How long will Uganda be a den of thieves?

What you need to know:

  • January 26, 1986, marked the beginning of a painful chapter in Uganda’s history characterised, inter alia, by corruption, moral decadence, oppression, violence, impunity, witchcraft and tyranny which reminds me of Psalm 13 by King David.

On Tuesday, January 26, about 50 invited guests assembled at State House Entebbe to mark the 35th anniversary of “NRM Liberation Day” which for the vast majority of Ugandans, especially those who hail from Luweero, Teso and the Greater North is a day of infamy which opens old wounds which will take many decades to heal.

January 26, 1986, marked the beginning of a painful chapter in Uganda’s history characterised, inter alia, by corruption, moral decadence, oppression, violence, impunity, witchcraft and tyranny which reminds me of Psalm 13 by King David.

Like most Ugandans, the psalmist begins Psalm 13 with a solemn cry: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and everyday have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” Psalm 13:1-2 (NIV)
In the first two verses of the psalm, David asks four times, “How long?” which is an appeal to God for help.

In other words, when will God take concrete, decisive and urgent action against David’s dangerous and vicious enemy? That is the message of David’s cry and appeal and he sounds impatient about God’s apparent delay to act.

David continues, “Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall.” Psalm 13:3-4 (NIV)

Despite his desperate situation, David concludes the psalm with a bold statement of trust in God.
“But I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me.”

Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)
Ugandans must do likewise, pray unceasingly and trust God who is watching the outrage and tragedy unfolding in our beloved country.

I tell you, God will soon answer His people and the writing is on the wall for the corrupt and decadent regime
The results of the January 14 elections are a clear indication of the fact that our fellow citizens in Buganda, especially in Luweero, the Mecca of NRM, have seen the light.

It’s, however, disappointing and indefensible that northern Uganda, traditionally an Opposition stronghold, appears to have moved in the wrong direction at this critical time in Uganda’s history, if the results announced by the Electoral Commission on January 16 are credible.

Ugandans have been deceived, hoodwinked, misled and taken for a bumpy and rough ride for too long! Ugandans have been humiliated, oppressed and insulted openly by a corrupt and dishonest ruling clique; wananchi have been called anyanyas, backward, primitive, political condoms and swine.

The humility and generosity, the gentle and peaceful nature of Ugandans have been abused and equated with weakness by the callous ruling clique. There is a limit to what people will take, including seemingly docile and powerless people; sooner or later wananchi will draw a red line in the sand and declare enough is enough.
Against this background, prospects for peaceful and orderly transfer of power which Ugandans deserve and have been longing for looks increasingly bleak and uncertain.

The framers of the 1995 Constitution deliberately included two articles to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power, namely, a two-term limit and a 75-year age limit for Uganda’s president. Both safety valves were fraudulently and illegally removed by the toothless, spineless and worthless Parliament to suit one man and to create conditions under which Uganda remains a den of thieves and a theatre of the absurd for you know who. It’s despicable, outrageous and unacceptable. May God save Uganda!

 Mr Acemah is a political scientist and retired career diplomat.
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