As the UNAA history is very important to our young generation and different people have given different versions of UNAA history, it might be a good idea for the new UNAA President to constitute a committee to ascertain facts about UNAA history.

What did I do for the next four years as Chairman of UNAA?

I worked hard to convince Ugandans across the United States, Canada and Uganda about the benefits of UNAA as an organization. During that time, there was no formal membership and no membership fees. It should also be noted that most of UNAA supporters were Baganda. Some non-Baganda thought that this was a Baganda organization; others thought it was an NRM-Museveni organization. In my effort to promote diversity in UNAA, I am proud to mention that I convinced one of the distinguished Ugandans, Dr. Ben Abe Omara, to join UNAA. I also encouraged Dr. Ben Abe Omara to attend his first convention at Cincinnati. I had known Dr. Omara through his travel agency.

In consultation with other board members, I was responsible for selecting and approving the next three convention venues and recommending the next six venues. Selections of the venues was based on the size of the city, the number of Ugandans in the area, and whether there was somebody that I could rely on to mobilize other Ugandans to organize the convention. I have already mentioned how I contacted Dr. Abu Senkayi for the Dallas convention. Next I selected Boston and contacted Mr. Kalule. For the New Jersey/NY convention, I contacted Hajj Badru Kasule and Mr. Michael Muganga. For the Cincinnati convention, I contacted Reverend Canon Benjamin Musoke Lubega and the late Peter Mukasa. Let me emphasize that these cities did not volunteer to host the convention until I had requested and authorized them to do so. Although I was not the President of UNAA for the next five convention venues, when the new board took over, I had already recommended the next six convention venues and the people I contacted had tentatively agreed. For the Los Angles convention, I contacted Eng. Moses Wilson. For the Chicago Convention, I contacted Father Mukasa Sebaana. For the Toronto convention, I contacted Reverend Kawuki. For the Houston convention, I did not know anybody there personally but Dr. Senkayi recommended, and I contacted Mr. Muwanga Batuuka. For the Washington DC convection I contacted Mr. Kalema Musoke. For the Uganda convention, I contacted Hajj Bulaim Kibirige (MBK).

How did the name UNAA come about?

Doctors Abu Senkayi and Paschal Mawanda Kibuule, Mr. David Mureeba and I discussed different names until we settled on the name UNAA. We selected a name that would reflect the geographic nature of the organization. Of course U stands for Uganda, and NA stands for North America -United States of America and Canada.

Fifth Phase: The end of my UNAA Chairmanship.

The first question one would probably ask is if I had done all that I claim to have done, why was I not elected the first President? During the Cincinnati convention, Mr. David Mureeba approached me, and earnestly requested that he wanted to take over because I had been leading the organization for the last four years. Mr. Mureeba asked me because he knew whatever decision I made would be accepted by most convention attendees. Most Ugandans in the U.S., Canada and Uganda, knew me as undisputed leader of UNAA. First, there is no doubt that Mr. David Mureeba, together with many others such Dr. Abu Senkayi, had been an active participant in the UNAA organization during the last four years, accepted Mr. David Mureeba’s request to stand as the recommended presidential candidate. Secondly, there were still some lingering doubts about UNAA being a Baganda organization; so I thought that Mr. David Mureeba, as president of UNAA, might boost and help to attract non-Baganda to UNAA. I also thought it was time for me to take a rest from UNAA top leadership. I had devoted a lot of time and spent a lot of money so that UNAA could become accepted as a useful organization for all Ugandans. So how was the election conducted? Dr. Abu Senkayi, Mr. David Mureeba and myself created a slate of candidates for the UNAA board, which included nominees, Mr. David Mureeba as presidential candidate and Dr. Abu Senkayi as the candidate for Treasurer, and other people as board members. Our slate was presented to the audience during the general convention meeting and we asked the audience if there were other people who wanted to stand for any of the board positions. Because of the trust the audience had in us, our slate was voted by acclamation, and I became the immediate past chairman.

Who can attest to all the UNAA history, I have narrated?

Of course all the names I have mentioned and all the people in Atlanta who are co-founders of UNAA, such as Mrs. Becky Matovu, Mrs. Juliet Simbwa, Doctors Matovu, the Kiggwe family, Ms. Kasifa Luwemba and Mr. Patrick Ayota, just to mention a few. All these folks greatly contributed money and time towards the success of that very first event in 1988 in Atlanta, and they are truly the co-founders of UNAA. If I had to name one single person (outside of the Atlanta core group) who knows about UNAA history, I would say Dr. Abu Senkayi.

To all readers, if I have made any mistakes, I take full responsibility for them and I stand to be corrected; remember it has been since 1988.