Museveni Honors Late Aronda for Advancing Uganda's National ID Project

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised the late General Aronda Nyakairima for his role in actualizing Uganda's National Identity Card project, stating that it addressed the challenge of accurately identifying Ugandans, a problem the country had faced since independence. Museveni described this as a magic bullet that paved the way for electronic voting, which would help eliminate vote rigging. The president made these remarks during the closing ceremony of the 1st Kampala Defence and Security Expo, which concluded with a memorial thanksgiving service in honor of the former Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima. A thanksgiving for the late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima has been held at the closing ceremony of the Kampala Defence and Security Expo at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo. Ambiance... The preachers of the day, including Rt. Rtd. Rev. Patrick Tugume and Rt. Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe, stated that the late Aronda died while still making valuable contributions to the nation, which is why his legacy needed to be celebrated. Specifically, Rt. Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe called on officers in uniform to desist from corrupt tendencies, noting that Gen. Aronda was not a corrupt army general. Lynda Aronda, the wife of Aronda Nyakairima, recounted the most challenging operation, called Iron Fist, which Aronda commanded in Northern Uganda to wipe out Joseph Kony's Lord’s Resistance Army, keeping him away from home for long periods. When Aronda's term as CDF ended in 2013, Lynda narrates that she was relieved, hoping to spend more time with her husband, but this did not happen. She commended President Museveni for giving Aronda the opportunity to serve the nation, but urged the UPDF to keep track of the widows of fallen soldiers. The president stated that the lack of accurate identification was one of Uganda's major challenges but acknowledged that the success of the NID project has also helped reduce insecurity in the country. He emphasized that identification has been crucial in facilitating the electoral process, including minimizing election malpractice. The president revealed that election malpractice by previous regimes was one of the reasons they went to the bush. Together with other celebrants, the president remembered Gen. Aronda as a disciplined army general, who will be remembered for instilling discipline in the army and bringing it closer to the people.