If Museveni had defeated Idi Amin in 1972, he would have become President at the age of 28.
I'll come back to that later!
When he told friends at Ntare School that he would lead this country some day, they laughed to tears. They wondered what on earth the "Skinny" boy from a humble family was smoking!
Little did they know that the boy was serious!
That dream went on to shape his decisions, choices and the the type of people he surrounded himself with. Practically, he started creating a government when he was in Secondary School, one he continued to build even at University in Dar-es-salaam!
That dream also shaped the choice of persons whose mentorship he would take and knowing that his journey to the top office would definitely be born out of a war, he dug his claws deep into millitary circles!
Museveni made his first attempt at Amin in 1972 with an army of under-trained and inexperienced graduates!
My grandmother often tells me a sad but funny story of how, after being repulsed by Idi Amin's fierce Simba Battalion in Makenke, Museveni's soldiers were seen running into banana plantations in Mbarara, asking residents whether they had arrived in Tanzania.
LESSON: Let no one lie to you that you are too young or inexperienced to give your crazy dream a shot!
When Museveni attacked Amin at the age of 28, one could have said that he was naive but that helped build his experience and above all, IF HE HAD, BY ANY CHANCE, WON, HE WOULD HAVE BECOME PRESIDENT AT THAT AGE!
Fast forward, Museveni kept a firm grip on his dream! Even when he returned with Obote to attack Amin in 1977, his dream was to become President! That's why he contested for the top job just a year after the ejection of Amin and went to the bush almost immediately after losing!
Museveni hasn't been here for three decades by accident!
He dared to dream a crazy dream, gave it a shot even when he was young and inexperienced and above all, HE NEVER GAVE UP!
Hasta La Victoria Siempre (Until Victory, Forever/Always) perfectly applies to him.
Happy Birthday Rais Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
