It’s an ugly sight when big people display their ‘bukopi’
In many societies, it is generally unspoken but expected that once in public you behave with courtesy. It not only helps keep the peace, but also enhances our ubuntu.
Don’t jump the queue, for example. (And when in the queue don’t bump into the person in front of you as though space were running out.) Please. Thank you. Those are very good words to use as often as possible while out there and at home.
Oh, and don’t look down on the small person in rank and social standing.
Some of these things are taught in school, but mostly at home. If not, we learn from peers and from media.
You would then think that adults, and seasoned professionals at that, would be exemplars of good conduct. I suspect the majority of such people in Uganda are decent enough. Which is probably why when there is egregious deviation from the norm, we notice.
Skirmishes in the commission of inquiry into land matters have become more common. Often, aggressive questioning has degenerated into spite and condescension leaving the impression that a witness is guilty of something even before being tried.
It all came to a head two weeks ago when Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana appeared. Having been there briefly earlier in February, he seemed prepared for a fight. At issue was his legal opinion to the government about a piece of land on Mutungo Hill in Kampala involving tens of billions of shillings.
Mr Rukutana said the committee was not respectful enough in the way he was being questioned. He chose to pay back in kind. Probe chair Catherine Bamugemereire threw him out. A defiant Mr Rukutana trashed the committee and said even if he is reported to God (a dig at Justice Bamugemereire’s promise to report him to President Museveni), he did not give a damn. It was quite the disgraceful public performance by senior public officials.
We are taught that you earn respect. You don’t demand it. What we see often is people with some government job that comes with a car (add a lead car if you wish) and an armed guard think they have arrived. Their provincialism requires that they pull rank and throw their weight around at the slightest opportunity. If all the self-importance were matched by competence and character, Uganda would be coasting in the stratosphere of development.
The irritating empty show, however, was again on full display last weekend. For being prevented to make a U-turn on a busy highway, two armed guards of Mr Matayo Kyaligonza, a retired army general, roughed up a traffic police officer, Sgt Esther Namaganda. The lady cop says the general himself administered a hot slap to her head, although he denies it.
For good measure, Mr Peter Otai, a journalist on the scene, got clobbered as well for daring record the ugly proceedings.
Investigations may or may not tell us the entire story of what happened, so we will just go with the optics of it. Boy, aren’t the optics nauseating: armed men, plus their boss, a general, ganging up on a woman on lawful duty.
In the video that circulated on social and mainstream media, one could read patriarchy, paternalism, arrogance, impunity, abuse of rank as some of the reprehensible things that make such an assault possible.
MPs have since unanimously passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of Mr Kyaligonza as our ambassador to Burundi. He should be withdrawn quickly before he engages in some altercation with Burundian authorities, causing an embarrassing diplomatic incident.
The resolution is advisory, and so it is down to President Museveni. Who knows, he may make an example of Mr Kyaligonza.
Bernard Tabaire is a media trainer and commentator on public affairs based in Kampala.
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Twitter:@btabaire
