Instead of name-calling, let’s articulate an alternative vision for our nation

Leadership, especially of the political nature, is pretty much about forging a common vision for the upliftment of a society or nation from one station of life to another. To actualise that vision, leaders need to break it into implementable objectives and activities. In addition, leaders must clearly articulate this vision to the general population.

This serves two purposes. First, it endears the population to the vision and facilitates ownership of the same. Secondly, it makes it easy for leaders to mobilise and organise the people to achieve the vision. When leaders rally the people around a common vision and inspire them to work for it, there is nothing that such a people cannot achieve. That is how former Libyan president Muammar Gadhafi built a man-made river in a desert and a welfare state in a country that was very poor.

In Singapore, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew built one of the largest oil refineries in the world without Singapore producing a drop of oil. In only three decades, Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore into one of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Libyan and Singaporean stories are not a miracle. It is the efficacy of crafting a common vision and rallying the people to direct their energies to its actualisation.

In Uganda, it is known to all and sundry, that we have a kleptocracy running the affairs of our country. The kleptocrats (corrupt leaders) are on a mission to use the State for personal aggrandisement and subjugation of the citizenry. That is a reality that has been with us for more than three decades now. It is not anything to write home about. It is not newsworthy to the people of Uganda at all.

Therefore, regurgitating transgressions of the regime, without articulating a superior alternative vision, may not be very helpful. It is only relevant in as far as making the case for why things need to change is concerned. So instead of spending valuable time and energy discussing failings of the regime, it is imperative that we go beyond that and articulate an alternative vision for our nation. Uganda is in urgent need of new leaders who can imagine new ways for building a better future for all.

Our nation is not having a short supply of bad leaders. We have them all over the place. I am pained to the marrow when I see and hear Opposition leaders quarrelling and calling each other names. It is nauseating for Opposition leaders and supporters to fall in the propaganda trap of the regime and label each other a mole.

It is even worse when we can’t adduce any facts or evidence to back up such a claim. This is not to say that the regime does not have fifth columnists within Opposition ranks. It does, so will any government worth its name. We need to remember, however, that most Ugandans, even those who purport to work for the regime, are captives. I have no doubt in my mind that when such Ugandans get new leaders with new and inclusive ideas for running Uganda, they would embrace the side of change.

Incidentally, there is no human being on earth, who in their right state of mind would want bad things for themselves, their family or country. We all want to earn decent incomes and live decent lives in a decent environment. Even a renowned thief in the village would not want his or her son to take on his dangerous trade. A sex worker would not want her daughter to come anywhere near her trade. So, no Ugandan in his/her right state of mind would want a bad country for himself and his children.
It is, therefore, our responsibility as leaders to articulate a superior alternative vision to that of the NRM regime so as to win the hearts of those whom we perceive, rightly or wrongly, to be adversarial to our cause.

If we cannot win their hearts, we should at least reduce their hostility towards our cause. It benefits the regime, not change seekers, to perpetuate the propaganda that labels our comrades-in-arms, sell outs. Unless, of course, we have incontrovertible evidence to that effect.

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