I know love - Museveni

He only learnt about Valentine’s Day recently, but President Yoweri Museveni takes pride in his knowledge about love. Much to the amusement of media last Tuesday, the president, while speaking from State House Nakasero, through a live broadcast aired on Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) FM, confessed that he had only recently heard about this day set aside to celebrate love and romance. “I didn’t know about that day, they told me about it, but I know about love for sure,” Mr Museveni said.

Advice to young lovers
Confidence and transparency are his recipe to a flourishing relationship.
“I heard people talk about it but for the lovers, having confidence in one another is very crucial. You should also be transparent with your partner and talk about everything so that you have total confidence in each other,” he tipped. The President, who spoke with confidently about love has been in marriage for more than 40 years.

Flashback
Forty-years back, Mr Museveni then aged 29, wedded the 25 year old Janet on a sunny, summer day (August 24, 1973) at a little church on Turnham Green in London. Apart from the sun that shone in all its abundance, everything there was scarce.

“…That day we had a lot to do; for one thing we had no wedding bands. So we hurriedly went to a jewellery shop to buy them. Since we did not have a lot of money, we only bought one wedding band for me…” Janet writes in her book, My Life’s Journey (Page 79).
The church wedding however, came after a series of challenges that only extraordinary commitment could overcome.
Despite the challenges, Janet stuck with her man, for she was the only person who “understood the anointing God had placed on Yoweri’s life” Janet adds.

The first couple has been blessed with four children in their journey of love.
Their children include; Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba (commander of the Special Forces Cmmand), Natasha Karugire (A fashion designer and consultant), Patience Rwabogo, (a Pastor of Covenant Nations Church, and Diana Kamuntu who is involved in tourism promotion.

Parenting
While commenting on parenting, the President said that children need strategic guidance from their parents.
“Children need strategic guidance where you tell them the dos and don’ts but the children are endangered by bad company; they must be immunised against bad company from their peers,” Mr Museveni said.
He added: “My grandchildren have their mothers looking after them but when my children were growing up, we were staying in the same house and when I woke up at 6am, the first thing I did was to go to their room and wake them up when they were still going to Kampala Parents.”

His day-to-day routine
The NRM presidential candidate also said he wakes up as early as 6am in the morning to start his day-to-day routine
“I wake up at 6am and start doing paper work and making phone calls using a land line but I also have a mobile but sometimes if I don’t sleep late by 4am I am up,” he noted.
“I can be in office by 10am after I have finished all the paper work, making calls and glancing through the newspapers but I don’t read much because there are some papers which don’t have much substance but I look at pictures. Sometimes when I reach home early, I watch UBC at 10pm,” he said.

Tweet on wednesday
@KagutaMuseveni “The journalists asked me about my views on Valentine’s day and love. Love, in my view, requires confidence & transparency for bonds to grow.” President Museveni