The Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister stated on Wednesday that it was becoming more inevitable for the current leadership to prepare to pass on the mantle to another set of leaders and that the onus was now on Ugandans to decide on the type of new leaders they want.
Otafiire was speaking at the launch of a book entitled "Our Greatest Fear is the Transition of Power: An open letter to the president" by Godfrey Mitch Seruwagi at Makerere University.
"For the first time, we are going to have a peaceful transition of power from one leadership to another," he said.
"And why? Because we, for the last 28 years we have managed to keep this nation peaceful and stable, our shortcomings notwithstanding, and I think we deserve to be commended for that."
Otafiire's remarks come at a time, when a thick cloud of uncertainty still hovers over the nation's future after President Yoweri Museveni.
A lot of speculation has been on Museveni's son Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba taking over him.
Many opposition leaders and political commentators on the other hand have ruled out the possibility of a peaceful and democratic transition of power.
The Ruhinda County Member of Parliament noted that, good as the NRM government has been, it was becoming crystal clear that many of its managers would no longer properly handle the affairs of the country on account of their current age and abilities.
"During our youthful time, we were more vibrant than many of you. Everything about us was do-or-die. We took on Iddi Amin. We thought we could move the world."
"But 40 years down the road, we realise that all cannot be done by just us, and so we must let a stronger and younger group to take over from us," he noted.
Otafiire observed, however, that the new leadership doesn't necessary have to come from the opposition, and that it might as well be the younger section of the current government to take over from the old guard if Ugandans decide thus.
Known for not mincing words, Otafiire also took off time to lash out at some of his colleagues in government who have do everything possible to stifle good governance and the rule of law.
These he said lacked the basic abilities and intellect, necessary for the leadership positions they occupy.
"Our problem for many years has been that the biggest number of people we have to manage national affairs are actually part-time thinkers."
"They try to mix managing people's affairs with personal affairs and in the end, personal interests supersede personal interests."
For being an open and frank leader, Otafiire said, this group had tried to fight him but in most cases ended up coming back to apologise to him.
"There was for instance fierce debate on creation of new districts to which I was strongly opposed. But because of their numbers they wrestled me down and I followed their decision, but many of them have already come to apologise to me, and together we are now working out solutions to this mistake."
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