{UAH} General gets his job, Uganda loses its values
|
4:31 AM |
No comments |
After a contentious eight weeks, Uganda's immediate former Chief of Defence Forces Aronda Nyakairima's appointment as Interior Minister was finally passed without the general first retiring from the army.
Instructively, opponents of Aronda's appointment were not against the man, they were okay with his appointment as long as he retired his army calling to avoid complexities likely to arise when, as a politician, he adopts partisan positions.
Uganda's Constitution bars a serving army officer from engaging in partisan politics — as a ruling party nominee to the Cabinet, Gen Aronda would pursue or implement the partisan agenda of the National Resistance Movement.
However, Attorney-General Peter Nyombi pointed out that there was no express provision in the laws of Uganda against the appointment. The committee then passed the appointment with 13 votes for and six against.
Where does this lead Uganda's constitutional development? A few years ago, the appointment of another general, Jeje Odongo, as junior defence minister could not be approved until he retired from the UPDF.
It is possible that Gen Jeje remains a soldier at heart but in his retirement, an important principle was upheld and he was freed of the burden of juggling irreconcilable roles.
More importantly, a constitution does not simply represent what is illegal but the highest aspirations and ideals of a community of people.
Thus, the appointing authority's push for Gen Aronda's approval and the AG sophistic interpretation of the law represent not an advance but a regression in our values as a society.
0 comments:
Post a Comment