WHAT AMAMA MBABAZI MUST THINK ABOUT BEFORE TAKING THE NEXT STEP?

Politics

It is no longer a secret among the right thinking members of society that Premier and NRM General Secretary Amama Mbabazi is harbouring not only ambitions but over whelming presidential ambitions.

I would say this simply first, in his speech after signing the kyankwazi decree that handed Mr. president a big push to continue his infinite rule, he said ‘president Museveni is a good leader. Africa’s problem is leadership. When therefore you have a good leader in Africa, you don’t easily let him go.’ So knowing that our president is a good leader that Africa must cling to, surely, won’t you have been the one to move the motion?.

Secondly as a man who has worked with Museveni for so long, he knows you very much a as you know him. Indeed he is a good leader in liberation wars, peace and stability as you said. How comes your name is among the last of those who signed the declaration. I doubt why your name appeared as no. 202. Probably, if not among the first ten, why not among the first twenty?.

Thirdly, when the Anite’s group, Uganda’s number one ‘test tube’ politician was dancing and chanting, honestly, you looked so dismayed, dejected, disappointed, disgusted, etc. Your body language excellently divulged what was on your mind.

To sum it all, having been caught un aware, you could have signed to retreat from the frontline and think about the next itinerary which your yet to reveal.

Impacts of your next step

It could be true as you said that you supported the motion in good faith. Then come 2016, after our president pocket another term, do you think, will you once again be appointed as Prime Minister and NRM Secretary General at the same time?. As secretary general, you have been accused of gunning support against the bush war general. Remember, NRM National Executive Committee had agreed that the SG of the party should not hold another executive job, except as minister without portfolio however you went ahead to hold two most powerful position.

As prime minister, you have been accused of soliciting financial support from China as you prepare to battle your boss. Do you the man with vision will reward you with another powerful ministry?.

It is possible that you could be cooking a plan B-to jump out of ‘queue’ with your NRM loyalists. If that ensue, the outcome will be disastrous. As fellow ‘classroom generals’ who left NRM or threaten to stage a menace against Museveni’s ‘daily bread,’ you will be sent to Luzira for political rehabilitation.

Reminiscently, you know how Gilbert Bukenya, a still stubborn fellow  whose diagnosis must be clearly identified and treated was on Oct. 3, 2011 remanded to Luzira Prison by the High Court. He was charged with abuse of office for his role in the award of a deal worth Shs9.4b to supply 204 executive vehicles four years ago during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to Motorcare.
The main rationale of incarcerating you would be to nurture you into a reformed man like Mike Mukula who was remanded and even sentenced to 4yrs in 2013 for embezzling Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) funds. I would be wasting space to discuss impacts of Besigye’s exit from NRM who you accused of leaping out of the queue.
The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University
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WHY IT IS ONLY ROME AND MECCA THAT CAN SAVE CAR

In less than two months’ time, the world will be marking the 20^th anniversary of the worst genocide that has been seen in Africa since the end of colonialism, namely, the Rwanda pogrom that began on April 6, 1994.
This genocide was so horrendous that it has irretrievably robbed every African of part of his or her dignity as a human being. You see, in Europe and America, all Blacks are looked upon as being largely the same, with the result that the shameful things that the Rwandans did to one another in 1994 have become a “historical millstone” around the necks of all Blacks, however far away they are from Rwanda.
Why then are we Africans allowing the same thing to happen again in the Central African Republic?
Admittedly, there is an African Union force there, helping the French to try and save the lives of people threatened by murderous religious strife. But the number of troops is so woefully inadequate that the UN Secretary- General, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, has called for an additional 3,000 troops, equipped with “air mobility”. His appeal comes in the wake of an ever escalating violent conflict between Christians and Muslims which, in spite of the presence of the foreign troops, is continuing. Many Muslim communities in the capital, Bangui, and the north-western part of the CAR, are reported to have been “wiped off the map, their residents massacred and survivors forced to flee.” A sequence of major tit-for-tat killing between Christians and Muslims has been going on in the country since the end of 2013.
There is little doubt now that the massacres were initially started by Muslim militias, known as the Séléka. Muslims only make up about 15 percent of the CAR’s population, but after a coup that brought a self-appointed president, Michel Djotodia, to power, Muslims began to kill Christians, many of whom had to flee from their homes.
But then, Djotodia was deposed and forced into exile by a combination of regional and international forces. Many of the Séléka generals who terrorised the Christian communities also fled.
The Christians took advantage of the arrival of French forces to launch reprisal massacres against the Muslims.
The Christians’ actions caused the French ambassador to the UN, Mr Gérard Araud, to tell a UN meeting in New York on January 15, 2014 that his country “underestimated the levels of hatred” between Christians and Muslims in the Central African Republic, before launching its intervention.
Mr Geraud admitted: “We knew there was some inter-sectarian violence, but we did not foresee such deep, ingrained hatred. We are facing a situation where we are between two communities that want to kill each other.
It is nearly an impossible situation for the African [Union] and French soldier.”
This admission by the French ambassador came as an extremely shocking statement to international political observers, for if any country should intimately know the situation in CAR, it is the French. Since CAR was granted its “independence” by France in 1960, France has always been in the background, dictating the direction the country should take, first through a clandestine system of political manipulation carried out by General Charles de Gaulle’s African “czar”, Jacques Foccart, and followed by other French administrators.
The most notorious exhibition of France’s continued tutelage over an independent” CAR occurred in 1977, when the country’s military dictator of the time, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, decided to crown himself as an “emperor”.
 “Inspired by [French Emperor] Napoleon’s coronation in 1804, “Bokassa I” staged his own elaborate ritual inside a large outdoor stadium in Bangui, his capital, on December 4, 1977. …[Bokassa] ascended a giant golden throne shaped like an eagle with outstretched wings, donned a 32-pound coronation robe containing 785,000 pearls and 1,220,000 crystal beads, and then crowned himself with a gold crown topped by a 138- carat diamond that cost over $2,000,000 to manufacture. .. The total bill for Bokassa’s regalia alone came to $5,000,000. 240 tons of food and drink were flown into Bangui [from France] for Bokassa’s coronation banquet, including a tureen of caviar so large that two chefs had to carry it, and a seven-layer cake. Sixty new Mercedes- Benz limousines were airlifted into the capital, at a hefty cost of $300,000 for airfreight alone. … The entire ceremony cost $20,000,000 to stage, an astronomical sum in a nation whose annual gross domestic product was only $250,000,000. The newly crowned Emperor used French aid grants to cover a significant portion of the bill.
Time Magazine quoted him as revealing that “Everything here was financed by the French government. We ask the French for money, get it and waste it”… In 1979, Bokassa was overthrown in a coup, carried out with French military support, by the very man he had overthrown in 1965, David Dacko.
What really happened is that the French did not care about what happened to the country and its people, so long as French companies and their European associates continued to enjoy their profits in CAR. (The country’s main exports are cotton, coffee, tobacco; cocoa, rubber, and palm-oil products.
Timber is also an important export product, while mineral exports include some of the world’s most spectacular diamonds, uranium, and gold.)
The question posed by the self-deception of the French (alas only now – belatedly – realised) and the customary inability of the UN to apply enough robustness to save human lives in Africa, is this: “What can the world do now?”
One aspect of the horrible situation that makes for a tiny bit of optimism is this: as a largely religious conflagration, it may be easier to stem than in other ethnic conflicts. My own proposal is this: the UN Secretary-General should undertake a mission to the Vatican and Saudi Arabia immediately to prevail upon the authorities there to constitute a joint-delegation to go to the CAR. This delegation should hold public meetings, at which the following measures would be announced:
1. Any Christian militia leaders who incite Christians to kill or harm Muslims in any way, will be ex-communicated by the Roman Catholic Church.
2. Similarly, any Muslim militia leaders who incite their followers to kill or harm Christians will be barred from performing the Hajj [Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca] for life.
The joint delegation should then constitute a Monitoring Group, made up of enlightened Christian and Muslim leaders, who would observe the situation in the country and compile the names of community leaders and other individuals known to be carrying out killings of fellow citizens. The Monitoring Group should publicise its work widely and invite reports from citizens across the length and breadth of the country. The Vatican and the authorities in Riyadh should publish the names of suspects who would be deemed to be in danger of the proposed measures of exclusion, so as to convince the populace that the Vatican and the Riyadh authorities are really serious in their attempt to eradicate the bloodshed.
Most important of all, if this scheme works in the CAR, it could offer an important template for the solution of similar conflicts throughout the world in future.

EAST AFRICA COMMUNITY: IS IT ON THE VERGE TO COLLAPSE?

Jesus died resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven. He is seated on the right hand side of the father, the Holy book says. Christianity further promises us that we shall also die, rise and ascend to heaven. As Christians believe without seeing, hence I also accept it as true.

 When east African community collapsed in 1977 and resurrected in 1999, from the Christianity point view, it should now live an eternal life. EAC’s resurrection wasn’t an easy walk, Presidents Moi of Kenya, Mwinyi of Tanzania, and Museveni of Uganda signed the Treaty for East African Co-operation in Arusha, Tanzania, on 30 November 1993, and established a Tri-partite Commission for Co-operation.

It was finally revived on 30 November 1999, when the Treaty for its re-establishment was signed. It came into force on 7 July 2000, twenty-three years after the total collapse of the defunct erstwhile Community and its organs.

A customs union was signed in March 2004 which commenced on 1 January 2005; which never yielded visible results. Under a customs union, member countries remove trade barriers amongst themselves and harmonise their policy towards the third country.  Kenya, for example the region's largest exporter, continued to pay duties on goods entering the other four countries.

A vibrant Coalition of the Willing (COW)

How comes that ‘Coalition of the Willing (COW)’, Charles Oyango-Obbo once termed it under the essence Nothern Corridor Infrastructure Summit  hatched by ‘Emperor’ Museveni in July last year is gearing towards a vibrant Economic Integration. This COW under hard working ‘cowboys’ may be on the move to kick Tanzania and Burundi out who are members of the well known and recognised East African Community?.

 Kagame and Kenyatta officially launched the use of national IDs by citizens of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to travel anywhere among the three countries while travelling to attend the 4^th Northern Corridor Infrastructure Summit in Kampala. Under stages of economic integration, this called Common Market-last stage which is characterised by free movement of factors of production like capital and labour among member states.

COW members at the third Northern Corridor Infrastructure Summit-Rwanda in October 2013 agreed to set up a single customs territory to facilitate trade as one of the resolutions. It was attended by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Salva Kiir of South Sudan once again in absence of senior members Tanzania and Burundi.

COW member further agreed to abolish work permit fees for Kenyans and Rwandan citizens from January 1, 2014 at the same Kigali summit

On 28^th November 2013 at the launch of standard gauge railway in Mombasa, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda signed a Trilateral Agreement to expedite development of the high-speed railway connecting Mombasa to Kampala, and onwards to Kigali.

Other important indicators on serous economic integration that have come to light among COW include launch of a single tourist visa and plan for the construction of the oil pipe line connecting Rwanda and Uganda to the Kenya.

Tanzania committed to the East African Community

Amidst frustration,  Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania has on many occasions declared that they will not quit the East African Community and will do everything in its power to make sure the community survives and becomes prosperous despite efforts by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to side-line them.

Kikwete while attending SADC and IGAD Joint Summit in South Africa early November last year met Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Yoweri Museveni, engaging them to find out exactly what is the origin of the problem and try to improve relations

Both Tanzania and Burundi attended and signed the early December 2013 East African Monetary Union Protocol (EAMU) which provides a road map to the common currency of the east African community.

Tanzania and the new allies

In late October 2013, Tanzania divulged intention to pattern with DRC and Burundi with the view of establishing economic and trade relations. Tanzania further revealed the plan to construct a railway line from Uvinza in Kigoma region to Msongati in order to connect the country with DRC 

Tanzania was among countries that sent troops under SADC umbrella with South Africa and Malawi which flashed out M23 rebels from Kivu province. Defeated M23, under direction of their commander captain Sultan Makenga Uganda crossed into Uganda. Both Uganda and Rwanda had been accused of supporting of these rebels. Until now no one know where they are, or what they are doing.

Tanzania has also promised send troops to South Sudan as Uganda’s troops prepare to depart in April. It has promised one battalion to the troubled world’s youngest nation. This battalion will be part of the UN peace keeping Mission.

As Jakaya Kikwete like Museveni and Kagame uphold the burden of pacifying the region, Tanzania could be on the move to create a new political- economical alliance that will hut it when COW finally kicks it out of the East African Community.

No doubt, the fissure between the Southern Corridor- Tanzania-Burundi and the Northern Corridor continue to deepen the question is will it be bridged?, when?, where?, how? And by who?.  

The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University

WILL CAPITALISM SAVE MAKERERE UNIVERSITY?

News circulating around is that Makerere University is to starting a double in-takes policy. This means the university will admit students both in August and January in-takes. A move that will see number of private students double aimed at raising funds to meet cost of administration according to vice chancellor Prof Ddumba Ssentamu.

Bearing in mind, twenty years ago, the University opened door to private students for the same motive. Prof Mondo Kagonyera, in the Magazine-Makerere@90 argue that this has enabled many people to attain university education than previously possible, led to increased revenues for some academic units and  brought  “business thinking” into Makerere.  

I am more engrossed in the meaning of “business thinking” which brought has Makerere to its knees. Initially, it has led to explosion of private students without physical infrastructures such as lecture rooms. A first year student for example pursing a degree in Journalism and Communication must learn Introduction to Political Science or Introduction to Sociology as a course unit bond with Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration can only Main Building- Main Hall because there is no any lecture room in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences which can be occupied by even a tenth of those students. This is evident in other colleges such as College of Education and External Studies (CEES), College of Business and Management Science (CoBMAS) while interestingly; Bachelor of Commerce External students sometimes force to learn from Dining halls.

On a day when all students attend a lecture believe me, there is no any university building with the facility to swallow introduction to political science students.

Secondly business thinking has been the chief cause of strikes at Makerere. From teaching to non teaching staff and finally as usual students strikes wit in the campus emanate from misunderstanding on how much should teaching and non teaching staff earn or when they receive salaries and remunerations to when  should students pay tuition.  A traditional saying goes, “a semester without a strike at Makerere is an incomplete one.” 

It is these strikes that oscillate the university global rankings year after year. Right now it is ranked 10^th in Africa and 1,218th worldwide yet last year it was ranked 4^th by Webometrics .  In East Africa, it is one slot behind University of Nairobi which is ranked 9^th in Africa and first in the region. Is there any reason why University of Nairobi which was opened in 1956 and was split from our university (then called University of East Africa) in 1970 should be better than Makerere University which started 34yrs before?. Convince me.

Or tell me that tuition which students pay can only finance day to day running of the university. Without government of Norway which has lug the burden of erect modern structures around the campus, how would Makerere be staring like?.  Norway funded construction of Engineering College (extension building) officially opened in 2009, Food Science and Technology officially opened in 2005, Women and Gender Studies Building officially opened in 2002, College of Computing and Information Science Block  A. The university partly financed construction of Main Library Extension which was also furnished by government of Norway.

As a private undergraduate, I am not trying to demean the our university’s forth coming policy if implemented to increase number of scholars aiming at generating more funds but won’t it be a cause of more harm than good?. Will it heal the university from shortage of lecture room, half baked graduates, bankruptcy, etc. These are the questions which capitalistic proponents of two intakes must first fully answer before initiating this policy.

The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University

IS THERE ANY REASON TO JUBLILATE EVEN IF MUSEVENI ASSENT ANTI-GAY BILL?

By John Blanshe Musinguzi

Finally President Museveni succumbed to the pressure to sign anti-gay bill which he had earlier declined to assent due to international pressure. He will feast on internal support but as usual a sour cup of tea is being cooked for him by the western world.

 In an eight page letter addressed to speaker Kadaga and MPs in January this year, president accused the speaker for passing the anti- gay bill without column. He further described the homosexuals as ‘abnormal’ being who can be rescued through economic empowerment.

Then why did he change his opinion?, while speaking at the 10^th day of NRM caucus in Kyankwazi, Museveni said  “the reason I had not signed the bill is to scientifically answer the question; are there people genetically born homosexual? For me, I had thought that since there are people born albino, there could be people born homosexual.”

He added that since medical authorities, the department of Genetics of Medical School from Makerere, say there is no proof yet that people could be homosexual by genetic, he would go down to the request of Ugandans and sign the bill.

President Museveni further distanced himself from fate of the bill saying, ‘I am taking all these precautions because am historically responsible for whatever as a leader. There were mistakes made in 1930s by Hitler because he wanted to make German strong... some of these issues are crucial and should be handled objectively not emotionally.’

However the question is how comes that president Museveni has signed many controversial bills without asking expertise to present their analysis of those bills. He assented the controversial Public Order Management Bill ‘POMB’ in October last year which had been described by Civil Society and International Organisations as ‘autocratic.’

 The law relinquishes unprecedented power to police to proscribe public meeting. The provisions of the law require that a written notice of meeting is submitted to the police seven days in advance and that such meeting can only be held between 6am and 6pm. It also allows police to stop or prevent any public meeting if they believe it poses a breach of public order.

Excitement

Museveni could have could have bowed to assenting the bill due to the thrill after the caucus endorsed him as the sole NRM flag-bearer for the 2016 presidential elections. The decision by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus in Parliament to endorse Museveni for a fifth elective term in office as President could give him a chance to extend his infinite rule to 35yrs in power if he emerges as a champ in the forth coming elections. Agree with me he will win.  

He could have also decided to sign it in order to degrade movement of his ‘emerging arch political foe- Amama Mbabazi’ who like him (Museveni) accused Kadaga of passing bill without column. Mbabazi also promised Uganda’s foreign envoys on 7^th January 2014 that the NRM caucus will review the bill which he snubbed.
A vibrant Western World Pressure
Museveni clearly will have to master play international pressure mainly from Europe and America who have been pilling pressure on him to drop this bill.
Barack Obama, United States president warned Museveni that enacting the anti-gay bill would complicate relations with US.
 A statement from the White House in Washington quoted Mr Obama as saying that the bill will “complicate our valued relationship with Uganda”, adding: “The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, once law, will be more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda. It will be a step backward for all Ugandans and reflect poorly on Uganda’s commitment to protecting the human rights of its people. It also will mark a serious setback for all those around the world who share a commitment to freedom, justice and equal rights.”
 In 2010 he denounced the same anti-gay law as “odious” while UK Premier David Cameron revealed that he intended to slash aid for Uganda over abuse of homosexuals’ rights.
Knowing the cost of strained relations with American and Britain who have fractured Zimbabwe’s economy, ousted former Egypt and Libya presidents Col Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak as well as cognise America’s current role in Ukraine protest, Museveni will think more about saving his ‘daily bread’ than enforcing the anti-gay bill after assenting it.
The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communications student at Makerere University

  

FDC: WALKING IN THE STATE OF PURGATORY, WHO WILL SAVE IT?

When Rubabramira defected to NRM in October last year, I wrote an article on my blog titled, “Welcome Home Rubaramira, Things fall apart and FDC’s imminent demise.” One of my Facebook friends who read it booed me for writing ‘fwaaaaa’ without facts. He further accused of following media allegations, attacking Muntu and Mafabi and so on. This is the greatest challenge I have since I started blogging.

Five months later, FDC has been torn apart by antagonistic camps. Mafabi supporters who seem more stubborn continue to indirectly protest against Muntu camps after the latter dropped the former from leader of opposition (LOP) last month.

Muntu’ decision’s as party president are respected by Mafabi supporter. First, Sironko FDC chairman Polly Mugoya, one of many grieved Mafabi supporters publically claimed that Uganda has failed because it’s led by a soldier. He further said that FDC is failing because it’s has been led by soldiers. This meant that he was indirectly referred to Muntu.

Secondly, when he appointed Wafula Oguttu as leader of opposition, Oguttu himself first declined to take over from his friend Mafabi. It was after persuasion from senior party members such as Augustine Ruzindana and Munini Mulera when Wafula accepted to lead the Opposition in Parliament.

There is no reason why Wafula should have declined replace Mafabi as LOP even though he is not ambitious. Actually, he would also dream like all other politicians to elevate his political CV.

Thirdly, this week, FDC plunged deeper into a crisis after Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso declined an appointment as chairperson of the coveted Public Accounts Committee. On Wednesday, MPs Odonga Otto (Aruu County) and Oddo Tayebwa (Bushenyi Municipality) rejected appointments to the shadow Internal Affairs ministry.

All of them gave lame excuses of inexperience in the dockets which they had been appointed to head. Surely which docket did for example Alice Alaso want other heading PAC?. Yes she would have wanted to be LOP, but since it had been occupied by Wafula, Alaso should have been contented with the appointment. All of them knew how sceptical public is about divisions within the party so they would at least snubbed appointments secretly other than tainting FDC image further.

The roles political parties play in society from policy making to recruiting people depends heavily on party’s internal organisation which FDC is lacking now. The better a party is organised internally, the stronger its responses when faced with unprecedented challenges such as election ridging and pressing incumbent government to deliver.

The question is will FDC walk through this state of purgatory with these internal squabbles to a successful future? Or it is heading to hell-to join the league of failed political parties such as UPC and DP.

 I don’t think FDC’s future is bright. Publically, it is losing support since departure of party founder-Besigye who used criticise government, join common people in demonstration. Instead of learning from Besigye, Muntu has always kept quiet about issues of national importance and Besigye is still active in leading demonstrations.

More so senior grieved senior party members may decide to part-away from FDC activities or directly leave FDC like Rubabramira Ruranga. They can even stop or reduce their funding of the party thus weakening it economically.

In the coming presidential elections, if FDC fronts Muntu as party flag bearer, he is unlikely to even score 20% of the votes. 

  Truly, Besigye is the man to aid FDC from this state of purgatory.

The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University

 

 
 

  

UGANDA: FROM A REPUBLICAN TO A MONARCHY

 A Monarchy is a form of government in which power is embodied in an individual ruling power or the monarch. It is a heredity political system where people are not allowed to cast a vote for the monarch. Monarchs use titles such as king, emperor, duke or duchess. They hold the title for life or until abdication.

There are two types of monarchy, absolute and constitutional. In a constitutional monarchy, power is isolated for the monarch in the constitution of the country. In an absolute monarchy, the royal family has supreme powers and it can participate in law making.

A republic is a form of government in which power is held and representatives they elect. The people can elect someone who represents their interests. The word republic is used for governments who give people their rights and do not keep them under authority. Republic follows the constitution and ensures that the government does not forget the rights of the citizens given for equality.

As Museveni’s infinite rule continues with current endorsement in the NRM-Kyankwazi caucus retreat, sensible Ugandan must start to think and look ahead. Which form of government is Uganda practicing?, where are we heading to?, what will be impact of Museveni’s rule in Uganda?, etc.

When he came to power in 1986, no one expected that he could rule Uganda until today. From 2006 general elections to 2011 and finally 2016 we expected Museveni to retire but that is not the case, he is still around and around. Maybe he graduated with a BBA, Bachelor of Business Administration sarcastically termed as a ‘Bachelor of being around and around.’ This term is mostly used by student at Makerere University with an intention of demeaning follow colleagues pursuing BBA.

A magnificent seer would now start analysing dirty tricks that Museveni will initiate to declare his candidature as NRM sole presidential flag-bearer in 2019 as we will be preparing for 2021 presidential elections. As usual those with presidential ambitions will be fuming promising heaven and earth to voters but a gain he will net them un aware like fish. Then what will happen?, those hopeful presidential ambitions like Mbabazi, Mike Mukula  will be forced again to declare their allegiance to him.

Possibly agree with me that ‘Musevenism’ ideologies will flourish with politics of patronage and appeasement policies. He may decide to retire or die in office. If he retires or when he dies, higher chances are that someone from his family will take over power. That may be another step of evolution of ‘monarchism’ in Uganda.

So far the constitutional relinquishes power to Museveni to solely appoint minister, diplomats, RDCs, judges, executive directors, etc as kings/ queens do. He indirectly nominates candidates to stands as NRM-MPs. Supporters of former Bukanga NRM-MP Nathan Byanyima can testify how Museveni influenced election of Steven Rwakanuma   Kangwagye as the NRM flag bearers in last year’s by-elections.

 Most of the monarchs were often born out of powerful military leaders like Museveni who fought claiming to liberate fellow people from oppression. These powerful military commanders transformed their power into hereditary. For example, Swaziland traces its origin from powerful leaders such as Ngwane, Sobhuza , etc while Mzilikazi founded Ndebele kingdom, he was later succeeded by his son Lobengula.

If Museveni is a noble leader, he won’t have ruled Uganda for all these years! 28yrs and still counting?. How comes that Mandela, Africa’s greatest revolutionary  ruled for just five year or what about John Kofuor  who succeeded militaristic leader Rawlings. He did what he wanted to for Ghana in 8yrs. How comes that Museveni hasn’t fulfilled his vision for 28 years.   

The author is an undergraduate Journalism and Communication at Makerere University

WHEN RESIDENTS BEHAVE LIKE WOLVES AT A BURIAL CEREMONY

By John Blanshe Musinguzi

I recently attended a send off ceremony of an elder in our village. He succumbed to Tuberculosis after a long battle. He was famous for bee keeping in our community. However what irritated me is how residents behaved like wolves while fighting for meat.

It’s unfortunate that parties have vanished from our community, I don’t know why?. It was during jovial moments at parties when local-people would eat meat peacefully. Currently, everything has changed; people seem to shamelessly target burial ceremony chances to eat meat.

 I think that it is too early for people to behave in such a manner because it’s just two from Christmas jubilation which is always characterised by only eating meat. Traditionally, during Christmas season, we would anticipate to get new clothes and join other at church so that they can stare at us.

This habit is creeping faster than I expected, recently I argued how the remaining communal burial pledges is the only positive behavioural that we trade from our community. The rest is poverty, gambling, fornication, divorce, atheism, etc.

I have come to learn that communal burial pledges do still exist amidst poverty simply because people expect return i.e. slaughter a cow for them. To lose a loved one and a cow is double loss, the family of the deceased must plan among other things to purchase a cow if they want to attract a mammoth of crowd or else bury their loved one alone.

Whenever a person die, appetite rise beyond ordinary level followed by salivating minute after minute. I can confess, it is only at burial ceremonies where people come in time. When you call a meeting for example, the first come at least two hours later but when you add that logistics are free, even those who are not invited to attend do come in person. 

Sincerely, I can’t understand why a person  who cannot purchase a kilogram of meat for his/her family should fight for meat at a burial ceremony. We have lost localism which made everyone admire our community. Condolences would be lift family of the deceased from economic shock which they suffer to finance funeral expenses.

 A strategic politician who wishes to tame our community can purchase a bull for our residents. It is enough get a landslide victory. Janet Kataaha Museveni, our member of parliament instead of giving yellow t-shirts to voters should slaughter cows for people if he wants to be worshiped forever.

The author is an undergraduate journalism and communication student@Makerere University