Who will pull Uganda from  the jaws of political hyenas?

It is tough being an Opposition politician in Uganda. You literally put your life in harm’s way if you are a respected politician and really want to bring about a change for the better. 

You may not be killed, but you will face an avalanche of threats, ranging from being jailed on trumped-up charges to having your home under surveillance and being patrolled 24/7.

Many Ugandans have witnessed events of this week involving two Opposition MPs, and they have been appalled by the treatment meted out to them.

Since the MPs’ case is sub judice, I will not discuss it in detail. However, when we look back, we see plenty of evidence to suggest that leaders who are bent on clinging to power reach a stage where they use laws to their advantage to frustrate political opponents and make life hell for them.

We have very good examples that Ugandans remember very well. You just have to reflect on them to see that sometimes people just cannot believe what the State says about what it calls criminals. 

The prize example involves Dr Kizza Besigye. When he was running for president in 2006, the State brought bogus rape charges against him. There was no mention of rape anywhere before Dr Besigye expressed interest in leading Uganda.

In Uganda, if you are running for president, you are basically dealing with political hyenas. They will try to find something very serious with which to tarnish your image. And they use seemingly credible people to carry out their dirty and despicable missions.

In the case of Dr Besigye, Justice Simon Byabakama — he has since been named the chairperson of the Electoral Commission — was leading prosecution with the following charges, besides rape: treason and misprision of treason.

To make everything seem like credible, the State also used Elizabeth Kutesa who was at the time heading the CID. The CID is a key department of the police, and it is supposed to work independently and impartially.

But the CID chief was being used by the State to ensure an innocent man had to be jailed just for exercising his constitutional right. Apparently, she did well because the government recommended her for a job at Interpol in Lyon, France.
Sometimes even critics who do not have any political ambition but are viewed as sympathisers of the Opposition end up being victimised. 

Human rights lawyer Nicholas Opiyo, for example, was arrested over what the State called money laundering. Many people knew the charges were fake.
The arrest raised more questions than it answered. Laundered money comes from questionable and suspicious sources, and unless you are colluding with your bank, you have to satisfactorily explain the source of any sizeable amount that gets into your account. Only then will the bank allow you to take the money. 

The lawyer in question could explain the sources of his money, and they were not suspect. On September 13, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, dropped the charges against Mr Opiyo for want of evidence.
The tragedy for Ugandans is that the political hyenas are still in control, and they will continue to create problems for the Opposition ahead of the 2026 election. 

The key question that most of us are struggling to answer is: How do you pull Uganda out of the jaws of these political hyenas?
They do not care. They once had a legacy in the making to proudly talk of. Now there is nothing to pull out of the wreckage of that legacy.

Mr Namiti is a journalist and former
Al Jazeera digital editor in charge of the Africa desk
[email protected]    @kazbuk