Uganda @ 55: A country with a bleak future - Part II
After masquerading for two decades as a political party, what happened in Parliament on September 27, exposed NRM and, especially the ruling clique, in their original and true colours! That day of infamy has been coming for some time and to borrow a leaf from Scripture, the wolves hiding under sheepskin shed their camouflage, snarled and tore their prey savagely, without mercy!
The façade of civil discourse in Parliament is over!
Now is the time for orders from above and Ugandans are expected to obey without asking any difficult and unpleasant questions or else one can be charged with treason or terrorism or annoying big men!
Politics of age limit
My position on the matter of amending Article 102(b) of the Constitution in order to remove the provision of a presidential age limit to satisfy the desires of one man was elaborated in my opinion titled “On the politics of term and age limits” published in the Sunday Monitor of July 16, 2017.
In a nutshell, Article 102 (b) must neither be amended nor touched.
As I argued conclusively in that opinion, the question of a presidential age limit was exhaustively debated, resolved and settled in 1995. Nothing has happened since 1995 to justify and warrant reopening of debate on this matter. It is dangerous, unnecessary and unacceptable to unravel the consensus painstakingly arrived at on this matter in 1995. There are many urgent and burning questions which the Parliament of Uganda should be seized with instead of this petty and irrelevant question.
On behalf of the gallant and industrious people of West Nile, I would like to condemn and dissociate wananchi of the region from actions of and remarks made by Ibrahim Abiriga [Arua Municipality MP] and Evelyn Anite [Koboko Woman] on the question of the presidential age limit.
These shameless fortune hunters are self-condemned and thoroughly discredited individuals, who have no mandate whatsoever from Arua and Koboko to champion an amendment to Article 102 (b) of the Constitution of Uganda.
Whatever Abiriga and Anite have said and may say in the future on this matter, are their personal views and do not reflect the position of the people of West Nile. Their views should, therefore, be disregarded and treated with contempt by Ugandan patriots and all persons who wish Uganda well.
With all due respect, let us call a spade and a spade. I don’t know how to say this without sounding uncharitable to anybody, but objectively speaking and strictly on merit, Sabalwanyi is mediocre at best.
According to the 2012 Africa leadership index, Sabalwanyi was rated “D.” As I have argued in this column, Uganda with an abundance of talented men and women deserves better! It is unacceptable for our beloved country to be stuck for 30 years with mediocre leadership.
In order for Uganda to march forward, our country needs and deserves a new breed of national leaders. Uganda needs leaders of unquestionable integrity, who are servants of the people; leaders who tell the truth, without fear or favour at all times, in all circumstances and in all places; leaders who will honour their word at all times and not constantly change or shift their positions on issues or swallow their own words; leaders who will respect all citizens of Uganda irrespective of where they come from; leaders who will respect the rule of law; leaders who are not shameless and pathological liars; leaders whose hands are not soiled with blood; leaders who will not plunder the resources of Uganda with impunity; above all, leaders who believe in God, abide by the oaths they have taken and honour our national motto: For God and My Country!
Ambassador Acemah is a political scientist and retired career diplomat
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