Your Excellencies, the Ambassadors of the donor countries accredited to Uganda. I write this piece out of dismay by your continuous bullying of Uganda. The recent anti gay bill debate has exposed you as bullies who want Uganda to do as you please.

By assuming the Ugandan parliament is made up of insane goons incapable of reaching a consensus on the anti gay bill, you have demonstrated uttermost disrespect for our legislature. In your own countries, the legislature is a highly revered independent organ of governance above reproach and does not entertain threats or interference from within or without.

Over the last century, your esteemed countries have extolled democracy as the legitimate governance process regardless of cultures and traditions of other societies. There is no doubt, in western societies; democracy is a cherished value that has evolved for hundreds of years and works well, we see and enjoy its fruits. In your engagement policy with Uganda, you should observe the same democratic fundamentals as in your countries, stop dictating what Ugandans should do without considering what Ugandans want for themselves.

During my childhood, the elders in my community taught me the concept of consensus building which unlike democracy, the minority views are understood, respected and integrated making both the majority and minority winners.  Unfortunately, your form of democracy excludes the minority and that is possibly one of the reasons why democracy does not resonate well across Africa.

The systems and nations you represent have suppressed indigenous consensus based societies across Africa resulting into cyclical conflicts. With all due respect, the coercive push for western democracy has cost Africa a lot of blood and laid the foundation for political instability; you have learnt nothing from Africans but expect the later to embrace your ideas and traditions without query.

Your continued threats to cut aid to poor countries when they act independently are opportunistic and undermine the concept of democracy enjoyed in your own countries. Your interference in the Ugandan law making process is unacceptable and does not at all endear you to the Ugandan populace. To the contrary you are stirring up popular resentment that could result in full-scale hostility against the people, systems and values you represent.

If the Ugandan legislature subjected the current anti gay bill to a public vote through a referendum and the public overwhelmingly votes against your wishes, would you then punish the entire population because of voting against your wishes?

Your choice of engagement on the anti gay bill reveals double standards. You unashamedly roll out red carpets and dine with rulers like the Saudi Royals who rule over governments that have trampled on women’s and minority rights and have no respect for democracy but threaten poor countries for engaging in debates you don’t approve.

You ‘preach what you do not practice’, in your own countries, you have laws that do not uphold human rights for example capital offence in the USA. In most of Europe, families don’t have the right to use any weapon to defend themselves in their own homes against aggressive intruders. The minority Muslims section of your populace cannot freely practice some aspects of their religion like polygamy. Are these groups not minorities whose rights should also be upheld like the gay people? Has any other country admonished or demanded that you change your laws and values to comply with their wishes?

There is no doubt a section of Ugandans believe the anti gay bill requires amendments before it is turned into a law. You should have some iota of trust in the Ugandan legislative assembly to make good none repressive laws that uphold the Ugandan values and human rights.  Bullying an entire country and its government because you are unhappy about a specific bill under debate defies the logic of democracy you stand for and portrays your governments and values as despotic towards the poor countries that refuse to dance to your tune even when your fiddle is out of tune.

Uganda being poor does not licence your countries to dictate which bills should be debated in her parliament. Let Uganda be, ‘the winds that blow will determine which leaf on the tree will be the next to go.’ If you truly want to nurture democracy, refrain from coercion and arm twisting, it is against the democratic principles that you represent.

Whereas I abhor the anti gay bill in its current form because of its implications on the minority, I disagree with your approach, stripping Uganda of her dignity and the shredding of the basic tenets of democracy. I strongly believe in the independence of the legislature and the principle of sovereignty.

For God and My Country

Joseph K Kamara, [mailto:
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