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Why Museveni should retire

Secondly, once democratic horse trading begins, the die would be cast on public sector performance. Economic growth would slow down due to international conditions and be accentuated by parliamentary gridlock hence reducing government revenues. President Besigye would have to borrow from abroad to finance his ambitious (and thereby increase the national debt) or print money to finance his fiscal deficit (and thereby cause inflation). Citizens do not understand these complex tradeoffs required of a president; the necessity of compromise. Therefore, anger against President Besigye would mount. It is in these chaotic circumstances that many Ugandans would begin to re-evaluate Museveni’s record. Many would realise that he was not such a bad guy after all.

The Kenyans (and people like me) were angry at President Daniel arap Moi, accusing him of being the king of corruption. When he respected term limits and retired, the new government came with tall tales of how to fight the malady. Upon coming to office, President Mwai Kibaki appointed renowned anti-corruption activist, John Githongo, ombudsman. The first person to run to exile for fear of being killed by Kibaki’s corrupt allies was Githongo. Kibaki finally also left power. Today, Kenyans say Uhuru Kenyatta’s government is the most corrupt their country has ever seen.

Kenyans have been humbled to reality. They are beginning to lose the association of corruption with an individual. They are learning that it is part of politics in a poor democracy. Kenya is not unique. With perhaps the sole exception of post genocide Rwanda, this is the experience of almost every government in Africa – those that have come to power on the platform of fighting corruption have turned out to be more corrupt than their predecessors.

In holding onto power, Museveni has denied us an opportunity to come to terms with reality. Whenever people are frustrated with something, the tendency is to look for a villain to blame for the bad situation. In Uganda’s case, an ageing president who has been in power for three decades is an excellent target. Even a man who has been dumped by his wife will claim it is all because of Museveni’s mismanagement of the country. The moment leaders come and go but certain problems remain, people tend to develop a much broader perspective of the causes of the problem.

This way, the biggest loser in Museveni’s tenacious hold on power is actually Museveni. He has protected Besigye from facing the contradictions of power. For as long as Museveni is president, our judgment of him will remain coloured by emotions. But once out of power and with many of our problems – poverty, mass unemployment, corruption, police brutality, bad healthcare, poor education standards, impassable roads etc. – remaining stubbornly resistant to rapid change, Ugandans will begin to re-evaluate Museveni with a sense of perspective.

*****

amwenda@independent.co.ug

8 comments

  1. There is a general saying that, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. It doesn’t become truer until one has read Mwenda’s views towards Dr. Kiiza Besigye. Mwenda harbours (or has harboured) two wishes. However, in each of his wishes there lies a devilish “sub-wish.” Mwenda’s first wish was that President Museveni loses (lost) the February, 2016
    election. The “sub-wish” in this was that, it would then present a platform for Besigye’s failure as President. Mwenda has stated that he would relish a moment when Dr. Besigye will come face to face with the nature of democratic politics in a poor country. Mwenda’s second wish is, that President Museveni does not stand as president for the sixth term (2021). The
    “sub-wish” in this is, to deny Dr.Besigye a chance of ever becoming a president. In summary, if Museveni and Besigye ever drowned and Mwenda was sent on a rescue mission, if to rescue Museveni meant rescuing Besigye, he would let the two drown. With such euphonious wishes, Mwenda reckons that between Museveni and Besigye – Uganda is torn between the Devil and a Deep-Blue- sea. It is thus clear, that as Mwenda has “aged”
    into Uganda’s politics, so have his ideas been fatally etiolated with the strong winds of Tooro. His arguments are inconsistent and fall short on the notion of altruism. Mwenda has argued before (see: The Dynamics of Uganda’s elections (May 10, 2015)) that in his many conversations with aspiring candidates, they would indicate that they shared the views of FDC. But that since elective politics had been monetised, it was risky business running on
    FDC ticket. If this analysis bore a logical direction, then why would Dr. Besigye have to bribe FDC minded MPs? (Mwenda’s argument would be better served, if he explained as to why President Museveni has to fork out Shs 5m to “NRM MPs” on every contentious issue?) The grounds on which Mr. Mwenda wants to crucify the Presidency of Dr. Kiiza Besigye are not politically or scientifically attainable. It so seems that over the years, Mwenda has culminated a pessimistic view towards Uganda’s politics. He has built a zero sum ideology
    around Museveni’s politics. That what has failed Museveni- then, no one can put
    right. Quite absurd. Prior to 1986, Uganda had undergone seven different regimes.
    Apart from that of Godfrey Binaisa and Paul Muwanga all other governments had
    been changed-over through d’états including an external one; by Mwalimu Nyerere. I want to imagine for a moment that, had there existed another journalist (during the Obote II regime) of Mwenda’s ilk trying to make a case for the insecurity at the time (as Mwenda is doing for corruption now) and making it the standard-gauge on which future governments were to operate. How wrong would that journalist/writer be, considering that for the last 30yrs and still counting, Uganda has been governed as a secured state? I can imagine this writer stating that since the Langis wanted a Langi as president and the Acholis wanted an Acholi and the Baganda wanted a Muganda, then in order for Uganda to be secure, it needed every region to have its own president! Making the case for the 1980- 85 insecurity inevitable. I want to imagine that Mr. Mwenda is very satisfied with what he has achieved so far, both materially and otherwise but let him look around himself and he will find that there are very many hungry mouths staring at him. In anatomical science, it is proved that one testicle is always bigger than the other, yet they both lie in the same scrotum. What of two different men?

    • Kigongo Ssentongo

      What are you blubbering about?

      • Kigongo, I do understand that some matters could prove to be a little heady for you to comprehend. That shouldn’t be your problem. Some people lack the necessary designs to carry out certain tasks. For instance, just imagine someone trying to take a “selfie” using a Nokia 107 series, it would take a more sophisticated smart phone than that. Better still, imagine a fishmonger in possession of a smart-phone and accidentally finds himself on these pages, what contribution(s) would you expect of him? I will do the honours and take you through what is expected of a reader on these pages. A reader is supposed to read, comprehend and thereof make inference (a thought.)
        In case, you find part of the historical evidence is meaningless or it does not meet the intended purpose, please make your case known by stating the “exact problem.”For now, that’s how far I can respond. If you still find a problem with me, I advise that you take a cross-examination of your mental software.

        • charles Businge

          In all sincerity I am struggling to understand the essence of Mr. Mwenda’s article if not to sow seeds of fear for change as if Ugandans cannot aspire for better. I think we need to take the discussion beyond Museveni and Besigye. We need to be looking beyond Museveni as individuals cannot live in perpetuity. This is not an issue of sarcasm. Creating an impression that the future is worse without the current leadership in my view is misdirecting attention away from the accountability responsibilities of our leaders. If all Ugandans held the same thinking some more than three decades ago perhaps Museveni would not have been president today. Mr. Mwenda, you are killing any sense of optimism in Ugandans by your assertion that the problems (poverty, mass unemployment, corruption, police brutality etc) Uganda is facing are there to stay irrespective of who is in leadership but at the same time giving Rwanda’s post genocide as an exception and not telling us why it is or should be an exception. Where is the accountability of our governance systems then? Should Ugandans have something to aspire for in life? in your view what would that be?

          • Mwine Rwakitetera

            See my comment. This is one of the most excellently executed Museveni 2021 campaign ad you will ever find. Great stuff Mwenda. I swear If I were M7, I would pay you at least 100k USD for this piece.

          • basanga lawrence

            absolute stupidity from Andrew you have belittled your self due to money ,you have no morals now ,your paper is to rpomote dictatorship in uganda have you lost sense of reasoning ,is your PHD making you more dull than before man grow up,your articles are so annoying cann’t you think beyond m7 shame on you Andrew you have lost respect in uganda due to your greed for money it has made you insane please think ,think and think.

  2. Mwine Rwakitetera

    Excellent campaign ad for Museveni 2021. Mwenda, sometimes I discount your intelligence, but as it turns out, you are actually quite smart, not consistently though.

  3. Well thought out article, that’s the way to go for Ugandan Journalism

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