THE LAST WORD

By Andrew M. Mwenda How Museveni has centralised and personalised while at the same time decentralised and institutionalised it with the help of his opponents Last week, a very successful Ugandan businessman invited me visit a big project he is doing in collaboration with the government on one of its …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How the ombudsman has been misusing her office and thereby undermining its stature and prestige; and what can be done about it Last week the Inspector General of Government (IGG) issued a report on the dossier submitted to the office by a “whistle blower” regarding “corruption” …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How democracy in India has promoted the privileges of the powerful while China’s authoritarian state serves its poor citizens By any measure, India is a country that inspires as it disappoints. In spite of its poverty, it has sustained a stable democratic system of government since …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How the degeneration of NRM has infected the opposition thus undermining potential for real change The on-going battle inside the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) between President Yoweri Museveni and Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has reopened the debate on succession. What chances actually exist for a …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why Manchester United should fire its new manager to avert a disaster of epic proportions Last week, Manchester United was knocked out of the UEFA Champions League. The club is also trailing on the English Premier League (EPL) table at seventh position. This means the most …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why it has been important that Rwandans and not the international community ended the genocide On Monday, Rwanda commemorated 20 years since the genocide against the Tutsi. It was an inspiring event because Rwanda has astounded admirers and critics alike. In little less than two decades, …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why Uganda should move away from a winner-take-all electoral system in favour of proportional representation I argued in last week’s column that in Uganda’s specific context of mass poverty, electoral competition tends to eliminate public-spirited candidates (or patriots) in favour of crooks. Therefore as our democracy …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why parliament will either increase its term of office from five to seven years or raise its wages threefold Some Members of Parliament have proposed that their term be extended from five to seven years. This proposal is going to gain momentum. If it is not …

By Andrew M. Mwenda History shows it was inevitable Mbabazi would fall on the sword of `sole’ candidate-culture In 1965, then opposition MPs introduced a motion on the floor of the National Assembly to repeal the Deportation Ordinance. This was a draconian colonial law that allowed the state to deport, …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Although NRM seems to be in disarray, there appears to be nowhere to turn for an alternative Last week, the wrangles inside the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), hit an all-time high. Mrs. Jacqueline Mbabazi, the chairperson of the party’s Women’s League said NRM had been …