Abavandimwe council backs Museveni as Uganda Red Cross launches first aid app

20 August 2025, 12:33 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Council for Abavandimwe, led by its chairman Frank Gashumba, today in Kampala confirmed its support for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in the forthcoming general elections. Gashumba said their decision was based on gratitude for the President’s executive order that restored the rights of the Banyarwanda in Uganda.

“There are moments in history when words fall short, when ink trembles under the weight of gratitude. Today is one such moment. On behalf of the Council for Abavandimwe and the millions of Banyarwanda, we address the country with a heart overflowing not only with appreciation, but also with deep emotion, relief and renewed hope. It is with this depth of understanding that we express our profound gratitude to His Excellency Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. His executive order was not merely a policy directive; it was a declaration of justice, humanity and true statesmanship,” Gashumba said.

He explained that, for decades, the Banyarwanda had suffered discrimination despite being born and raised in Uganda. “We were denied national IDs and passports not for wrongdoing, but for who we are. Lives were lost, dreams shattered. We were foreigners in our own land, victims of unpatriotic technocrats. President Museveni has restored our dignity and proved that pan-Africanism is not a slogan, but a living ideal.

“As we speak, the National Identification and Registration Authority is fully implementing the executive order and is now issuing national IDs to indigenous Banyarwanda without discrimination. While our people are still facing challenges with the Department of Immigration in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we are optimistic that this too will come to an end. For this reason, we will vote for Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and rally others to do the same,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Red Cross today launched a First Aid Blended Learning App at Serena Hotel in Kampala. The digital tool is designed to combine online learning with practical in-person sessions, making it easier and more flexible for people across Uganda to acquire essential First Aid skills.

The launch was presided over by the State Minister of Gender, Esther Anyakun, alongside officials from the Uganda Red Cross and the Belgium Red Cross. They described the app as a critical step towards strengthening emergency preparedness and building resilient communities.

Minister Anyakun, while commending the initiative, pledged continued government support for Red Cross programs. “I want to thank Uganda Red Cross for the blended learning app I am about to launch today. I pledge on behalf of government to continue supporting Red Cross in any way possible,” she said.

Uganda Red Cross and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to scaling up First Aid training nationwide using digital platforms. The launch was hailed as a milestone in the digital transformation of humanitarian education and a demonstration of how global partnerships can contribute to building safer, more prepared societies.