Agaba Ronald Bills

Not saying I am ready for the Oscars… but let us not ignore the signs. 😄 Big shout-out to the entire cast. vu.ac.ug

Yesterday, the #WeekendVision graciously published my open letter to H.E. President @KagutaMuseveni. I am attaching a copy here for his kind consideration and for every Ugandan to read. In it, I share my deepest thoughts on how we can collectively accelerate our nation's development, boldly move Uganda toward a $𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐃𝐏 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲, and secure the kind of future our children and grandchildren will inherit with great pride. This letter is born out of nothing else but pure, unapologetic love for our country. One of the key pillars I passionately advocate for in this letter is the 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 (𝐎𝐋𝐏𝐂) 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲. If implemented with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, this single transformative policy could revolutionize learning for millions of our children, dramatically reduce the financial burden on parents and guardians, deliver enormous national savings, and most critically, future-proof the education and employment prospects of an entire generation of Ugandans. The numbers make sense. The vision makes sense. Uganda is more than capable of being bold and we must be. Now, I have also noted the rumors making the rounds online suggesting that I am being considered for a cabinet position. I am genuinely humbled by the public's confidence in me. However, I want to respectfully and categorically state that to serve our beloved country, you do not have to be a Minister, a Presidential Advisor, or occupy any government position. Service to Uganda is not a title; it is a calling. My life's work is deeply anchored in the timeless wisdom of Mark 10:43: "𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭." True greatness lies not in the offices we hold, but in how completely we pour ourselves into lifting others up. Furthermore, we are beautifully reminded in 1 Peter 4:10 that "𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬." These are not just verses to me; they are the very heartbeat of my service journey. I believe that every talent and opportunity God grants us is a sacred trust, meant to be poured out entirely for the betterment of our people. I am a profoundly happy Vice Chancellor @VUKampala and I thank God every day for this opportunity. I wake up every single day with immense gratitude and pride because this position allows me to do exactly what I love most: creating and innovating an education that prepares our youth to be productive, competitive and future ready. Every student we shape, every innovative program we build, and every parent whose investment in their child's education we honor with real value, that is my service to Uganda. To every single Ugandan reading this today, I want to encourage you with all my heart to embrace the spirit of service beyond self. It does not matter whether you are in government, the private sector, the classroom, the hospital, the farm or the market. What matters is that in every position you occupy and every service you provide, you anchor yourself firmly in the principle of ”𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭." Let us all strive to leave behind a Uganda that our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will look at and feel genuinely proud of the generation that built it. Let them say that their parents and grandparents believed in something greater than themselves. Let them walk tall because of the seeds we planted today. The triumph of Uganda rests on all 𝟒𝟔 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬. Not on a few offices or a handful of titles. Every one of us has a role to play and together, we shall reach the promised land. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲.