Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi, wife of National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi, has called on Ugandans to reject tribalism and embrace unity, starting with the values taught at home.
Speaking during a special Mother’s Day Mass at Lubaga Cathedral on Sunday, Barbie urged mothers to become the vanguard of peace and social harmony by raising children who value all Ugandans equally, regardless of tribe.
“We should condemn the jokes we make that degrade our fellow Ugandans,” she said. “We should all be able to condemn the choices we make in friendships and marriages based solely on tribal lines.”
Barbie emphasized that women, particularly mothers, have the power to reshape the nation by instilling unity in the next generation.
She challenged them to reject tribal stereotypes even when voiced by close family members.
“To my fellow mothers, whether young or old, I challenge you to be the voice of unity in your home,” she urged.
“Raise your children to understand that it is God, not tribe, who gave us identity. In the eyes of God, we are one family baptized into one body, one faith, and one church.”
She encouraged women to model themselves after Mary, the mother of Jesus, by nurturing a spirit of love and inclusion in their families and communities.
“Let us be mothers who build, not break; who love, not hate. Let us raise a Uganda where every tribe is respected, every child is safe, and every heart is open,” she said.
“In the end, a mother’s heart knows no tribe—and neither does the heart of God.”
The mass, which attracted hundreds of congregants and NUP supporters, was also attended by Robert Kyagulanyi. In a post on social media, he praised his wife’s powerful message and revealed that she gave him a moment to lead a prayer for political prisoners, including his bodyguard, Eddie Mutwe.
“I was filled with pride and honor as I watched my wife emphasize the role of mothers in raising upright, God-fearing children,” Kyagulanyi wrote. “She graciously gave me time to say a prayer for comrade Eddie Mutwe and all political prisoners, and to encourage all unmarried couples to ‘make things official’.”
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