Kakwenza’s message on Museveni’s voters is unpalatable

Ugandan novelist and iconoclast Kakwenza Rukirabashaija who has made it his full-time job to critic, and abuse President Museveni and engage in all manner of balderdash to drive his point home, recently made an absurd comment.

Through his official Twitter account, Kakwenza warned that anyone who voted for President Museveni should not seek any form of help from him.

“Please don’t be the same person in my inbox crying for help. Next time carry your brain with you! Let poverty eat your; behind, front, legs, eyes, whole immune system-maybe you will learn,” he tweeted.

Kakwenza’s message is not only misleading, but it also sows hatred and divisions among the populace. It is not only selfish but also lacks taste given the direction we want to take as a country. The politics of what, not who.

Let us consider Kakwenza’s hatred for President Museveni on one end, and the loath he has for those who voted for him on the other, and also put into consideration that President Museveni was voted by 5.8 million Ugandans, and he reigns over at least 45 million Ugandans.

With Kakwenza’s line of thought, therefore, should the president open roads only where he has support? Or should he launch factories only where he was voted? Should he preach wealth creation to only those who continuously vote for him or should he channel the Parish Development Model to where he garnered the highest votes?

To drill a little more, President Museveni commissioned Emyooga and he did not dictate its entry, those who voted for him and those who did not are equally welcome to participate. 

Dishing support to people on the basis of who voted for who is archaic, retrogressive, unpalatable and to say the least, egoistic.

The NRM is strong because it has solved such things. Everyone is welcome on an equal basis and everyone’s problem is solved. This is why the army under the command of President Museveni whom Kakwenza loathes, is weeding out ADF which had started atrocities. President Museveni did not have time to think about whether the ADF is killing those who voted for him or not.

President Museveni was pained by the Bijambiya people who were killing people in Masaka, where he got the most underwhelming support! And he did not rest until the situation was quelled. In Kakwenza’s theory, he would have left the people to seek help from those they voted for overwhelmingly.

Most importantly, President Museveni is working towards creating wealth for everyone such that we can chase poverty and avoid empty statements like Kakwenza’s.

President Museveni has belaboured to educate every Ugandan alike (irrespective of who they voted for) that once we clearly decide to differentiate development from wealth then we shall have cured the problem of money in the pocket.

Those rushing to Kakwenza of all people for financial handouts are the people not taking the message seriously, they are the bakongozi president Museveni talks about, who would rather stay asleep while the means to make money have been availed and bolstered.

Almost every week, the president is commissioning factories, they need employees, the same factories need services, the workers need food etc.  Last week, he launched oil drilling activities in Kikuube, who will give food to the multitudes of workers in the area? Ugandans. Hence why don’t we engage in such ventures?

The NRM celebrated 37 years of liberating Uganda from things such as division and an economy that was neither here nor there. The message of unity and EAC integration, therefore, remains vital.  We are one and should use the opportunity to our advantage, by working and trading with each other. I cannot refuse to buy milk from my neighbour because he did not vote for Museveni, likewise, I cannot refuse to sell Cassava to people because they support a leader I did not vote for!

 Money in the pocket does not come with Museveni’s photograph, nor does poverty come with the NRM logo! If you are poor, you will be poor irrespective of your political beliefs.

Nelson Bwire Kapo is a Social Media Manager for H.E Yoweri T. Kaguta Museveni, State House Uganda