Uganda needs a ‘plover’ to help it move forward
Nkwazi Mhango
Though it isn’t well known, or even credited for its bravery and shrewdness, a plover – a bird, and probably the only creature that can eat from a crocodile’s mouth – has a big lesson to teach to the rest of us. The plover comfortably enters croc’s deadly mouth and cleans it without any panic.
In Uganda, President Museveni has been in power for more than three decades and on Wednesday commenced his journey into the fourth decade. This doesn’t augur well with majority of the Ugandans.
Mr Museveni isn’t alone. In Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, the situation is the same. Paul Biya, and Teodoro Obiang Nguema have been in power since 1982 and 1979 after deposing Ahmadou Ahidjo and Francisco Marcias Nguema respectively.
The trio above shares a connection. They all toppled their predecessors and clung onto power without necessarily delivering on their promises.
Further, they’ve ignored term limits stipulated in their constitutions, not to mention cannibalising power for their private ends.
To unseat Museveni, many have tried many tricks to no avail. Among those who tried to help Museveni go to retirement were Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bob Wine, who daringly, though not successfully, gave Museveni a run for his money.
He forced Museveni to display his brutality. After trying to snatch the morsel from his fangs, Museveni, sometimes arresting many of those who seemed to be in his way, showed his true colour.
We learnt of things such as “drones”, disappearances and torture that used to be Idi Amin’s handiwork.
Now that Museveni is heading for his fourth decade, Ugandans need a plover that must bravely clean the croc’s mouth. They already have one – Bob Wine – and they need to stand behind him.
This said, Bobi Wine also doesn’t know that he’s but a plover that can turn the croc’s mouth into his feeding ground.
First, he must persist without giving in or up. The work he’s already done to pave the way to power is big. Thus, he should keep his amber burning to see to it that when it is time to dislodge and dispose Museveni, he is on the top of his game. If he persists, he’ll win where former FDC party president Kizza Besigye failed.
Second, Bobi Wine needs to strategise to eat into NRM’s turf. If anything, this is one of the guiles that helped Museveni to flat Bobi Wine: He ate into ghetto president’s turf.
Therefore, instead of treating the NRM as his sworn foe, the NUP leader must start devising methods by which he can plant proxies in the ruling party. He must befriend those he thinks can see the light and partake of the second liberation.
Third, Bobi must understand that politics is like a chess game. To realistically ‘clean’ the croc’s dirty mouth, he doesn’t only need to be on the top of his game, but also to be ahead of the game.
Museveni will be 82 years old in the next elections. Haile Selassie (Ethiopia), Felix Houphouet-Boigny (Ivory Coast), Hastings Kamuzu Banda (Malawi), Alpha Conde (Guinea), Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe) and Abdoulaye Wade (Senegal) were the only Africans leaders who were presidents in their 80s. Of all, it is only Conde who’s still in office.
Thus, at that age, Museveni will be mentally and physically frail to withstand the hardships of maintaining power. Socially, he’ll be boring and tiring. He’s been in the game for too long. Thus, he needs someone to help him see the light.
And this is none other than the one who’ll act like a plover.
Mhango is a lifetime member of the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador
