{UAH} PRO-MUSEVENI YOUTHS ARE DISAPPOINTINGLY COMPLACENT

In politics, one of the most dangerous traits is working on comforting
assumptions; assumption that one is safe and assured, and thereby
underestimating potential adversaries. That trait shows all too
evidently among youths who support President Yoweri Museveni, both as
an incumbent and probable future contender. Their penchant for
following as others lead is nauseating. Some of these youths perhaps
don't appreciate what it means to belong to a party in power. Perhaps
they will know when they are out that value is only noticed when it's
lost.

During those hectic days when opposition bulldozers had an almost
daily timetable of political activity in town, pro-NRM/Museveni youths
showed how assuming they are. While the other side poured platitudes
on shortcomings of government, energetic pro-government youths should
have organized themselves, hit the streets and countered the scathing
attacks. That was a good way to do it. The best way was to call mass
activity aimed at hyping the good things they believed government was
doing. I think it's for this lack of initiative that a vacuum was
created which necessitated "outsiders", for instance police and other
security forces, to intervene to fill the void.

They lacked pro-activism because they think little of the opposition
or because they over trust the top leadership to address all crises
while they sit and wait for the eleventh hour at the next election.
That's very poor strategy. Visibility in politics is crucial and this
creed, it seems, is very well understood by those boys who claim to
work for Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. They have introduced a new way
to do things in NRM and while they do it to achieve their own goals,
they should be thanked for startling the mainstream camp out of old
methods of work. Pro-Museveni promoters should thank them for setting
the agenda.

Even at Kyankwanzi, Hon. Evelyn Anite's move was really not original.
She was acting on the tail and tip of the pro-Mbabazi youthful who up
to that point, had been combing heaven and earth, doing surgical work
and laying the ground to prepare their preferred choice for the big
contest. Hadn't they been so open about it to the level of
braggadocio, they could have scored a political ambush of untold
proportions. That explains why Anite was particular with the Prime
Minister when conveying the resolutions for members to sign. It's
understood that most MPs supported the "project" in anger at the
Mbabazi camp's moves rather than objective faith in their own.

After the passing of omnibus resolutions at Kyankwanzi including the
most glamorous on the exclusive candidature of President Museveni, the
most natural thing for Anite's peers to do should have been mobilizing
and holding fetes countrywide, march in the streets of Kampala,
celebrating the sterling coup. Nothing showed that there was joy to
match the popularity of the man. They did an in-house job and walked
away happy that "it's finished".

If they lack initiative at this age, how will they be when they reach
the age of their seniors of today? By the same age, those guys were
deep in the trenches. Others were building names undercover but rather
effectively. That's why they are here being admired 30 years on.

Those boys, who claim to work for Mbabazi , know what they want. They
are capturing headlines. If the alternate camp doesn't pull up their
socks, they may get it, including the main objective and building
their own political careers. Watch the space!

Robert Atuhairwe

Authored on May 10, 2014, published by one of the dailies last week
--
"TRY TO GROW UP!" "WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAYS 'ORDERS FROM ABOVE' HE
MEANS ME" "EVERY BULLET THAT MISSES A SOLDIER CATCHES A CIVILIAN"
"WHATEVER I DO, WHATEVER I DON'T, WILL DO IT LIKE MBARBERZEE"
"OKWANGALI IS A FOOL!"

MEMBER OF THE VISIONARIES CLUB, THIRD AXIS

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