Andrew Otage

I thank H.E. William Ruto and the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) for organising the Africa We Build Summit. I am glad that the AFC are speaking my language, the language of revolution. Africa’s GDP is only about $3.6 trillion despite our vast land and population. Countries like China were once very poor but transformed themselves through discipline, clarity of purpose, and investment. Therefore, Africa’s problem is not money; it is ideological.

BREAKING NEWS RWENZORI MARATHON after over 10yrs of work today in kasese, the team got world athletics required measurements. 42.195kms for Full marathon and 21.0975kms for half marathon. Now party after party!

God’s grace Today morning, I was reflecting on God’s grace after my jogging before taking a shower. Clearly God’s grace works in ways we can’t explain sometimes. I haven’t had to be perfect to experience it over the years. My particular thought came to mind and trust me, I have had so many similar experiences in my life. In 2014, I was invited to speak to a panel of experts at the UN headquarters in New York around November. They had invited 4 speakers and we were to speak about why integrating entrepreneurship in the SDG goals was important. One speaker was a lady from Isreal, another lady was a former minister of finance Canada and the head of Babson college. Babson college is very highly regarded as a top entrepreneurship college in the US out of Boston. I came to learn later that Babson college had recommended that I represent Africa. A few years before 2014, I had been asked to speak to Babson college students and after my speech, their professor in the room removed his shirt written on Babson and handed it to me. I still have it. In 2014, CNN had done a story about me which run many times on the screens, lots of reactions had come through and yes, I never go around pushing for these, only when it’s about uganda. Anyways, we assemble in the hall at the UN Headquaters just before 1pm and at exactly 1pm, many people get an alert about my story by CNN( written article). Instant favor took place before i could speak. I hadn’t arranged it and yes, I didn’t have the power to arrange. People in the room started asking, are you the one in this story by CNN? Yes, I was but purely arranged by God not by human being. The Ugandans working at the UN at the time were shocked I had been called to speak. A Ugandan ? Amos Wekesa ? How was the question. 2 of them had been invited to attend this session, I don’t know what was going through their mind. I had said a prayer, I knew I represented a bigger mission than me, I knew I represented Uganda. I needed wisdom, I needed favor before those who were to listen. Never I have ever been disappointed when I have asked God to give me wisdom and favor before I speak. Am a man with many faults but that’s one thing I can say I have seen God at play. I asked the moderator to play a video about uganda as I spoke. I started out by telling the audience, they would see why a country like uganda doesn’t need aid but entrepreneurship/ business. Uganda was my example that would represent whole of Africa. I told people Africans aren’t those second class cousins that need handouts because they are poor or needy. They are cousins who need doing business with because they host 50% of the worlds arable land, massive deposits of minerals, massive forests, growing population, massive tourism potential etc. I talked about how the west uses visas and negative travel advisories as none tariff trade barriers. I gave my own example. You tie our hands through visa restrictions and say compete with us. How are we a United Nations? A Ugandan at the UN nyago kintu walked to me and said thank you for representing uganda so well. I don’t know what was on his mind before I spoke. God was in it and is always in it. Yes, you can be born in abject poverty like I did, go to a children’s home, fail in school like I did but if you put in efforts, God opens doors not overnight but over time. Merry Christmas to you all!