The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandans were urged to embrace the spirit of their national motto, “For God and My Country,” by Elsie Attafuah, the outgoing United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, during a farewell dinner in Kampala.
“As I leave, I want Ugandans to take with them the idea that when they say ‘For God and My Country,’ it must have meant. If it doesn’t, then we’re in trouble. We must pursue development quickly, broadly, and comprehensively,” Attafuah stated.
Frustration with Uganda’s unrealized potential was a key theme of Attafuah’s speech. “It’s paradoxical,” she said, “that a country like Uganda, with 11% of the world’s biodiversity, crater lakes, snow-capped mountains, the Nile’s source, and Lake Victoria, remains poor. It’s frustrating.
The UNDP’s approach in Uganda reflected this urgency. “For a development agency, it’s normal to sometimes try things that others think won’t work,” Attafuah explained.
“We partnered with an airline to connect Uganda to Nigeria’s tourist market. We’re bold and ambitious, always looking to do things differently,”
Attafuah served as UNDP Resident Representative since 2019, during which the agency collaborated with the Ugandan government and private sector on various development initiatives.
