The Deputy Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Katabazi, has urged university students’ leaders to focus on the future of the country by using their leadership skills to contribute positively to society.
Katabazi made the remarks on Saturday, February 25,2023 during the pass-out ceremony of 96 elected university leaders who had completed a leadership and patriotism course at the Institute of Security and Intelligence Studies (ISIS), Entebbe, that commenced on February 7th ,2023.
He hailed the leadership of ISO for offering an opportunity to train the student leaders and tasked them with utilizing the skills gained during the two weeks of training.
Lt. Col. Katabazi also warned them against a corrupt ideology of disintegration based on nations and tribalism.
“You should utilize the skills gained during the training not only to improve your contribution to society as individuals, but also to humanity as a whole,” he emphasized.
He added that as leaders, they should think long-term and focus on the future of the country rather than just the present.
Yusuf Kiranda, Makerere University Secretary, who was the Chief Guest, thanked the ISO administration for using their facility to help young leaders answer fundamental questions in life and how to progress on soft skills.
“Young people must learn not to depend on foreign powers for their survival because they are the masters of their society, they know what they need most, and self-sufficiency is key—economically, politically, and in securing their country—not dependency on foreign entities and ideologies,” he stated.
He asked them to use their training in political economy to understand the transformation of their society, avoid disruption of social order to propel development, and emphasize coordination rather than confrontation to find quick solutions to their problems during their leadership terms at various universities.
Major Richard Tashobya, the ISIS Commandant congratulated the participants for successfully becoming part of the ideologically guided leaders.
He said that the institute’s mandate is to prepare selected officers, young leaders, government officials, and individuals from the private sector within the region for better leadership and management roles.
“This is done through a well-developed curriculum that enables strategic thinking through various tools of analysis that provide for security, stability, economic development, and the founding tenets of leadership at a national level.”
The participants were drawn from Makerere University, Islamic University, Busitema University, Mountain of the Moon University, Kabale University, Uganda Christian University, Kyambogo University, Bishop Stuart University, and Uganda Catholic Management Institute, among others.
The course, which also included students from South Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia, aimed to emphasize regional integration and the development of the East African Community.
