By Amb Henry Mayega
Uganda’s Electoral Commission recently concluded the nominations of presidential candidates amid chaotic scenes, majorly, caused by Uganda’s recessing opposition. The EC had, initially, issued a host of nomination guidelines before the melodrama unfolded; those precepts called for strict adherence, on the part of all presidential candidates, in order to stem the spread of that greater danger to the lives of Ugandans, covid 19. The precepts included avoiding processions as well as crowds and it was emphasized that each candidate would be permitted ten people to accompany them to the nomination locale in Kyambogo. Ugandans of sound minds are happy that Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s best President, expertly and strictly adhered to those guidelines in accordance with his cardinal job of ensuring the safety of citizens; which is why he always towers over his political nemeses.
Both Patrick Amuriat and Bobi Wine, people for whom telling the truth simply threatens too much and of course, the voter shouldn’t forget their insatiable appetites for creating scenes, outlandishly announced that they won’t observe the EC guidelines; which in essence meant that, as detected by Uganda’s intel services, the duo would defy the EC guidelines with impunity! The grotesque chorus that ensued from some of the hair-brained in our midst had a velocity and scale beyond anything that we had seen; a few with a cognitive deficit including the author of an article published by one daily, spewed out the usual opposition narrative of harassment by security agencies. The trio of one Sarah Birete of some obscure civil society entity, Livingstone Sewanyana of the foundation for human rights initiative, and the inter-religious council’s Joshua Kitakule in an act of intellectual dishonesty were all quoted by the media parroting the opposition’s narrative of being harassed by security forces.
One religious leader, in tow, even questioned the authority of security forces in dealing with rowdy crowds and illegal processions; simple education: that authority is derived from the constitution and police act among others; the very pieces of legislation that empower those organs to keep law and order for the benefit of us all including religious leaders. The connotation “forces” speaks volumes about the use of force by security organs when necessary. Those who failed to condemn the Magere and Najjanankumbi duo’s derisive actions and their divisive rhetoric were condoning them.
The record should be put straight: the biggest obligation of President Yoweri Museveni is to protect the lives of citizens, his most important clientele, and their property; nothing less. The President, after being nominated, meticulously retreated to Munyonyo to launch the NRM manifesto without entertaining crowds and processions. The venerable name of the President’s stellar conduct is: leading by example. The less sagacious should also know that actions of security actors are guided by their exclusive consumption of intel information; they don’t massage political criminals whose job has been to break road pavements and pelt security forces!
The crowds created by the duo from Najjanankumbi and Magere were imbedded with debris throwing gang-stars and recalcitrant goons who damaged a police vehicle as was shown on page 11 of the New Vision of Thursday, November 5, 2020.
Gullible crowds with no capacity to float bigger and worldlier dreams were seen surging without masks in contravention of the EC guidelines and people expected the security forces to look on as the possibility of Covid 19 infections spreading loomed large! The bigoted duo in a sign of the highest degree of egotism could not counsel their supporters to don masks and avoid crowds.
Bobi is from the entertainment industry extraction which has grown by leaps and bounds during the splendid Yoweri Museveni administration; that industry had been stifled and stunted during the 1970s and part of the early 1980s due to misrule and the resultant utter dereliction; there are legends like Byron Kawadwa who did not survive the most diabolic Idi Amin regime of the 1970s. But on account of age, the duo and their ilk should be forgiven for punching above their weight because they have no clue of what that epoch meted out on nationals. The Yoweri Museveni administration has afforded young people a lot of wealth from the music industry, thanks to the unprecedented prevailing peace, security, and stability.
It would be a dereliction of duty and an error of judgment on the part of the savvy Ugandan voter if our fast-paced country by Yoweri Museveni was bequeathed to the duo’s untested hands.
Amb. Henry Mayega
Deputy Head of Mission Designate
Uganda Embassy
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
