Do not re-weaponise anger

An hour or so after my brother Jacob Oulanyah’s remains entered Parliament, I accessed Jinja Road roundabout from Wampewo Avenue, rushing like everyone else, but mine to an important meeting in Namuwongo.

I had passed by Kololo Independence Grounds and got sight of soldiers on guard. Why soldiers, I always ask, when it comes to these installations, instead of police? With NIRA headquarters, it might be considered a legitimate location for military guards instead of police, for they might argue, national identifications equipment and records are matters of national security. Still I wonder, why not police, except that I have been around too much and travelled around rather naughtily and seen how some of these things work in other countries.

At Jinja Road, traffic was at a stand. Then I noticed that amid all these was a double cabin pick-up truck with the driver’s door open. Seconds later, I saw the drive, well-built and obviously rather healthy, pick up an apparent kiboko, a clean well-made whip from adjacent to the driver’s seat. He checks out the front of the car, one of those with front bumpers to ensure if it hits you, “the pain is yours.”

A motor bike (boda boda) rider and his passenger were still looking. A car in front was hardly four inches apart. Either the bike or the car had been involved. The double cabin guy returned to the car, put back the whip next to a military cap. Sort of as if in wait, traffic cleared towards town. A few people look at one another and remain silent in thoughts.

A couple in the adjacent car look out and the lady says these guys have ‘cheek’; impunity said the man on the driver’s seat.

I now confirm that it was some minor incident, a road rage of sorts that ensured this guy got out with a kiboko, ready to strike. Then I remember kiboko squad and asked my memory; so the squad still exists and what was it all about again? I got sad.

NRA/NRM went to the bush in 1981 allegedly in anger, following a groundless claim that the 1980 general election had been rigged. So angry they had been that instead of heading to courts of law or even court of public opinion, they weaponised their alleged anger at Luweero with gruelling consequences on innocent civilians and the psyche of the country.

Of their other claims were that previous governments disregarded the rule of law, committed human rights abuses. That this was hardly six weeks after the elections of 1980, it is difficult to establish if such a conclusion could have fairly been arrived at that quickly. Now it is 36 years and I wonder, why would Ugandans be subjected to such kind of arrogance and obvious abuse of power by an individual in plain clothes, driving a tax-paid-for and fuelled vehicle with a ‘C’ registration and with a whip by his side, ready to strike a travelling citizen should their anger be tickled somehow? 

Are these sticks essential parts of these vehicles or, do these guys now drive in permanent anticipation of their anger being triggered off at any time and anyway, why? 

Of Oulanyah’s tributes include contribution to the resolution of the armed conflict in northern Uganda so much that now almost everyone is seeking to own him politically as the man of peace. How then can it be that the regime that he died serving is the very one whose agents terrorise citizens in broad, calm late morning-light in town hardly 400 metres away from where his body was lying in State? 

The writer is a pan-Africanist                      

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@Ochieno