Now Museveni may take shelter under Kitutu’s iron sheets

Which crisis? The talk about the stealing and sharing of iron sheets meant for the poor people of Karamoja, by ministers, MPs and other public officials, rages on. The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Ms Mary Goretti Kitutu, was put behind the prison gate for Easter for her role in allegedly diverting about 9,000 iron sheets.

Under normal circumstances, these sort of scandals would put a government in a quandary. It would be accused of all manner of short comings from corruption, impunity and not taking care of the down-trodden and marginalised. The government would panic, for such matter may become an electoral issue to be taken advantage of, by its opponents in the next election. It may even lead to the call for a vote of no confidence in the ruling party or demands for a government to resign and call for an election.

But this is Uganda. Nothing of that nature will happen even in a wild dream. In fact,  this scandal may be exploited in favour of President Museveni and the NRM government.

You see, African and Ugandan politics entertains a rather infantile notion and practice of patronage.  A government is formed with tribal, regional and religious considerations, among others, in mind. There must be a delicate balance to appease all of them even if their interests may at times clash.  A president appoints a member of any of the above groupings as a gift or sweetener to the people they supposedly represent. The people are also constantly reminded that they are at the centre of, or in the proximity of power through the appointee. The appointee will do everything to market and popularise the president, his party and policies to the group they supposedly represent.

The community will also take pride in the appointee and show gratitude to the president for considering their daughter or son to serve and have the potential of bringing the beef home.

Because there are not that many number of slots to spread around, such high profile appointments that expose one to public finance are cherished and highly competed for. At times the president must invent and create opportunities like presidential advisors for all manner of things, to accommodate the multitudes who want to sponge off society. There are privileges like cars, corruption opportunities and access to a network for jobs and other groceries, associated with high office.

Once one gets there, there is a challenge of staying up there. That is the only way they may continue utilising the golden chance to place their own in jobs, getting them projects and scholarships etc. When one is dropped, it puts the president under pressure for marginalising and ‘discarding’ the tribe or religion of the appointee. In many cases, groups of elders and prominent people from the home area will petition the president to reconsider their son or daughter or even replace them with another from the same area or group. Now in Kitutu’s case, she has supposedly messed up herself and most of those people who received the mabati. The president now has a vast shed of opportunities under those iron sheets. First, by prosecuting and locking up Kitutu, there is now an answer for those who have always rightly criticised NRM as being soft on corruption and abuse of office. Secondly, because there are many ministers involved, Mr Museveni now has more slots for patronage. He may remove the group he previously appeased and bring in a new lot. It will be difficult to blame him because their hands were caught in the cookie jar.

Museveni understands power. He is silent about what he will do to the ministers and public officials. He has left them on their tenterhooks, guessing. Many of them are going to get ahead of themselves, marketing him in this period in order to remain in his good books and be considered for forgiveness. Added, this scenario offers the President a lot of leg room to get what he wants from several people in different arms of government.

He may use this case to trade off with the Legislature - in exchange for exemption from prosecution. In this set up, the powerful Speaker of Parliament and the MPs who received mabati may come in handy in ensuring the president gets what he desires the way he desires it from the House without headache. That is the dividend of the dark secret of the iron sheets dangling precariously over their heads, like the proverbial sword of Damocles.

Then there are people in the home areas or communities of the iron sheets recepients, who will work equally hard to position themselves as their replacements. They will do this by marketing the President even harder to catch his eye. They will work against the incumbents to promote themselves. Divided houses are weak, easy to manipulate and have always been the meal of politicians. Museveni is also a politician.

The opening up of slots for appointments means Museveni may raid the Opposition dangling vacant cabinet seats, claiming to reach out with an olive branch. Museveni will hit two birds with one stone. Those who have seen the financial benefits and clout enjoyed by the likes of  Nobert Mao, formerly a critic of Museveni from the DP, and Joyce Nabossa Ssebugwawo, formerly of FDC, must be rubbing their hands in anticipation. Secondly, it will help NRM in weakening and dividing the Opposition. The story of the suspicion, moles and spies usually stems from these types of appointments. That is politics for you. Those who thought they would throw the weight of the diverted iron sheets onto the shoulders of the President to weigh him down had better think again. He may use them to build a shelter to keep him safe from the elements and rejuvenate himself for the long road ahead.

Twitter: @nsengoba