NRM diehards defend Museveni’s outburst on salaries

On May Day, that cold day when Gen Yoweri Museveni, the son of Kaguta, who spent five years swatting angry green flies charging from pupu downloaded by his ragtag guerilla fighters, was not a happy man. Or at least pretentiously so.
“I am the President of Uganda; the President of Uganda gets Shs3.6m. And even the Shs3.6m, I accepted it in 1996 because the MPs tricked me. I was getting Shs150,000 from 1986-1996,” he charged.
“There are some public servants who get Shs40m, Shs60m. Try to challenge my authority and you will see. Authority does not depend on salary.”

Somewhere in Kampala, a midwife was helping yours truly get his first son. That midwife was working on a public holiday. She probably earns, at most, Shs1 million per month and she has to pay daily transport, food, tuition for children and relatives and as well as her saloon things. She doesn’t have a public farm to grab and probably doesn’t have medical insurance for her children.

Now, across the border in Kenya, there is this man who didn’t come from the bush who was raising minimum wage for all public servants. He did so with a smile that gave his people hope. He didn’t bark at doctors whose industrial actions over the last 18 months would make the Dr Okwaros of our Mulago look like Fresh men in strike.

Naturally, the midwife, like many others in this country, would have only one wish: for the one who proudly reminds himself that he is the president of Uganda to at least act like one. The remarks from the one who reminds himself of his bush exploits and that he is the president with mandate to carry out private farming activities on a public ranch did not go down well, with many saying he was being rude and whatnot.

This page spent days trying to reach many, including those who believe that the individual is bigger than the party and the state for comments. Some of them got back to us. We quote them verbatim.

Ofwono Opondo: “Every year these people are striking. They selfishly leave patients to die and yet they call themselves doctors. The president is right to bring in Cuban professionals. You can’t keep challenging the authority of the president all the time and get away with it. Museveni is saying enough is enough.”

Kahinda Otafiire: “If Museveni said those things then he said them. Do you want me to deny that he didn’t say what he said? The doctors… oh, Cuban doctors? I don’t even remember what course I studied many years ago, so why should I use my precious brain to worry about Cuban doctors? By the way, you are speaking to Otafiire; Otafiire doesn’t drive Museveni’s mobile toilet to comment on his affairs. Now, can I end this call, please?”

Fr Lokodo: “Yes, this is the Ethics and Integrity ministry, not the presidency ministry, my friend. Why don’t you give me leads on how to find Jack Pemba who tried to corrupt the morals of our people instead of asking about Museveni and his manner of speaking?”

Tamale Mirundi: “Empologoma okusinika amanyo tekitegeeza nti eseka (when a lion roars, it isn’t because it wants to show off that it has a loud mouth.) If you want to understand why Museveni said that, buy a copy of my upcoming book.”

Andrew Mwenda: “The leader of the medical workers behind that strike is a known confidante of Dr Kizza Besigye. He is praised by FDC radicals. It was important for Museveni to come out strongly to send a message to the few remaining people around Besigye that they will be crushed once and for all.”

Ibrahim Abiriga: “Yes, the president? Did he praise me? Ah… I thought he had mentioned me in his speech. I have been trying to get in touch for long since yesterday but you know, if you have a way through to his office, let me know… okay, you mean that? What did he say again… he must be right, after all, some other leaders in the past would have shot those doctors dead in a public execution with automatic rifle itself.”

Don Wanyama: “The media is taking the whole thing out of context. You people only look for negativity in the president. He is being misrepresented (hangs up).”

Mukasa Mbidde: “The sacrilegious mendacity ascribed to fountain of honour is superfluously minimis non curate. The fact that he still dreams of a guryilated stay to power is a burtigant choreographed by sychiatricated lorticants who can’t erfy the urtigling of the matter.

Meanwhile, we confirmed with ourselves that these persons above were spoken to by this page and they cannot deny these statements attributed to use through them.