We need leaders who won’t be Western puppets

There is an uncanny similarity between US president Donald Trump and Uganda’s Opposition, far beyond their attitude towards Covid-19 and the use of alternative facts. Trump, like Col (rtd) Kizza Besigye, insists he won the election only that it was rigged.

 And like Besigye, he has shown genuine evidence of electoral fraud only that American courts, like their Ugandan counterparts, find the evidence insufficient to overturn the election results.

Yet, for all the injustice Trump feels, it is hard to imagine him publicly calling upon Russia or China’s intervention to help him oust president-elect Joe Biden. And that is because Americans generally have a heightened sense of sovereignty and self-determination. 

In fact, bragging about being endorsed by a foreign power is political suicide in America. In Uganda, the reverse is true.

Today, we have present-day Semei Kakungulus in Dr Besigye and NUP presidential flag bearer Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine. They take great pride in endorsements by foreign powers and are keen on having those countries meddle in our internal affairs.

Do not get me wrong. Collaborating with foreign powers on projects of mutual interest is not inherently wrong. What makes it right or wrong are the specifics of each case. 

With Kyagulanyi and Besigye, the objective is ousting President Museveni. Sadly, they have reached the limits of their wits and now want foreign powers to do it for them. This “give me fish (and not fishing lessons” attitude of the Opposition is absurd and shows that they aren’t ready to lead. 

If they asked for support to build their internal capacity to oust Museveni, that would be understandable. However, they want foreign powers to do the heavy lifting for them. Moreover, their choice of support, i.e., direct military intervention or economic sabotage, would only spell doom for the very wananchi they purport to be fighting for.

However, like rats that end up in lethal traps because they must satisfy a desire for groundnuts, our Opposition wants to oust Museveni at any cost, even if it meant setting Uganda on fire. 

Blinded by their hatred for Museveni, the Opposition cannot see how disastrous direct Western intervention has been in other countries. 

In responding to criticism of their pernicious “give me fish” strategy, the Opposition will rightly point out that the NRM government also receives support from Western powers. 

However, there is a difference in attitude between Museveni and them. In the now declassified 1986 CIA intelligence assessment titled ‘Uganda under a Museveni regime,’ Museveni is profiled as someone wary of being subservient. 

Here, we must note the subtle but important difference between being subservient and being subordinate. Being subordinate means being lower in rank or position.

 So, in terms of economic and military power, we can safely say that Uganda is subordinate to the USA. In contrast, subservience means obeying others unquestioningly, considering your wishes less important than theirs. This is a mentality we should all despise.

Because he despises subservience, Museveni is capable of rejecting Western support if it goes against his interests. For instance,  his government recently blocked the US government’s Covid-19 direct cash transfer programme. Few Opposition politicians have that spine. 

Imposing Opposition leaders who lack sufficient internal capacity on Uganda via direct Western intervention would result in a weak government that is subservient to foreign interests. 

Such a relationship cannot serve the interests of Ugandans. We need farsighted leaders who won’t destroy Uganda’s strategic objectives in the name of political expedience.

Mr Kibudde is a sociopolitical thinker
[email protected]  Twitter: @kkaboggoza