The Besigye-Bobi tangling

A few days ago, I ran into a young man at Makerere University. He is a regular consumer of my writings. He put me to task why I haven’t written about the ongoing fight for Opposition supremacy pitting the old gloves of Dr Kizza Besigye and the new kid on the block, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine. I said, frankly, that I didn’t know how to write or even what it was that I would write about. I can’t make sense of the situation.

For many Ugandans keen on seeing regime change in Uganda, to move from the authoritarian rule of Gen Museveni to a more accountable and functional governance system, the wrangling and bickering in Opposition ranks is as deeply depressing as it is utterly discouraging. Yet there should be little surprise that Opposition parties and actors betray a poverty of strategy and lack of imagination when operating under what is essentially a military authoritarian regime.

In an authoritarian system, Opposition politics cannot be divorced from the behaviour of the rulers, rather the Opposition and the holders of State power tend to be two sides of the same political structure. One way to understand the nature of the regime in power is to look at the behaviour and actions of Opposition parties and actors. The Opposition cannot be insulated from the shenanigans of the rulers.

In fact, it is a key strategy for the ruling regime to ensure that the Opposition is a mirror image so as to make the case against regime change. The rulers achieve this by, among other things, sowing discord and occasioning disarray among the ranks of challengers.

This is not to rehash a common refrain that the Opposition and the NRM are the same. Of course, they are not. The point is that the terms of political engagement and the tone and tenor of political discourse in Uganda are for the most part defined by the incumbent party. Over the years, there has been a steady decline in the quality of political culture inside the ruling behemoth. From principled engagement to patronage-driven manoeuvres, and a shift away from constructive criticism to selfish sycophancy.

The thuggery that takes place in NRM primaries, the blatant use of State resources to rent political support and entrench one-man rule, to mention but only these few, have created a polluted environment within which all actors operate, including Opposition parties and leaders.

It is, therefore, a trifle naïve to expect angelic conduct in Opposition ranks in a devilish landscape superintended by the ruling party. Obviously, for those challenging the status quo, and seeking to bring about political change, it is important to display a distinct demeanour and present an appealing modus operandi that departs from those in power.

But this happens under normal circumstances. In Uganda today, we have abnormal politics. There is something nauseating about the rather infantile mudslinging and cheap smearing by fans of the two currently antagonistic groups challenging the Museveni regime: The so-called ‘People Power’ and the main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

The target of attack in the former is the self-declared People Power leader and for the latter, it is the defacto leader of FDC. Each side has a battery of charges against the other. But the central line of attack from the followers of the People Power leader, is that Besigye has run his course and become a liability to the cause of Opposition, so he should hang his boots and leave room for the new kid.

On their part, laying claim to a battle-hardened and intrepid experience opposing the Museveni regime, the FDC and its defacto leader see the other group as reckless and disrespectful. Each side may have a point, but we live in an environment where logic does not prevail and where it is convenient to throw kitchen sinks while hiding behind the walls of social media platforms.

The bigger picture here is totally drowned out in the maze of cheap rhetoric and shallow sloganeering. The cause for a better Uganda and, especially the quest to bring to an end a decadent and authoritarian regime, is the business of Ugandans who believe we deserve a better country now and a secure future.

Whether Mr Kyagulanyi is popular is neither here nor there and whether Dr Besigye is the proven Opposition icon is inconsequential. If the former wants to lead the cause for change, let him make the case and be listened to without undue prejudice. And if Besigye believes he is still the man to lead the front, let him make the case too.

If I were him, I wouldn’t be planning to run for president again and if I were Mr Kyagulanyi, I would be spending more time thinking deeply about the challenge at hand than showcasing personal popularity. But that’s precisely why I am a teacher and not a practitioner of politics!

Dr Khisa is assistant professor at North Carolina State University (USA).
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