On the plight, tragedy of a beloved country
Two stories published during the same week of February by two leading national newspapers of Uganda accurately capture and sum up the dilemma, plight and tragedy of our beloved country.
The first titled, ‘There’s witchcraft at State House – Kayanja’ was the front page story of Sunday Monitor of February 19 while the second was the headline story of Saturday Vision of February 25 titled, ‘Minister Byabagambi named in road fraud.’
The two stories epitomise the devious nature of Uganda’s ruling clique who are nominally Christians, but have shamelessly plundered the meagre resources of our country while putting their trust in witchcraft. Corruption, impunity and lawlessness are the hallmarks of the decadent NRM regime.
According to the Sunday Monitor story, Pastor Robert Kayanja made a stunning revelation on February 17 at the Miracle Centre Cathedral in Kampala, that Satan is working so ferociously that the devil has already soaked the NRM government, which revelation did not come as a surprise to people of faith who know from Scripture that people should be judged by their deeds not their words.
While delivering a powerful sermon on the last day of the “Days of Grace and Salvation” commonly known as DOGS 77, Pastor Kayanja told a big congregation, which included Sabalwanyi, that sorcery and witchcraft were widely practised in Uganda today and lamented that even State House was beset with witchcraft.
He told Sabalwanyi: “Your excellency, witchcraft is everywhere, in Parliament and at State House; in the past 150 days I have realised that the majority of the people who have brought witchcraft here are not pagans.” He added that they are people who claim to be Christians and even have Christian names.
Sabalwanyi did not deny Pastor Kayanja’s bold and shocking revelation that witchcraft exists at State House. He acknowledged that the practice of witchcraft was widespread in Uganda and admitted that soldiers believe in and practise witchcraft.
How could he deny the ugly truth when a member of his Cabinet brags about being the first witchdoctor to be appointed a minister of the government of Uganda? For a predominantly Christian country whose national motto is “For God and my Country” it is an abomination, blasphemy and sacrilege for witchcraft to be practised at State House.
I thank Pastor Kayanja for openly speaking the bitter truth which will eventually set Ugandans free, but before the next resident moves in, whenever the Lord so decides, it is advisable to exorcise State House of evil spirits.
Why condone and tolerate mega corruption?
Corruption and impunity have reached such alarming proportions that it is perhaps not surprising that Ugandans do not protest or make noise, as they should have, about the appointment of people with thoroughly tainted records as ministers! One had hoped that Parliament, as wananchi’s watchdog, would reject such nominations.
Saturday Vision of February 25 reported that former minister of State for Works and Transport, John Byabagambi, and his immediate boss Abraham Byandala were implicated in abuse of office and causing financial loss of more than Shs30 billion in the construction of Tororo- Mbale- Soroti road.
A UNRA probe report released on May 26, 2016, accuses the two ministers of allegedly directing the reduction of the width of the road from nine to only six metres!
A report of the commission of inquiry into UNRA activities revealed that Ugandan taxpayers lost a staggering Shs4 trillion in dubious payments, fake road projects, etc. between 2008 and 2015.
Instead of holding Byabagambi and other suspects named in the probe report accountable, he was simply transferred and appointed minister for Karamoja Affairs!
Ugandan civil society organisations should, on behalf of wananchi, demand the immediate resignation of Byabagambi as minister.
He and all suspects implicated and named in the mega corruption scandal unearthed at UNRA by the commission of inquiry should face trial without any further delay and if found guilty they must serve appropriate jail sentences and refund every Shilling they stole from UNRA.
In this regard, an editorial published in the Sunday Vision of February 26 is spot-on. It argues that because the scandals uncovered by the Justice Bamugemereire Commission are grave in nature, all persons who were involved in dubious projects must be held accountable for causing a huge financial loss to government.
Further, all government officials and their cronies found culpable should be compelled to refund stolen public money and all assets illegally acquired by them should be seized. Who can dispute that, except unpatriotic people who have looted Uganda for years with impunity!
Uganda deserves better; wananchi should not bury their heads in the sand and expect Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to come again to deliver them from tyranny, oppression and humiliation as he once did in 1979.
Ugandans must carry their own cross and take effective and peaceful measures to save our beloved country from going down the drain.
May the Lord bless and empower the people of Uganda to save the pearl of Africa from political, economic and moral decay!
Mr Acemah is a political scientist, consultant and a retired career diplomat.
