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Hello Mr President
By David Ouma Balikowa |
Who, after Museveni, is about to get the vision?
Jan 9, 2004
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Writing recently in The Monitor, Prof. Ogenga Latigo said he “had no intention whatsoever of entering an arena where two elephants, President Museveni and Eriya Kategaya were fighting lest (he) a small hare is accidentally stepped upon.” But “out of curiosity and sense of responsibility”, he felt he had no choice but to say something about the raging debate between the two “big elephants.”
Mr Museveni would probably not want to agree with Latigo that Kategaya is an elephant to compare him with. Museveni’s recent media missives would seem to suggest that he is only comparable to Jesus when it comes to having a vision for the country. In his estimate, he is the elephant of all elephants in Uganda. Latigo is right in fearing to tread where two elephants are fighting, lest he the hare suffers irreparable injury. Because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. But I want to assure Latigo that when two elephants make love, the grass does not fair any better. Latigo, the hare would be reduced to a paper-like layer of mingled flesh. So while the relationship between Museveni and Kategaya blossomed, the Latigos of Uganda were either forced to tread carefully or faced the consequences. Those that dared have sad tales to tell. Some people will recall the vocal politicians that used to make a lot of noise about corruption in the late 80s and early 90s. They got ministerial positions, became RDCs and their mouths got plugged with Pajeros. Asked why they no longer made noise, they would quickly say, “For us in the Movement we do not talk while eating”. The silence on graft, among other things, pushed the country to the worst levels of corruption in the country’s history, earning us high ranking on the Transparency International list of shame. The hares like Latigo need not fear venturing where elephants tread. The elephant can win a fight, but not necessarily the race. Kategaya need not be an elephant. He could be like the fable hare that perched on the elephant’s back in a race, only to jump to the finishing line first. So much about elephants, hares and the grass. I have with a tinge of amusement listened to Museveni remind us simple souls that he is the only man that possesses a vision for the country. This might not surprise Museveni but there is one man who seems to be getting to the vision very fast. In a matter of time, he might be only the second man in the country to have a “Museveni vision” for Uganda. Guess who that man is? You saw the pictures. From the way he talks and gestures like Museveni, he is about to see the vision when Uganda will be making paper from banana fibres. When Ankole, the land where milk flows along village paths will no longer depend on the cow, or when farmers will have multiple products from their patches of gardens. Or when every village homestead will have access to micro finance money. The golden feature time or candy world of some sort in George Orwell’s Animal farm! Fellow countrywomen and men, you might want to emulate the President if you too must get the vision of the promised land. Watch the body language and emulate him. From the little I remember about Museveni’s body language when I last sat near him – many, many years ago – he would be looking at you but you got the feeling he was looking very far beyond any mortal soul. Probably into his vision thing for the country. But if the last 18 years have not been long enough for Museveni’s vision to be achieved, any of us simple souls might as well forget about ever getting to the President’s promised land. In the central and eastern parts of Uganda, the banana wilt has wiped out the entire crop. Intervention from government to fight the disease has not been forthcoming. In effect, these people, even when they emulate the President’s body language, will most probably never get the vision to lead them to the promised land where banana fibre will be turned into paper. The story in war-torn Uganda needs not be retold. With the hands chopped off by rebels, they are not in position to even try to imitate the body language and get to the vision too. |
© 2003 The Monitor Publications
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