{UAH} Pojim/WBK: Comment-League of retired presidents can do a lot of good for the region

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/League-of-retired-presidents-can-do-a-lot-of-good-for-region/-/434750/2718900/-/f18mb4z/-/index.html

The other day, Makerere University wanted to set up a modern documentation centre after nearly a century of relying on Main Library.

This project is of such magnitude, requiring millions upon millions of dollars, that it needed to be developed around a sufficiently weighty personality. So they reached out to Mzee Mwai Kibaki, and once he accepted, the planning for the Mwai Kibaki Memorial started.

A few months before that, the anti-cancer lobby of Uganda, on realising that the problem is growing by the day and has to be fought with a weighty individual in command, had reached out to Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who graciously arrived in Kampala and wowed us by jogging several kilometres on a Sunday morning to kick off the noble cause.

Of course, Mzee Daniel arap Moi is a frequent visitor to our new universities. And soon to be Mzee Benjamin William Mkapa is also well sought after for promoting noble causes in Uganda.

And now flipping through the media, it appears that President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete will be leaving that magnificent seaside residence on Ocean Road in Dar es Salaam in a few months, and joining the old men who used to be heads of state!

It is hard to believe that the energetic JK, who by any criteria cannot be called an old man, is retiring. It looks like yesterday when he was winning that landslide victory in 2005. How time flies.

At least now the region shall have another retired president out of power available to be called upon to help with roles that require someone of the stature of a president but may not easily be performed by a sitting president.

In fact, I am told people who leave the presidency peacefully continue being addressed as "Mr President."

So Presidents Mwinyi, Mkapa, Mwai and Moi should be happy that the younger Mrisho is soon joining them to promote peace and development in the East African region. 

There seems to be something special at work here that has to do with names that start with the letter "M," which explains why Brother Nkurunziza was not in a hurry to join the club. His name starts with "N,"' for God's sake, not "M." So why push the guy into early retirement?

Now don't ask me about which letter my (Ugandan) president's name starts with. Everyone knows the exception proves the rule, so you should not ask such basic questions.

The subject of how long a president can rule in Uganda was determined by our competent and duly elected parliament in 2005 and cannot be debated again unless a hefty percentage of the voters countrywide raise a petition calling for this.

Back to that magnificent seaside residence in Dar. I really wonder who is going to replace JK at that address.

The words of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere in one of his famous speeches still resonate in my mind: "Ikulu ni mahali patakatifu" (State House is holy ground), he said, advising presidential aspirants never to entertain relatives and friends for private business in the nation's seat of power and honour.

I hope the current contestants for the Tanzanian presidency recall these words of Baba wa Taifa, the nation's founding father. May peace reign in Burundi, and continue to reign in Tanzania, for ever and ever Amen.

Joachim Buwembo is a Knight International Fellow for development journalism. E-mail:buwembo@gmail.com- Comment

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/League-of-retired-presidents-can-do-a-lot-of-good-for-region/-/434750/2718900/-/f18mb4z/-/index.html

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