In a real show of determination towards promoting learning and writing for generations to come, more Generals have joined their Commander-in-Chief Gen. Yoweri Museveni in piecing up a line or two or words detailing their life’s story.
The latest artillery man to piece up a voluminous book about his journey is none other than Maj. Gen. Igumba, the Commandant of Senior Command and Staff College-Kimaka but most importantly the man who trained our dear Vice President Maj. Jessica Alupo when she joined the army.
The battle-hardened officer last evening served the nation with a new buffet of information in form of a book entitled “BORN TO WIN: FROM BASTARDHOOD TO GENERALSHIP”
So important to the nation and readers the book is; that our dear Second Citizen also an artillery lady Maj. Jessica Alupo attended and released it officially for all readers of walks of life.
This colorful ceremony which was attended by men and women of purpose in the Banana Republic took place at the Civil Service College of Uganda-Jinja City!
Some of the notables who graced the launch included moustached Gen. Ivan Koreta, Gen. Lakara Nakibus, Gen. Francis Okello, Gen. Rusoke, general duties minister Kasule Lumumba, Busoga PM Muvawala, Clergy among others; of course not forgetting Museveni’s Chief spy Brig. Charles Oluka.
All these constituted a powerful team that welcomed H.E Alupo who herself is among those officers who have gone through the hands of Maj. Gen. Igumba!
The Katakwi district woman MP with a beaming face revealed that she was happy touching base with Maj. Gen Igumba whom she said was the Chief Instructor at the School of Infantry-Jinja when she trained as a Cadet Officer under intake 5 (long) 26 years ago.
Gorgeous Alupo recounted that Gen. Igumba together with Brig. Benard Rwehururu who was their Commandant, and Lt. Gen Peter Elwelu their Course Co-ordinator and indeed all Instructors, mentored them effectively.
“I wish to take this opportunity to thank you Gen. George Igumba for shaping us officers of Intake 5 (long) into the responsible citizens who we are today from April 1998 to May 31st 1999. We were with you on a daily basis as you diligently discharged your duties as very professional UPDF instructors to educate and train us into patriotic Ugandans ready to defend our country Uganda at any cost” she recounted amid gentle cheers from the audience.
WRITING NOT AN EASY TASK
The forever bootyful Alupo noted that writing a book takes a lot of discipline similar to that of men in the artillery world in addition to requiring a lot of patience and determination.
“It can also be a lonely journey. Above all, it is costly in terms of financial resources. To have reached the stage where we are now of launching the book and making it available in the shelves and in the market for everyone to buy and read is no mean achievement. A lot of hard work has been put in. I congratulate Gen. Igumba for the task well accomplished. It is indeed a very big achievement” she said.
The 2iC of the country challenged even other senior citizens not to sit on their stories instead of writing and publishing them.
Alupo specifically singled out the generation of army officers to which Maj. Gen. Igumba belongs (who have served for over 40 years in the Military) and are either retired or about to retire.
She said these should not deny the young generation a chance to read about their lives and tasks by not piecing up a book.
“It is, therefore, only fit and proper that as they retire from the service, they leave the younger generation of officers with a book that they can visit as and when they need inspiration, strength to keep going, courage to soldier on when the going gets tough and a shoulder to lean on when challenges come their way” She said adding that Maj. Gen. George Igumba has established an indelible mark and permanent guidance and counsel to the younger generation through his book.
The Vice President refered to the African tradition where fore fathers and mothers shared experiences and wisdom through oral tales. “However, along the way there is a lot of distortion that happens and as the elders pass on, they die with their stories and knowledge, leaving future generations deprived of the so much needed knowledge and wisdom” she noted but however , noted that this has since changed courtesy of technological advances where there are even soft copies for hundreds of years to come and accessibility to millions of readers.
She said authors like Maj. Gen. Igumba, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga who also recently launched her own book are helping contribute to the preservation of knowledge and our society’s history.
Alupo was also alive to the fact that even the CiC President Museveni is a shining example when it comes to writing and publishing having outted his ‘Sowing The Mustard Seed” book which she says gives the young generation an insight on the revolutionary struggle.
She said through such efforts, the younger generations have a clearer and better appreciation of Uganda’s history and a chance to get knowledge and wisdom from the elders who author books.
GEN. IGUMBA IN THE EYES OF ALUPO
Maj. Gen. Igumba has served our country since he was a young man of 21 when he joined the Army in the 1970s. Through the turbulent times of the 1970s and 1980s, he endured and served his nation, gradually rising through the ranks.
I can say without any fear of contradiction that he has served our country with integrity, honour, a sense of duty, patriotism and Pan-Africanism as his exploits in the Military sphere, both in and outside Uganda, will reveal when you read the book. He, surely, has a story worth sharing and telling the world. Of course, not many people easily open up to the world about their lives. Only men and women who are comfortable with and confident of their life journeys open up because they have nothing sinister to hide and no regrets whatsoever. That is the impression I get with Maj. Gen. Igumba’s book project. I have no doubt that many now and, in the future, will benefit from this book and be inspired by his story of integrity, humility, determination, discipline, hard work, patience, patriotism and above all, service above self to mankind. Please buy the book and please read the book.
“In many ways, this book is also a celebration of Gen. George Igumba’s life. It is also a treasured gift to the institution of the UPDF and the younger generation of officers both in the UPDF now and those who will join at some point in time and generally all the people across the African continent and beyond” she said.
Like any father rewards his kid who does well, the CiC Gen. Yoweri Museveni bought 500 copies of this book (to be distributed to national libraries across the country) in addition to bankrolling the book launch with a mega Shs150m.
This book according to Gen. Igumba tells a story of a person from a struggling background to the table of men and women with authority, power and name. He said he penned the book to inspire others to believe in themselves and their potential to achieve their desires no matter the challenges they encounter and their home background. His latest books adds to that of other artillery men including Museveni’s ‘Sowing the Mastered Seed’, Gen. Pecos Kutesa’s ‘How I Saw It’ and John Kazoora’s ‘Betrayed By My Leader’s among a few others!
