“You get a house, You get a house, You get a house” this is a famous quote from the Oprah Winfrey show, where people in her audience received gifts including cars and houses in a blink of an eye.
Well, Uganda too has an Oprah in President Yoweri Museveni who has promised to build houses for Ugandan Athletes Joshua Cheptegei and Stella Chesang who won Gold at the just concluded 2018 common wealth games in Australia.
During a luncheon hosted by President Museveni at State House Entebbe on Sunday, the duo was promised houses as has been the norm.
Joshua Cheptegei won two Gold medals, one in the 5000m final and the 10000m finals. While Chesang won a Gold medal in the 10,000m final. The Ugandan team brought home three Gold medals, one silver and 2 bronze.
Apart from Cheptegei and Chesang who won Gold medals, the other athletes were; Munyo Mutai who won a silver medal in men’s marathon, Mercyline Chelengat and Juma Miiro who won bronze in women’s 10,000M and Boxing respectively.
During Sunday’s luncheon, the president also said he would fulfil his promise of putting athletes on a payroll with Gold medalists earning UGX 5,000,000 per month. Silver and bronze medalists will earn UGX 3,000,000 and 1,000,000 respectively.
“I made a promise that whoever wins a gold medal at an international competition would get a monthly salary of Shs5m, silver Shs3m and Shs1m for bronze. The 5 medalists today will get onto the payroll. I have also been told of some arrears to other athletes, they will be paid” Mr. Museveni said.
In the past, president Museveni built houses for gold medalists Kiprotich and Docus Inzikuru houses.
“Likewise, I will build a house for Cheptegei and Chesang who won gold medals, like I have done for previous gold medalists” He added.
The president further promised to attend to issues raised by the Sebei community which had showed up to welcome their sons and daughters. Some of the issues include; poor schools, lack of safe water and need to construct an airstrip to promote tourism.
He also promised to ensure that the completion of the high altitude raining facility in Sebei is expedited by the ministry of education and sports. The facility whose construction had begun was forced to come to a halt because of the rains, a reason Mr. Museveni says is not convincing.
