Zambia does it again; which way Uganda?

In October 2005, I was part of the UPC and Uganda national delegation in Lusaka for the state-memorial-service for Dr Milton Obote, who had earlier passed on in Johannesburg, South Africa.

I had wept since news of the death of the former president emerged and throughout my hard-journeys from Kampala-Entebbe to Nairobi-Johannesburg and now Lusaka and, whereas Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s emotional weeps triggered extras-in-me, the fact that all surviving Zambian leaders (Kaunda, Fredrick Chiluba and then-serving president Levy Mwanawasa) were all in attendance, my weeps now doubled. 

Dr Obote had been wasted in exile till death; yet in Uganda, 20 years after the military overthrow of his government (1985-2005) no peaceful transfer of power from one party (let alone leader) to another had occurred; no free, peaceful or democratic elections had taken place and, no former leaders (even double-military like Museveni and Tito Okello) had, or, could sit and be found together.

I stared around, thought about Uganda and attempted to look ahead but still wondered, ‘what is it with Uganda, I mean Ugandans?’ That was 16 years ago.

Then as Zambians went to the polls the other week, various global media sought my opinion and I gave. Zambian elections would be concluded without ‘much’ violence (certainly nothing like Uganda’s recent) and, a victor would be determined, I suggested. 

Days later, most of the same media houses returned as news emerged of threats of escalating violence and a suggestion by president Lungu (then incumbent) extraordinarily, that elections had been ‘rigged’ and, with ‘veiled’ insinuations that he might not ‘accept’ election-defeat which was now clearly glaring.
 
With others including behind-the-scenes interventions, we suggested that it was in the best interest of Mr Lungu to concede defeat and enable Zambia become among the few exemplary models for democracy and transition in Africa after all I recalled, Kaunda had done it before: 

He organised an election, lost, conceded defeat and handed over power (to Chiluba) and, he went on to live long and importantly, establish himself as one of the few towering-lights of independence struggles and leadership in Africa till his demise in June 2021. President Lungu thankfully conceded and handed over power.

As if to cement Zambia’s leadership in this regard, at a colourful inauguration event at Lusaka’s national stadium, new president Hakainde Hichilema did not disappoint: With former president Rupia Banda present, Mr Hichilema opened with ‘honour, humility and gratitude’. 

That the victory was not his but for all Zambians – especially the youth, assuring them that ‘change is here’. That they would serve as ‘your servants and you as our masters’. That ‘read my lips’, he said ‘no cadre-ism from any political party’ in fact, no thuggery-ism, no violence’.

And like a leader, he thanked former president Lungu for his ‘leadership and smooth transition’ saying, ‘democracy is the way to go’. The guy even had the audacity - after thanking the Zambia National Electoral Commission - to instruct that they would be ‘moving forwards towards truly independent commission’. In fact, he said ‘mark my word, freedom for opposition’. Impressively that, ‘retirements of public servants in national interest are over’ together with days of ‘interference’ in public institutions.

As I retired my mind from these ‘envy-of-Zambians’, I wondered; who were part of the Uganda delegation to these events and did I hear that opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi’s trip was interrupted, unlike Botswana that included government and opposition leaders as one and yes, even Kenya?

Then I remembered an irritating online forum in which I am a member: NRA/M descendants and their heckler-cliques can hardly concede that at least 1980 elections had a victor and that Mr Museveni lost in Nyambushoozi. Wake up Ugandans.

The writer is a pan-Africanist and former columnist with New African Magazine         [email protected]