Western or Asian institutions are not here to promote African interests

Last Wednesday, 5th December 2018, Dr. Delia Ferreira Rubio, the Chairperson of Transparency International Uganda, presented Gen. Museveni with an award for his role in the fight against corruption! While this was happening, Gen. Museveni and His Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Sam Kutesa were being exposed by an American court for accepting a bribe totaling to $1m from a one, Chi Ping Patrick Ho, a Chinese oil magnate.

The action of Transparency International Uganda from the surface looks like a huge contradiction because they know very well that President Museveni has over the last thirty two (32) years, presided over a kleptocratic regime that has robbed Uganda dry. They know for sure that Gen. Museveni and his regime have never had the will or commitment to genuinely fight graft in Uganda. In fact, these fellows know that corruption is the oil that lubricates the NRM regime.

Nevertheless, they went ahead to give him this award. They didn’t do it by mistake. They did it deliberately to achieve very clear objectives. The objectives have to do mainly with keeping Gen. Museveni in power so that they are able to pursue their economic and political interests in Uganda without interference. This is the tragedy of Uganda and Africa. Rulers who are purveyors of international or foreign interests rather than those of their people.

So as the Asians are bribing our rulers with hard cash and building shoddy infrastructure in exchange of our precious natural resources, the West will be busy awarding undeserved prizes and academic honours to African rulers. They do this because of their common interest in Africa’s natural resources. Not because they necessarily want Africa to transform. So, the African ruling elites will be swimming in luxury, while common Africans wallow in poverty.

Come to think of it. Why does the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remain one of the poorest countries in the world in spite of its vast natural wealth? DRC has some of the most precious mineral resources in the world. The reason is simple. Political elites in DRC have chosen to be conduits of Western interests rather than those of their people.

Former President, Mobutu Sese Seko personifies this Congo/Africa tragedy. He amassed too much personal wealth at the expense of the country.
The story of Mobutu Sese Seko and the DRC can be replayed across the African continent. From Cairo to Cape Town, and, Banjul to Addis Ababa. African rulers have not always aggressively pursued and protected African people’s economic and political interests against those of the West, Asia and other continents. The consequences of this are well known to all of us. The question is, how does Africa get out of the doldrums?

In answering this question, I am reminded of the word of an elder, Mr Samuel Kisense, a long serving civil servant who in retirement participated in the founding of People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Mr Kisense served Uganda with distinction and integrity. He, together with the other elders, who contributed to the foundation of PPP, knew that the only thing that will salvage Uganda from selfish rulers is institutionalisation of political power.

Therefore, in one of those mentorship sessions, he said to me, “Robert, we want you to build strong political institutions so that when you are sent to London to negotiate a deal on behalf of your country, you will not do it alone in a five star hotel.” Those words made a lot of sense then, they make a lot of sense today and they will make a lot of sense tomorrow. The solution to Africa’s leadership dilemma lies in institutional exercise of political authority.

Institutionalisation of governance and political authority will remove selfishness, egoism, manipulation and the big man syndrome from our politics and governance. This will in the end, avert a Mobutu Sese Seko, a Gnasingbe Eyadema, a Yoweri Museveni, a Paul Kagame, a Paul Biya, a Sani Abacha or a Hosni Mubarak from assuming the reigns of political leadership in Africa again.
So, as a generation, we must channel all our youthful, political and intellectual energies to building governance and political institutions that will always check excesses for it will not be done by foreigners or their institutions.