MUSEVENI WILL ONLY TARGET MUNTU IF HE LEARN’T AND FORGOT NOTHING FROM TRIAL OF BESIGYE

By John Blanshe Musinguzi

 For the first time president Museveni while speaking at celebration to mark 28yrs since NRM came to power acknowledged that there were atrocities committed by UPDF soldiers. He confessed that it was a shame for the current government and wondered why they were not reported.

He cited Mukura railway wagon incident that saw forty people burnt and the Bucoro pit incident. Museveni further cited the incident at Kayum where citizens were killed by elements of the NRA/UPDF after the army had been attacked by the rebels. He added that there were incidents of looting property and incident of indiscipline reported in Nwoya which he would follow up, unearth the culprits and hold them accountable.

Political commentators have argued that, first it is too late since the crimes were committed by UPDF soldiers. Yes, I agree with them but who could he try?. As they argue Museveni could be targeting renegade generals’ i.e. Mugisha Mntu and David Tinyefuza aka Sejusa, former bush war heroes who later departed from NRM. Muntu is the current president of FDC while Sejusa is holed in London.

Museveni had no reason to echo about these atrocities because there wasn’t any one to hold responsible. Sejusa was still a good serving officer in the army while Muntu had not joined active politics. Right now president Museveni knows that he will face Muntu, former army commander in 2016 general elections if he decides to run again. I am 99% sure that he will seek another ‘kisanjja.’

At first, I was in consensus with all politicians such Augustine Ruzindana, current leader of opposition Wafula Oguttu among others who resent that Museveni is targeting Muntu and Sejusa. However now I firmly say no, Museveni won’t dare to target Muntu if he learnt a lesson from imprisonment of Besigye prior to 2006 general election.

The impact of to incarceration was disastrous to Museveni and an advantage to Besigye. No wonder for the first since 1996 presidential elections, second runner-Besigye pulled 37% of the elections while Museveni won with 59%. Interestingly, in 2001 general elections Museveni won with 69% which means than he lost 10% of the votes while Besigye came second with 27%. The 10% that Museveni lost is the 10% that Besigye gained in 2006.

I agree with recent revelations by Sejusa that Museveni rigged 2006 elections due to Besigye popularity. He won all sympathy votes and most Uganda looked at him as a courageous man who would sacrifice his bread for the nation.

Since then, Besigye is the only Ugandan who has been arrested many times. Police are arrest him and latter release him. I believe Museveni will never repeat mistakes of 2006 because he knows the likely impacts. Any strategic politician would wish to be treated like how Besigye if he wants to gain populace in 2016 presidential elections.

The crux of the matter is, if Museveni decides to probe into atrocities committed by some NRA soldiers during the counter insurgency in northern Uganda as he said, he will not target Muntu if his political advisers are as intelligent as I am. They will remind him about 2006 Besigye trial impacts.

I bet, Sejusa will be on list since he commanded the operation in the North to flash out LRA rebels when these atrocities when committed.

The author is an under graduate Journalism and Communication student @Makerere University