Making sense of Uganda politics in 2062
The year is 2062. Ugandans are preparing to celebrate the centenary of independence. My great grandson, who is a student at a prestigious university, is doing research for an essay he is writing for a Political Science course in African politics. The title of the essay is, “Making sense of Ugandan politics during the first two decades of the 21st Century”.
Among several books, journals and documents the young man has read are online editions of two Ugandan newspapers, Daily Monitor and New Vision dated February 20, 2019. The headline of the lead story in Daily Monitor reads, “NRM top organ endorses Museveni for 2021 polls” while that of New Vision reads, “NRM top organ backs Museveni for 2021 polls”.
According to the Daily Monitor story, members of the central executive committee (CEC) of NRM endorsed Museveni as the sole presidential flag bearer for the 2021 elections. CEC also anointed the sole candidate “theoretician and principal strategist of the Movement”. A resolution adopted by CEC which my great grandson finds laughable reads in part as follows:
“To emphatically recommend to the membership of the Movement and its organs that His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, our leader and General of the African resistance, continues leading the Movement in 2021 and beyond - as we eliminate the bottlenecks to transformation.”
The CEC decision reminds me of the adage that history repeats itself, first as a farce and then as a tragedy. With all due respect and on purely objective criteria, the sole candidate leaves a lot to be desired. Consider the following irrefutable evidence.
First, 33 years ago at an Organisation of African Unity Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, NRM’s sole presidential candidate lectured African leaders on the topic, “What is Africa’s problem?” After analysing the problem, he concluded correctly that Africa’s problem is leaders who overstay in power and received a standing ovation from hundreds of delegates attending the conference. In a tragic irony of history, he has succumbed to what he vehemently condemned in 1986.
Second, on January 26, 2017, the sole candidate bragged at a public event held at Masindi District, broadcast live on national radio and television that he is in power to advance his personal interests, not those of Uganda. This is what he said: “I am not an employee. I hear some people saying I am their servant. I am a freedom fighter. I am fighting for myself, for my belief; that is how I come in. If anybody thinks you gave me a job, he is deceiving himself. I am just a freedom fighter whom you thought could help you also.”
Third, as if to make assurance doubly sure, he repeated his Masindi message during an interview with Kenyan journalist Jeff Koinange broadcast by Kenya’s K24 television network. In the interview, which went viral on social media, he said he was fighting for himself and his family. It sounded incredible, mindboggling and unbelievable.
After gathering sufficient material for his essay, my great grandson felt disgusted and wondered whether wananchi made sense of Ugandan politics 43 years ago. He reflected on why millions of Ugandans stood by and watched for more than three decades as their beloved country was taken for a ride and the country was dragged down the drain into a bottomless pit.
How could intelligent and patriotic people watch as the country was desecrated, plundered and wreaked in broad daylight? How can one be a passive onlooker or a cheerleader when despicable and unacceptable things are happening?
He wondered what went wrong with Ugandans. For him, it does not matter what tribe, religion or political party one belongs to, we are all Ugandans and our allegiance must, first and foremost, be to Uganda.
How could Ugandans obediently and helplessly put up with so much abuse and provocation? It was too bitter and too much for the young man to comprehend. He lamented that Ugandans deserve better than the raw deal they got.
In Church calendar, March 6, is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. March 8 is International Women’s Day. I wish the gallant women of Uganda Happy Women’s Day. Aluta continua!
Mr Acemah is a political scientist and retired career diplomat.
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