Recently in Kampala, Uganda

LAST Thursday on May 12, Uganda’s history was re-written as Africa gathered in Kampala to witness the swearing-in ceremony of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Thousands of people graced Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, celebrate 30 years of economic and political development under the leadership of President Museveni amid pomp and funfair.
The colourful event, which was attended by thousands of people including 16 heads of state, is said to be the only inauguration since 1986 that has attracted such a huge number of visiting heads of state and diplomats.
Present at the swearing in ceremony were Presidents Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Sudan’s Omar Al Bashir, Tanzania’s John Pombe Magufuli and his predecessor, Jakaya Kikwete, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo, Cameroon Prime Minister Philemon Yang, Zambia’s Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Mali’s Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Chad’s Idriss Deby and King of Lesotho, Letsi III, among others.
Other presidential candidates who lost in the race, Professor Venansius Baryamureeba and Maureen Kyalya also attended the inauguration ceremony.
A day before the inauguration, Entebbe International Airport was a hive of activity as several heads of state jetted into the country for the swearing-in ceremony.
There was heavy traffic at the airport at about 4:30pm, when about four aeroplanes arrived almost at the same time.
The airport staff were at some point forced to delay the landing of some jets and aeroplanes, leaving them to wait in the queue, as other presidents who had arrived a little earlier disembarked.
The Zimbabwean delegation waited several minutes before disembarking as Mali and Equatorial Guinea delegations disembarked.
As President Mugabe disembarked Air Zimbabwe to rays of sunset and a glistening Lake Victoria, he was received by Ugandan senior government officials.
Among those who welcomed President Mugabe was a young girl clad in red ZANU PF party regalia bearing President Robert Mugabe’s face.
Youths of the House of Talent, a regional cultural entertainment group, displayed cultural dances entertaining President Mugabe before he went in for a briefing.
That same night a dinner was hosted by President Museveni at Munyonyo Resort Hotel in Kampala and as has become the norm, President Mugabe received standing ovations.
On the day of the inauguration, as early as 6am, thousands of Ugandans had thronged the grounds and by 8am the grounds were filled to capacity.
As heads of state trickled in, Ugandans could not wait to see ‘their’ Mzee Mugabe.
‘Mzee’ is a respectful Swahili word meaning ‘elder’.
In English ‘elder’ refers to a person valued for his/her wisdom.
Two young ladies sitting behind this writer kept asking: Is that Mzee Mugabe arriving,” every time a presidential motorcade arrived at the Kololo Grounds.
After about 10 heads of state had come in, they sadly concluded maybe he was not coming after all.
After some minutes as this writer turned to hand them some water, the accreditation card around her neck sold her out.
“So you are from Zimbabwe?” they asked.
“Did you come with Mzee Mugabe?”
And for sure when Mzee Mugabe arrived minutes later, the welcome was different from that of other heads of state.
It was a befitting welcome for a person they admire and respect.
The ceremonial ground reverberated to applause, cheering and waving of the Ugandan flag.
And throughout the ceremony, the word Mzee kept coming back every time they made reference to President Mugabe.
Even when introducing President Mugabe, President Museveni said: “Allow me to acknowledge the presence of our own Mzee President Mugabe.”
And again the crowd broke into cheers and applause.
At the Kololo Grounds one could not help, but notice the discipline of Ugandans and their love for Museveni.
Time and again, he was interjected by the crowd as it cheered him on when he was taking his oath.
Kololo Hill, which holds the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, is one of the seven hills of Kampala standing at a height of
4 305 feet (1 312m) above sea level.
Kololo Hill is believed to have got its name from Rwot Awich, the paramount chief of Payiira in Acholi, who was imprisoned and executed on the hill by the British in 1912.
Awich is alleged to have cried out in Luo, ‘An atye kany kololo’, which means ‘I am here alone’.
Awich was lamenting the fact he had been left alone in the wilderness, miles away from home.
His captors and the Baganda started calling the place the ‘hill of Kololo’.
In its early years, Kololo Hill became home to colonial officials and civil servants.
Today it is one of Uganda’s low density suburbs housing most government officials.