[UAH] Uganda: 'Project Muhoozi' Is No Bad News

Uganda: 'Project Muhoozi' Is No Bad News

BY ROBERT ATUHAIRWE, 14 MAY 2013

OPINION

Natural justice demands that anybody finding themselves a subject of discussion as regards their views and intentions must be accorded opportunity to reveal their mind - regardless of their status.

To what extent should this apply to the first citizen, President Yoweri Museveni, and his son, Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in relation to allegations of the former propping up the latter to wear his shoes in the near future? All the way and beyond!

Sometime back, Muhoozi denied that his father was preparing a soft landing for him when the matter first flared in the public domain, following statements by Capt Mike Mukula to a US diplomat in 2009. Unfortunately, in the world of politics, denial is insufficient in damage control.

The father seems to know this and has chosen to remain mute even at the resurrection of the allegation by one of his closest men, Gen David Sejusa (a.k.a Tinyefuza). It is his characteristic to ignore word contests till time judges.

With no comment from the two main characters in this controversy, going by the law of natural justice, it's advisable to regard 'Project Muhoozi' as an imaginary programme, handy to shrewd players groping in the dark for the who is likely to shape Uganda of the future.

As usual, dramatics at the top baffle an ordinary citizen striving to live a normal life in circumstances of tight competition for survival. For some, "who rules" isn't urgent business as long as there is food on the table. For their benefit, let it be known that 'Project Muhoozi' need not be the handiwork of Muhoozi and his father.

There is a feeling among some well-exposed discussants of Ugandan politics that this country ought to skip certain generations of leadership and hand the reigns to energetic, well-educated and eager-to-impress youths. The argument is that after Gen Museveni, an "age bridge" be created to bring on board children of the liberation era in a big way.

The liberation era started in the 1970s during the resistance against Idi Amin, through to the 1980s NRA war against Dr Milton Obote. Muhoozi's father will make 30 years in charge in 2016. With a chance for a further five years, 35 years will have gone into "rewarding" his generation for their self-sacrifice. Whatever they would have achieved would be appreciated. Any shortcomings, it would be too late to address.

Muhoozi was born in the 1970s. In scouting for new leaders, his name cannot be skipped just because his father has led for some time. Sometime in 2011, a smalltime survey among Members of Parliament, journalists, students and lay people on which Ugandan, amongst the new generation, is closest in the queue for President always returned Muhoozi as the favourite.

This survey was personal. Its results were never published and Muhoozi, certainly, knew nothing about it.

By word of mouth, the survey must have reached some people's ears who took it in typical reverse fashion but the simple indicator is that Muhoozi isn't bad news to everyone. He is a separate entity from the current establishment, especially the political side and has a life to live.

It is understood that some senior citizens still want to hold on to power after Museveni. They feel entitled to line up. Of course, an attempt to disadvantage would-be contestants for the presidency on the basis of age (generation gap) is evil.

Uganda needs a pool of potential leaders for voters to select the cream, regardless of age beyond the constitutional bar. The old are experienced while the young are energetic. Assessing their abilities on paper would be academic and inconclusive. The best is to line them up on the ballot and let the citizens make their pick.

The old generation should not panic. They have learnt enough helpful tricks to remain relevant in a fair contest complete with natural justice to their worthy competitors. Their "children" too shouldn't take things for granted and remember that these seniors weren't fools when the bitter, bloody pill needed to be swallowed.

The invisible 'Project Muhoozi' isn't a schism among the generals as such. It's a generational contest across the divide. It is a wake up call for all his peers and juniors to grow up, think big and present their potential for future excellence. Whoever comes up, the voter is king.

The author is a media practitioner

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

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