Explaining NRM loss in Buganda

The story, ‘Voters speak out on why NRM lost in Buganda’ (Daily Monitor of January 18), listed some of the possible reasons as the NUP wave, government unfulfilled pledges, overstay in power and the tribal factor.

 Whereas one would concur to most these issues as valid sentiments that had some influence on the Buganda vote, I believe the last, the tribal factor,  does not qualify to be on the list. 

Until 2016 elections,  Buganda faithfully stood by the NRM party and in the process giving it comfortable electoral wins. It is worth noting that all past elections featured candidates from Buganda.

 Moreover, Buganda paid the biggest price for the Bush War successes. It cannot be true that Buganda out of the blue, starts to play the tribal card.

One of the biggest reasons for the erosion of NRM’s (and UPDF’s) popular image in Buganda has been the unfair treatment and excessive abuse of human  rights, including shooting people dead, brutality and arbitrary arrests by security agencies of especially members of the Opposition, including their presidential candidates. 

The incoming NRM government needs to, among others, change tact and urgently address these abuses in order to win back the confidence and trust of disillusioned Ugandans.

S K Musoke,
Kampala.