President Yoweri Museveni has presented three brand new Pajero automobiles to Ugandan athletes who competed in the recently ended Tokyo Olympic Games and earned medals.
Joshua Cheptegei, who won a 5,000m gold medal and a 10,000m silver medal, Peruth Chemutai, who won a 10,000m women’s gold medal, and Jacob Kiplimo, who took bronze in the 10,000m final, are among the athletes honored.
During the official welcoming reception held at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds on Wednesday, Museveni congratulated the athletes. The president praised the medalists, stating they had done a great job representing the country and pledged to build residences for the medalists’ parents.
“Now, these ones who have won Olympic medals, in my happiness because am a happy man now; you know happy men can be generous, I will give each of them a vehicle. They [vehicles] are here already, then finally…I will build houses for the parents of these gold medal people,” said a joyous Museveni.
Museveni also reaffirmed his promise to pay all Ugandan medalists their arrears for monthly stipends, which he has made since 2013.
Only three types of medalists in the African Continental Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Olympic Games will earn monthly stipends, according to him: gold, silver, and bronze.
“In my low-cost approach, some time ago, I gave an order but apparently it was not fully implemented that anybody who wins a gold at a continental level, Commonwealth or marathon – these things of Berlin what, I don’t know. I just want 3 things, continental, African, Commonwealth or Olympics. I said, once you get a gold medal, you should be paid She 5m per month all the time. But now I was told they were being paid quarterly.”
“This is my small way of contributing without the billions of Kenya. So Shs 5m for gold, Shs 3m for silver, and Shs 1m for bronze,” Museveni said.
The president urged the security forces to recruit all talented young people so that they might be paid on a permanent basis to assist them in their education.
Janet Kataha Museveni, Uganda’s Minister of Education and Sports, praised her husband, President Yoweri Museveni, for allowing the team’s participation in the summer games, as well as the Japanese government for hosting Uganda’s delegation throughout the Olympic Games.
Mrs Museveni claimed that it was thanks to Museveni’s security that Uganda was able to win four Olympic gold.
The state minister for Sports, Hamson Obua, also expressed gratitude to the president and first lady for assisting and guiding the squad in the fight against COVID-19.
*This article was written by Gerald Gekara for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews@gmail.com to submit your story.
