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Professional political biographers Charles Onyango-Obbo,
F.D.R. Gureme, and Andrew Mwenda have consistently written that
President Museveni has refused to listen to the wisdom of his
âchildhood friendâ Eriya Kategaya on matters of presidential term
limits.
This
hype about Museveni and Kategaya being âchildhood friendsâ has been
and continues to be stretched too far in our political development.
I am convinced that it is time this hype and glorification through
duplicity are dumped into the historical dung-heap where they should
belong in a democracy.
In a
democracy what ought to count for legitimacy and acceptability are
viable policies, popular electoral mandate that leaders enjoy, and
record of achievements, and not historical, family or social
ties.
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PRESIDENT:
Museveni` |
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FALLEN OUT:
Kategaya |
Social
ties may matter but they should not take precedence over regular
popular electoral mandate. And in any case each adult politician
should make a good account of his own contribution to the nationâs
development, and not merely tag along as Ugandaâs current political
biographers want the public to believe!
The
hype about Museveniâs early relationship is peddled by critics in a
futile attempt to show that he owes his public career, especially
the presidency, to some of his âchildhood friendsâ. And from this
standpoint, they proceed to argue that Museveni has an obligation to
always listen and accept, and be grateful to the views of his
so-called childhood friends.
But
before chastising Museveni, it would be interesting to know how many
of his critics, Gureme, Obbo, and Mwenda have kept and still confide
in their own childhood friends, or those they met in primary school,
like Museveni did with Kategaya.
What is
factual is that some of Museveniâs allies merely supported his
political crusades like many believers rally behind and contribute
to Christianity and Islam, but cannot be taken as the bedrock of
faith.
Secondly, it is imperative for the public to know that some
of these âchildhood friends,â and allies especially those he
appointed senior government officials got accustomed, and even took
their positions, friendship, and relations for granted.
In
fact, many had turned themselves into court jesters, and even
falsely claimed to be the kingmakers â the powers behind the NRM
throne, until they discovered otherwise. Indeed this explains some
of the extreme raw anger they now espouse once driven out of the
state apparatus.
In
politics, as in social life, it is important never to imagine that
because the leader is a âpersonal friendâ, relative or loves you,
you can do anything you want and get away with it. Books could be
written about favourites who fell out by taking their status for
granted, and the more we democratise, the more we should learn to be
out of power without a grudge!
While
it is natural to want to hire friends especially when in difficulty,
it is important for Museveniâs critics to understand that you do not
know the people you call friends as well as you imagine.
Quite
often friends cover their unpleasant qualities so as not to offend
each other, and can laugh extra hard at each otherâs jokes, but just
that. However, it is only when you hire a friend that you gradually
discover the qualities he or she has kept hidden for a long time
like inefficiency, incompetence, envy, ingratitude and
self-ambition.
And
strangely enough, it is Museveniâs benevolence that has unbalanced
everything, because some people felt that they deserve their
fortunes exclusively and permanently.
That is
why although outsiders or âcreepersâ, as Amanya Mushega calls them,
think historical friends are privileged, they pay less gratitude
today to the more favours Museveni dishes to them, in fact, they are
hostile.
It is
for this reason that his former allies such as Kategaya, Kizza
Besigye, Augustine Ruzindana, Mugisha Muntu, John Kazoora, Miria
Matembe, and David Pulkol will not get enough support from the
public to tilt the balance of forces. They are not only privileged,
but are seen to be privileged, because none of them ever sat for
interviews for the various fat jobs they held and the perks that
accompanied them!
The
other problem with hiring a friend is that it limits a leaderâs
power to act in case of failures or transgressions, which is common
in Uganda. As said before, some of these friends were not the best
skilled or even suited for the jobs they held but they were the ones
available and daring for some of the tasks, for which Uganda is
grateful.
From
now on, we should know that at the end, skill, competence and
commitment are far more important than friendship in the execution
of public duty, and learn to distance friendship (false or real)
from the workplace.
Mr Opondo is the director of information
at the Movement Secretariat. | 
