{UAH} Museveni should win through actions, not confrontation
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7:44 PM |
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Brenda Nabukenya, with her 'childish' politics, defeated seasoned men who have over fifty years of political experience. While the opposition is still jubilating for inflicting a lethal blow onto the ruling party, and in particular President Yoweri Museveni, the NRM is crying foul.
The mass-party, as it always describes itself, is blaming everybody, besides the party leadership, for the ugly defeat. Much as majority of Ugandans expected the opposition-backed Nabukenya to win the by-election, the NRM leadership was duped by the historical loyalty it has enjoyed from the poverty-stricken, war-wary Luweero residents.
The NRM candidate, Rebecca Nalwanga, definitely anticipated her own defeat, but simply played along with the false faith that President Museveni's political muscle, the money that was being poured into Luweero and the heavy military and police deployment, could deliver her victory. Unfortunately, her bubble of faith was eventually pricked by the defiant voters, who have over the years forgotten about the numerous skulls buried in their midst.
As one of those that have been traversing Uganda calling for free and fair elections, I equally celebrate Nabukenya's victory. On my part, our campaign is not in vain. The Luweero victory is a clear testimony that Ugandans are not politically naïve and money from corrupt public officials cannot buy love or favour all the time. The people want service delivery and not mere promises and a painful reminder of the past leaders, who are no longer in charge.
Just like former Vice President Gilbert Bukenya, I'm not ashamed to congratulate Brenda Nabukenya upon retaining her seat. To Museveni, she may look 'childish', but to the people of Luweero, Nabukenya is the future and Museveni is possibly the horrific past they would wish to forget.
While Museveni reminded the people of Luweero of the over 70,000 skulls and mass graves scattered around the area, Nabukenya questioned the 30 years of poverty, neglect and devastation of her homeland. The huge contrast of the aspirations of the two leaders became more evident when the police force was heavily deployed in the area, to tear gas and demobilize Nabukenya's supporters.
A few days later, Museveni, the prolific writer, decided to pen his outburst on paper, narrating how elections were rigged in Luweero, and have always been rigged in Uganda since 1961. His article was not only entertaining, but also a definite confession of a man that has been at the helm of Uganda's politics.
Highlighting all the election tricks used by the UPC, of which he later became a member, Museveni recalled the constituency gerrymandering, which has now been perfected with the balkanization of districts; the election violence and intimidation, which again is the clear "order from above by the police" under his regime.
He also recalled the suspension of the constitution, which we still encountered in 2005, with the removal of the presidential term limits. He cited other vices like sectarianism, vote rigging and ballot stuffing, all too familiar in Uganda's electoral process and done with precision by an Electoral Commission, singlehandedly instituted by Museveni.
By implication, Museveni is admitting that Uganda's leadership is a product of massively rigged elections that has been brought about the weakness of a system that lacks integrity. Museveni further blames the efficiency of the rigging machinery on the weakness within his party, the NRM, which lacks organisation, integrity, loyalty and vigilance.
"It is bad for the opposition to cheat but it is also bad for the NRM to be lax and disorganized", Museveni says. Museveni is forgetting that all men and women that were loyal to him have deserted camp and he is dancing with the unemployed, ideologically naïve, desperate and opportunistic youths, who were babies when he took power 28 years ago.
Even those of us who had just got into our twenties when Museveni took power, we decided to forget the bitter history, which endeared us to Museveni as a liberator. We have grown into men and women that do not want to be reminded of our historical past and trauma which we think are opportunistically being used to keep us in bondage.
But we are also humiliated when we see our youths abandoning their future to go out and beg for handouts, instead of planning more sustainable lives for themselves. I'm aware that many Ugandans witness injustices on a daily basis but are too scared to criticise government officials whom they believe could unleash onto them violence and terror.
Just like President Museveni has come out to put the historical facts straight, all Ugandans should follow suit and we clean up the political mess in our country. Reading Museveni's lamentations, I feel uplifted that he has now come to the full realisation of the deceit of a dysfunctional system he has solely created and nurtured, which eventually is eating him up.
A simple lesson, which Museveni should have learnt over his years of struggle and presidency, is to aspire to win through his actions and never through arguments and confrontation. His method of work has always been militarily attacking his enemies, a very outdated mode of operation. This has given him momentary triumph and earned him resentment and ill will that has stirred up stronger opposition against him.
Mr President, going to Luweero to humiliate Nabukenya was a terrible choice you made and a huge political blunder that has enormous political costs for the NRM.
The author is a human rights activist and a former member of EALA.
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