Museveni’s security measures; the woes of a political midlife crisis

What you need to know:

  • Past successes. In political terms, Museveni is in a midlife crisis. When men suffer a midlife crisis, it is important to motivate and reassure themselves and those around them of their worth. One of the best tricks in the book is dwelling, with nostalgia, on their past successes, especially the conquests...

After the brutal murder of Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga allegedly by gunmen riding on a motorcycle, a scary narrative about ‘the deteriorating state of security’ in the country overshadowed everything else. So bad it was that the President asked to address Members of Parliament on the issue.

The truth is that Uganda has for long been in this situation. On a daily basis, iron bar hitmen, handbag, phone, laptop and necklace snatchers both on foot and riding motorcycles disposes pedestrians of their belongings. Organised gangs of burglars, robbers and brigands, who waylay innocent people at their gates in the dead of the night, are now part of our lives. They are complimented by elusive white collar criminals, who conjure up schemes to rob innocent people of their money and property.

Kidnappers, rapists and all manner of murderous, criminals operating at many times with the backing, cover and connivance of the police, have become part of our society; a disease we are resigned to live with.

So the Abiriga death is about gruesome crime getting closer to the home of the privileged. As happens when say a road accident claims the life of a ‘big person’ or an important person dies in hospital because of lack of electricity, there is a knee-jerk reaction, especially from the vocal upper echelons of society. The fat cats are sobered and reminded of their own mortality. They emotionally and dramatically fall over each other to express concern with gusto. The enthusiasm fades away with time until the next wake up call.

Museveni is a smart man and knows how scared privileged people can get at the sight of death. More than any other group, they worry about their wealth, the warmth of their pampered wives, and love of their spoilt children.

To especially the middle class, Abiriga’s death served lemon. Museveni rose to the occasion to make lemonade. Having been in power for more than 32 years and fresh from securing a constitutional amendment that allows him to rule perpetually, Museveni is aware of the blame people put on his shoulders for the insecurity in the country. He knows they are saying he is past his prime and they are anxious that it may get worse as he ages - since he has a blank cheque to rule.

In political terms, Museveni is in a midlife crisis. When men suffer a midlife crisis, it is important to motivate and reassure themselves and those around them of their worth. One of the best tricks in the book is dwelling, with nostalgia, on their past successes, especially the conquests, which showed their gallantry and valour to succeed under pressure and impossible circumstances.

The second is fitting into the present, the way potbellied old men try to impress young women with colourful tight pants and hairstyles that hide their receding hairlines.
So Museveni used this as a platform and mesmerised his listeners by giving anecdotes of his involvement in the violent history of this country. He showed how he was a kingpin in toppling the old order, right from the regime of former presidents Idi Amin, Milton Obote to Tito Okello Lutwa. He told the colourful tales of the suppression of the rebellions of Lakwena, LRA, ADF, etc, that plagued his regime early on by use of blood and iron through superior military tact.

When the picture of an old gallant and victorious warrior was complete, he, like a music conductor does at the climax of a crescendo, freshly turned to the present and the future - which is his main concern. With more than 60 per cent of Uganda’s population being under 25 years of age, Museveni spoke the language of the millennials to reassure them that he was in sync with the demands of the day.

He put up a great show and ended up sounding like a well-grounded tech savvy grandfather. One who, fortunately, fled the anachronism infested world of analogue and comfortably landed in the middle of digital planet with its exhilarating, firm, reliable foundation of algorithms and artificial intelligence
Museveni sounded like he was reading from the script of a believable science fiction movie. In one ‘scene’, you had a ‘central processing centre’ (CPC) linked to electronically tracked car and motorcycle number plates. The controller had the capacity to locate them in the case of commission of a crime.

The controller then using images from newly installed sophisticated close circuit television (CCTV) prompts a drone to ‘go and follow’ the criminal as he flees. Security personnel then get real time 3D images and follow coordinates using the GPS system linked to complicated satellites to get the criminal!
Back to reality, this is working well in a land where electricity supply is erratic and security personnel are popular for hunting with criminals. So how will the machines work and who will operate them?

Don’t go ranting about all this on social media because the President’s advanced security proposals also have a big brother ‘gadget’ in the offing. This one will sieve social media of hate-speech and incitement and identify its sponsors for punishment. Just wish the President well and endeavour to stay safe on your own.

Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues.

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Twitter: @nsengoba