Bishop Wilberforce Luwalira speaks during a Commemorative Service in honor of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul Cathedral Namirembe, Uganda, Thursday Sept 15, 2022. Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country. (AP Photo/Ajar Nalwadda)
The Associated Press
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country.
Speakers in the Anglican cathedral in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, included Foreign Affairs Minister Jeje Odongo, who paid tribute to the queen as an "endearing'ť leader.
'œShe wasn't the queen of England alone," she said. "She was the queen of all of us in the Commonwealth.'ť
The Rev. Jonathan Kisawuzi, the cathedral's dean, spoke of the queen's 'œfaith, courage and direction'ť in her 70-year reign. 'œWe will remember her always,'ť he said.
Uganda is one of the 56 member states of the Commonwealth, a group of mostly former British colonies that now includes others, such as Rwanda, that were not part of the British Empire.
Elizabeth is fondly remembered among Ugandans, who recall her attendance in Kampala of the 2007 Commonwealth summit.
'œIt was a great occasion for Uganda,'ť Eunice Okullo, a political activist who was among those attending Thursday's memorial service, said of the queen's visit 15 years ago. 'œShe ate Ugandan foods - that's what they told us.'ť
Others spoke of the queen's ability to connect with the people she had met.
'œ'ťMuch as we are mourning, we are also celebrating the queen's achievements," said retired prisons commissioner Mary Kaddu. 'œWe are celebrating her life.'ť
The queen, who died Sept. 8, will get a state funeral Monday at Westminster Abbey in London.
A choir sings during a Commemorative Service in honor of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul Cathedral Namirembe, Uganda, Thursday Sept 15, 2022. Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country. (AP Photo/Ajar Nalwadda)
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Boys read the order of service during a Commemorative Service in honor of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul Cathedral Namirembe, Uganda, Thursday Sept 15, 2022. Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country. (AP Photo/Ajar Nalwadda)
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British High Commissioner to Uganda Kate Airey speaks during a Commemorative Service in honor of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul Cathedral Namirembe, Uganda, Thursday Sept 15, 2022. Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country. (AP Photo/Ajar Nalwadda)
The Associated Press
People sing during a Commemorative Service in honor of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul Cathedral Namirembe, Uganda, Thursday Sept 15, 2022. Hundreds of Ugandans attended a memorial service Thursday in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, a somber ceremony that underscored affection for the departed British monarch in this East African country. (AP Photo/Ajar Nalwadda)
The Associated Press
FILE - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II walks past staff and patients at the Mildmay HIV Centre in Kampala, Uganda, on the first day of her state visit to Uganda, Nov. 22, 2007. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, has died. She was 96. Buckingham Palace made the announcement in a statement on Thursday Sept. 8, 2022 (Jon Hrusa/Pool Photo via AP, File)
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