|
Reading of political barometers is a risky business indeed, especially when you are the one in the hot seat. There is always a danger of reading too much goodwill amongst the meek, sheep-like population, and consequentially looking at yourself as a benign, benevolent shepherd who is doing the stupid sheep a favour dispensing your patronage.
On the other hand, any sneeze in the shepherd's direction might be construed to mean dissent, and the action is punished with all the swiftness and seriousness it does not deserve.
Simple soul that I am, I know for sure that we were operating under a legitimate constitution in 1980-1985, but we were far from being under a democratic government. I remember the innumerable times that former President Milton Obote, while in Parliament, cynically used the Democratic Party's Paul Ssemogerere to justify that there was democracy in Uganda.
"My brother Ssemogerere, the leader of the opposition is here with us. How can anyone say that we are undemocratic?"
Meanwhile, ruling party youth wingers were ravaging the country, laying down their own brand of the law mercilessly. Needless to say, all dissenting voices were active supporters of then bandit Museveni and so had to be silenced. Whoever criticised was immediately labelled a rebel.
The wheel indeed has come full circle. We watch helplessly as the people who merely point out gross injustices are called Kony sympathisers and active supporters. And then, of course when we get federalism and multi-partyism, and no term limits for presidents, oh what a great democratic state we shall become.
Immediately after Museveni came to power in 1986, the Basoga, a meek, peace-loving people, became demonic. Pent-up frustrations came cascading down on their oppressors and innocent UPC supporters alike. They burnt, stole, brought down buildings stone by stone, allegedly murdered using saws - the whole thing is painful and shameful to bring up again. But why bring it up?
Let us humbly accept to learn from experience. If ever there is such a saying that "power corrupts...," let us tread warily around this "power" lest we fall into its manifold traps.
Also, the violence was not against UPC as a party, but a reaction against dictatorship in general. Even if it had been DP that had abused the people's trust so horribly, the perpetrators would have faced the same fate.
About the `sad' term talk. I must admit I admire tremendously the zeal and brightness with which the no-term proponents defend their baby. "Let us address the issue in principle...," and I shake my head in bewilderment. Why should we be so clever about issues and hide behind obstructive legalese; what is the precedent for such principles in a country that is clearly restive for another type of change? Again, my simplicity muses that talk of such a principle would merit mention only when someone has abused the constitutional two-term limit. Then, and only then, should we sound the drums about the issue.
It is amazing how fast we forget that if Obote and Amin's regimes were dictatorial, they also had bright, young minds vigorously selling the "great democracy" that their Uganda was. Mildly put, I blush for all those who are in effect selling their nation for a few pieces of silver - the silver being their temporary jobs that make them strut, rant and spew forth they know not what.
The average Ugandan is definitely grateful for the Movement accomplishments especially when seen vis-�-vis the worst times of its predecessors. Viewed against this background, it would be a great pity to see a fully satisfied person mindlessly continue gorging himself until he starts regurgitating his delicacies (sorry ladies!).
Literally and figuratively speaking, NRM is scoring top marks for this analogy. Do not ram our progress down our throats - we know it better than you, being at the receiving end. Rather, work towards entrenching the democratic institutions, not yourselves, that will propel this country further up the ladder of development, and conscientiously work towards eliminating those that pull us down.
The NRM government is smugly sitting on some undeniable achievements, browbeating everyone who demands for more into silence. Little do they know that except for the few well-cushioned praise-singers, the "peace" song has completely lost steam as a huge chunk of the country is horribly besieged, and increasing casualties are being registered. Of course shame is an uncharacteristic feeling for people running this regime, otherwise they would have stopped parroting the peace-thing ages ago.
This country has been raped in many ways, and its economic and political resilience is amazing. A time of reckoning is coming, when the people of Uganda, to borrow from reknowned novelist Chinua Achebe, will rise as one and say: you have taken away too much for the owner to notice.
Let the leadership stop and take stock, and let a sense of shame and a vivid remembrance of our ugly past do the rest in guiding it on what is proper in steering this country to real peace and prosperity.
077 488 900 | 
