A day with the President

The President's platform, far beyond

Gulu was the host of Uganda's national celebration of Labor Day.  President Museveni was the Chief Guest.  He travelled almost 300 kilometers from Kampala with his entourage of 4 black SUVs, some of which were mounted with rifles.

Parade in review

The main spectacle was the parade in review, but the President inspected the ranks aboard an open vehicle; much unlike other heads of state who walk.  The military corps occupied the grounds for the whole duration so the public was very far from the stage and could hardly see what was going on.  An unusual thing I noticed

The elderly

was that the speakers face the President and not the public.  The President had a special stage and he spoke facing the people but he was sort of enclosed and recessed in that distant seeming bullet-proof platform.  The parade was impressive because of the sheer number of labor organizations that participated.  I was

People with Disability

mighty proud of Gulu's presence.  I asked some white-collared workers why they were not in the celebration and the common reply was it is always a hassle to attend functions where the President is present.  It is probably true.  Spectators are not allowed to bring cameras so the photos here were taken with my mobile phone. 
People were at Kaunda grounds from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with neither food nor water.

A boy lying in the foreground.  Lifeless?

I wished President Museveni had the time to mingle with his people and shake their hands.  I would have wanted to shake his hand, too.

The beautiful sky of Gulu on 1 May 2012