Politics 5 May 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Museveni Awards 50 Medals to Honour Ugandans at 2026 Labour Day Event
President Museveni presented 50 medals, including to key figures in oil negotiations and media, during Labour Day celebrations in Buikwe District. He stressed wealth creation, skill-market alignment, and education reforms to drive employment and growth. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/president-awards-50-medals-at-labour-day-celebrations-5447302
President Yoweri Museveni awarded medals to 50 individuals, among them 11 women, for their outstanding contributions to Uganda’s development during the 2026 International Labour Day event.
The ceremony took place on May 1 at Nkoyoyo Boarding Primary School in Buikwe District’s Matale Grounds, themed ‘Safeguarding Uganda’s Progress: Empowering the Workforce and Promoting Decent Work for Competitive Enterprise’.
Notable recipients included Ali Ssekatawa, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, who earned the National Independence Medal (also called Diamond Jubilee Medal) for his pivotal role in securing legal frameworks for projects like Tilenga, Kingfisher, EACOP, and the refinery.
Kin Kariisa, Managing Director of Salam TV and Salam Charity, received the Diamond Jubilee Medal for advancing media and community service. Several Uganda Police Force members were also honoured, such as Isaac Omara and Stephen Alele with Class II Honorary Medals, and ASPs Night Diana Mpairwe and Manana Philip Albert for over 24 years of long service and good conduct.
In his speech, Museveni highlighted wealth creation as the key to jobs and transformation, advising youth—his ‘Bazzukulu’—to match skills with market needs. He criticised education-labour mismatches, using the analogy of bringing yams when tomatoes are wanted, and urged leveraging peace for production and enterprise.
The President praised teachers’ resilience, promising better pay, and awarded three exemplary ones laptops and land. NOTU chair Musa Okello flagged over 5,000 migrant worker complaints via a new hotline, calling for education reforms.
Gender, Labour and Social Development Minister Betty Amongi outlined new rules requiring labour export firms to post Shs100 million guarantees to protect workers abroad, noting challenges with unofficial migration.