Mbale election: Mutende was right to stand his ground

The recent political comedy in Mbale has showed how deep the the NRM has sunk.
Prior to the Mbale Municipality by-elections, NRM held its primaries and as the usual norm, one junior minister preferred one candidate against the other. This is the level NRM has sunk to: devouring its own children like was the case in the Kabatsi/Kawoya drama in Sembabule; total lack of transparency, decency and political hygiene that has characterised NRM to the extent that they rigged themselves out.

The intrigue, infighting and squabbling among themselves is now beyond Himalayan heights.

This minister, thinking he was the only bull in the kraal thought he would prevail over Dr James Mutende who had now contested the results of the debris by-election and rightly chose to stand as an independent candidate. After failing to convince Dr Mutende to abandon the race, the NRM Chief Whip was couriered to Mbale, but he was inconsequential.

Sensing that they had a hard nut to crack, they sought the influence of their party Secretary General, who used all sorts of techniques but Dr Mutende stood by his principles and with his head and shoulders high, said “Mbawo” and vehemently refused to step down.

Sweating, shivering and befuddled further, these brazen schemers sought a new approach and tactics and guess what- they ran wailing and limping to the “Administrative Chief Justice”, who also happens to be their party chairman.

I can only imagine what promises were offered to Mutende to chicken out; a post of RDC of Amudat, presidential advisor on fish mongering or ambassador to Mongolia.
However, Dr Mutende chose to sleep in the bed he laid, and walked on the bridge he built than compromising himself with scrap. By so doing he epitomised the timeless values of staying true to one’s personal beliefs which made me reminisce the old days when men were real men. Bravo Umugosi Shinyabulo Mutende!

After his defeat, Dr Mutende remained in Mbale comforting his gloomy supporters including those who had been beaten, harangued and worst of all shot by the regime scalawags.

Unlike those who were compromised before him and promised rooms in “their father’s house” are now jigger infested paupers on the streets. If they can impudently manipulate and rig themselves internally in broad day light to this extent, only God knows what will happen when they are dealing with national elections of real opponents (or rather their “enemies”).

Meanwhile, as the NRM aficionados continued dragging themselves along the most polluted and contaminated waterways, there was a happy ending for FDC as it decided to consolidate itself while at the same time debasing Mr Museveni and his cluster.

Let me hope that the accountability machinery in their party (if any) will put to task the Mbale Brigade to account for the massive resources put at their disposal including bullets that were showered at Mutende’s supporters.

Was it not Benjamin Franklin who once said “all it takes for evil to succeed, is for men of goodwill to do nothing”?

Mr Kazoora is a consultant on democratic governance, legislation and institutional reform
jbkazoora@yahoo.co.uk