The Commander of 16 Service Brigade, Special Forces Command (SFC), Lieutenant Colonel Frank Murema, has urged students of St Mary’s College Kisubi to embrace patriotism, discipline and productivity as they prepare to contribute to Uganda’s future development.
Lt Col Murema made the call while addressing the students during a lecture on national power, where he outlined five key elements that underpin a nation’s strength: diplomacy, information and intelligence, the military, the economy and the population.
He explained that strong diplomatic relations promote international cooperation, reliable information and intelligence support informed decision-making, while a professional military safeguards national security and territorial integrity.
Drawing lessons from Uganda’s development journey and comparing it with China’s experience, Lt Col Murema stressed the importance of education in equipping young people with the skills, knowledge and values required to drive national development.
He particularly highlighted the Competence-Based Curriculum, saying it should help produce skilled, innovative and responsible citizens capable of responding to the country’s development needs.
“The future is in production. You must acquire knowledge and skills that enable you to create, produce and contribute to national development,” he said.
Lt Col Murema urged the students to cultivate conscious discipline, personal responsibility and a strong work ethic, noting that government efforts to support development must be complemented by individual commitment.
On patriotism, he encouraged the learners to love, protect and contribute to Uganda regardless of the circumstances they face.
“Patriotism means loving, protecting and contributing to your country regardless of the circumstances,” Lt Col Murema said.
He also emphasised unity, brotherhood and integration as important foundations for national greatness, while highlighting Uganda’s contribution to Pan-Africanism and its long-standing hospitality towards refugees as a reflection of the country’s openness and commitment to regional solidarity.
Lt Col Murema encouraged the students to look beyond national boundaries and view East Africa and the wider African continent as a shared market, urging them to embrace production, innovation and entrepreneurship as pathways to prosperity.
He further challenged the learners to use knowledge responsibly, reject hatred and destructive influences, and uphold good moral character in their interactions with others.
During an interactive session, the students actively participated and expressed appreciation for the lessons on patriotism, discipline, productivity and national responsibility.
