I offer my support for MK’s ambition to rule this country

Last week, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba was appointed as the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces. This appointment gives Gen Muhoozi, popularly known as Gen MK (I prefer Emkay), total control of all elements of the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces.

Before he was appointed CDF of the UPDF, Gen Emkay had been Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations. But that didn’t really matter. 
What mattered was that he had started some kind of pressure group called Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU). Most Ugandans called it Pilau (a cuisine associated with Muslims and the Arabs).

With a highly attended rally in Masaka, Gen Emkay was viewed as a political force to reckon with. Some analysts even thought this (rally) may have influenced Mr Museveni to appoint Gen MK, the de facto PLU leader, as CDF (plus three of his known mobilisers appointed to cabinet portfolios).

But it is wrong to think that Mr Museveni would fear pilau. Every thing of such a nature in Uganda happens with Mr Museveni’s knowledge or endorsement. To put it another way: activities associated with Gen Emkay’s political ambitions would not happen if they rubbed Mr Museveni the wrong way. In short, Mr Musevemi and Gen Emkay are one. Pilau and NRM are one.
Which brings us to the appointment of Gen Emkay as CDF. Bano babala kaki (what is Mr Museveni’s endgame)? The objective is clear: Mr Museveni wants his son to rule Uganda. Knowing that (like all Ugandans must) ruling Uganda requires total control of the military establishment, Mr Museveni is situating Gen Emkay in a position where he would be able to control all aspects of the army.

The only challenge now is the path to the presidency. But in Uganda, we all know that the military is such an important political constituency that it gives its preferred presidential candidate a 50 percent heads up. So, we are here with near-total certainty that Gen Emkay’s political ambitions have received a very big boost by finding himself holding total control of a constituency that always influences who is likely to win presidential elections. 

Some analysts have said that by appointing Gen Emkay and his supporters, Mr Museveni wanted to dismantle the Patriotic League of Uganda. I don’t think so. I think the appointments were a deliberate act of expressing support for Gen Emkay’s political ambitions; not crippling Patriotic League of Uganda.

And now that we know the father and son are one, I beg to be allowed to support Gen Emkay’s political ambition to the best of my abilities. You never know, this could my only chance to be appointed to my coveted position as Director of the Dirty Tricks Unit at State House.

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Ugandans may have to just accept that we are in this for a long ride. Very soon, we are going the Rwandan way: where almost all political parties support the guy who enjoys proximity to the military. In the last general elections in Rwanda, a political party expressed support for Paul Kagame’s candidature (even before RPF had chosen him as the party’s presidential candidate).

It is not difficult to imagine a situation where political parties in Uganda would express support for Gen Emkay’s candidature (if only to enjoy his pilau).
So, for me, I would like to review and re-strategise my personal support for Gen Emkay. Don’t be surprised if you found that my shrine in Kiburara is named after Emkay. I must confess that my personal support for Gen Emkay’s political ambitions is for my self and selfish interests. Forget ideology and patriotism.

Mr Bisiika is the executive editor of the East African Flagpost. [email protected]