Dr Sam Mayanja is well known to anyone with a finger on the pulse of Uganda’s land issue. He has spoken at numerous events, on TV, and expressed his opinions in newspapers over the years. It is this steadfastness to his opinions and staying true to what he believes in—God, justice and the rule of law—that earned him the appointment to a ministerial position by H.E. Yoweri Museveni. That and their shared goal of tenure security for tenants and an end to the “mailo curse.”
More than just being the Minister of State for Lands, Dr Sam Mayanja has practised law for over 45 years and received numerous achievements worldwide. It is with this multifaceted life experience and authority that he has gathered his opinions on multiple subjects into the second edition of the book: FROM STREET PREACHING TO POSITION OF RECOGNITION: DR SAM MAYANJA’S GUIDE.
As per the first part of the title, one would expect that the book covers the author’s life with a focus on street preaching and how he transitioned to positions of power. Only about a page is dedicated to that but not as strenuous in the details as afforded to other parts of the book. There is a scattered mention of his religiosity throughout the book but it takes a back seat to the opinions and arguments put forth. So no. There isn’t a portrait of the beloved minister shouting his voice sore as he spread the good news on Kampala streets: his gospel is land, and it has overflowed from newspapers and other media sources. It more than makes up for the missing autobiography once promised.
True to the second part of the title, the book is Dr Sam Mayanja’s guide through numerous political ailments facing the country today, tracing their root causes through facts and history, and offering opinions on how treatment can be administered using the law. Healing these ills is a personal journey that Dr Mayanja started as early as his school days.
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