Every June 9th, Uganda celebrates Heroes Day, which is dedicated to celebrating extraordinary Ugandans who have made a positive contribution towards making Uganda a better country.

There are a number of Ugandans who wake up every day to toil not just to secure their livelihood but also to help fellow Ugandans live a better life.

Teachers
Even when science teachers’ salaries were increased, there were still many who walked for kilometers in the wee hours of the morning to make sure they reached the schools in time and taught the future generations to be better Ugandans.

With limited facilitation, teachers sacrifice a lot to deliver the syllabus on time and prepare students to pass and be promoted to the next class.

Medics
The medics, such as doctors, nurses, and midwives, among others, have contributed immensely to the development of our country through providing medical services and saving the lives of many Ugandans.

With the recent outcry to have their salaries enhanced and be better facilitated still being discussed by the powers that be, the medics have continued saving lives even when not very well facilitated, and their contribution to having a healthy population can never go unnoticed.

Police officers
A country can only develop if there is a conducive environment to enable investment, and this can only happen when there is law and order.

Policemen and women go through thick and thin to keep Ugandans safe. Even when we retire to our beds at night, the men in uniform are always awake, making sure we are safe.

Under the police forces, we have the traffic police, who have always endeavored to create order on Ugandan roads. Amidst scorching heat and heavy rains, the traffic police are always there to guide traffic and create order on our roads.

The armed forces
Many UPDF officers have been decorated as heroes in the past, but there are many who have served this country tirelessly, and their efforts can’t go unnoticed.

We celebrate the officers who have always put their lives at risk to safeguard Ugandans. They have secured Uganda’s borders and protected our sovereignty without second thought.

Many have died in the line of duty, and on such a day we celebrate them. The most recent example is the 54 soldiers that were killed in Somalia by Al Shabab.

According to Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.) Deo Akiiki, the UPDF Deputy Spokesperson, “Heroes Day reminds us of the good deeds of our heroes and gives us the courage to continue carrying forward the struggle.”

“Ugandans should continue with the journey of Patriotism, Nationalism and Pan-Africanism… The love of our country, the Ugandan nation, and Africa will always make us perform heroic acts in their defence. It is a role for all of us,” Lt. Col. Akiiki added.

Many Ugandans have their own thoughts on who their heroes are. Our reporter talked to Julius Kawuuki, a taxi driver, and to him, his unsung heroes are the KCCA ladies who clean Kampala roads.

“Every early morning, I find these women as early as 4:00 am sweeping streets in Kampala. We all find the roads clean, and we appreciate their contribution toward having a clean city,” Kawuuki said.