguing that the foundational principle of Pan-Africanism is shared prosperity, a concept that all African heads of state should embrace.
“If we are talking about Pan-Africanism, the barriers that have been instilled by our colonialists should be really broken, Africa must be borderless, if you are taking goods from Uganda to Kenya, you need not go through as many checkpoints, you spend so much time from Uganda to Kenya where you can spend just one hour. Africa’s vision is shared prosperity,” She said
Members of the panel from left to right: Lawyer Ms. Akatukunda Moreen, Keynote speaker, Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Ms. Kirabo Marion, and Makerere Guild President, Robert Maseruka.
Her call resonates with President Yoweri Museveni's long-standing aspiration to unify East Africa. Museveni has consistently advocated for enhanced economic integration to establish a stronger regional bloc capable of fostering prosperity.
Regarding the campaign for gender balance, Fatoumata urged male leaders to embrace the concept without perceiving it as a threat to their authority in leadership positions. She acknowledged that discussions about gender balance often evoke fear among men, as they perceive it as a challenge to their position.
However, she advised that this perception should be dispelled and women should be provided with equal opportunities to contribute to the development of their respective communities.
Furthermore, she highlighted the challenges faced by young leaders, emphasising that experienced leaders often fail to engage with them, depriving them of opportunities to assume influential positions.
“The other challenge we have had is that the elderly have not been really communicating enough with young people to impart knowledge to them and prepare them for leadership, because of the lack of communication young people have been deprived of their fundamental rights,” she said
Dr. James Luyonga Nkata, the Director of Uganda Management Institute, also addressed the congregation and called on leaders to promote socialization that challenges societal stereotypes, rather than relying solely on policies that have yielded minimal results.
“In any community, leaders are born through a process called socialization. The social structures that bring up human beings are the ones that groom leaders. Therefore, let me advise you friends Pan Africanism cannot be gained through legislative announcements, but rather socialization” Dr. Nkata said
Robert Maseruka, the Guild President of Makerere and one of the event's speakers, emphasized the importance of inclusivity starting at the grassroots level. He advocated for the appointment of female students alongside their male counterparts to various positions, citing his own guild cabinet where he appointed nine female students to different ministerial roles.
Maseruka encouraged fellow young leaders to collaborate with female leaders, stressing that they possess equal capabilities. He reassured men that inclusivity should not be feared, as no gender should dominate at the expense of the other.
“We should come to a standard of understanding that women can equally serve just like men. Appointment of women should not be something to hate about, especially by the men because they feel their spaces are being taken over. I want to declare to the men that these spaces are not yours.” Maseruka said
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Center was established in 2018 by President Museveni to honor the legacy of former Tanzanian President Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, who played a leading role in Africa's liberation.
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