{UAH} Why we are now ruled at gunpoint

Why we are now ruled at gunpoint

Written by Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda

 Last Updated: 19 August 2015

 

On August 7, the Muslim Youth Development Platform (MYDP) wrote a letter inviting me to a seminar in the Makerere University main hall on Friday August 14.

The executive director, Ahmed Kabuye, who signed the letter, asked me to discuss "The Role of Muslim Youth in Shaping Uganda's Political Future." The other discussants were Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko.

Curiously, the letter remained silent about the presenter on this topic. But as my wife recovered from the battle of adding another member to our family at International Hospital Kampala (IHK), the lord mayor called me with bad news.

The seminar was being stopped not by the organizers but by Uganda Police. The policemen blocking Lukwago at the university's main entrance were Kampala Metropolitan North Regional Police Commander (RPC) Wahimbise, Wandegeya DPC Ampaire, and the in-charge of public order management at Kampala Metropolitan, a one Kyomukama.

These are the names that were inscribed on their uniforms. I am always accused of sectarianism, but a combination of Wahimbise, Ampaire and Kyomukama doesn't show national character.

It is after the fracas at the main gate that I leant that John Patrick Amama Mbabazi had been invited as the presenter and keynote speaker at this seminar. When I was in Makerere for a journalism degree between 1995 and 1998, stupid things like these never happened.

In fact we were fatigued by endless debates in the main hall and all over campus. The late Professor Akiiki Mujaju, Prof Apolo Robin Nsibambi, Afuna Aduula etc, I think, attended more debates than lectures.

I am told that even during the tyrannical days of Idi Amin, Makerere never abandoned debates. Now to debate at the university, you need permission from Kale Kayihura. And gunmen were deployed all around the main gate with clear instructions, not to allow free debate take place.

Earlier the same day, youths donning President Museveni yellow campaign T-shirts bearing his portrait had attacked the residence of Mbabazi at Kololo. The youths, I am not sure whether they were not from security, went to Mbabazi demanding payment for participating in demonstrations.

Similar groups were sent to Col Kizza Besigye during the walk-to-work campaign. The Museveni T-shirts-wearing group was chased with stones and sticks by the Mbabazi group. Mind you, 83 per cent of the youths in Uganda are unemployed.

And the nearly 25 million out of the country's 34 million people were born after the seizing of power by Museveni in 1986. And on Monday as we congregated at Jokas hotel grounds for the opening ceremony of the FDC Youth League, Policemen and women clad in anti-riot gear encircled us and ordered us back into the conference hall.

The Kampala Metropolitan East RPC, a one Ozelle, who occasionally received command from his juniors, was full of panic. As MPs Ronald Okumu Reagan (Aswa), Nathan Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West) and I engaged him, pickup trucks continued ferrying more policemen.

Eventually, they allowed us to stage the opening ceremony but only for 30 minutes. Police had also ferried some hooligans who were carrying sticks and in fact one of them switched off the generator at one time.

Surrounded with gun-wielding men and women, we delivered the speeches as the RPC counted the minutes on his watch. We eventually returned to the conference hall for the elections and constitutional review.

That is the environment under which we are doing politics in Uganda today. And that is why for me, as the official spokesperson of the FDC, I didn't bother myself responding to opinion polls.

The first one by Vision Group gave Museveni over 60 per cent. The second one by a private firm, Research World International, gave Museveni 55 per cent. Someone in the lead doesn't conduct himself like Mr Museveni and his group. The panic tells you that actually Mr Museveni, under the circumstances, is not safe.

He must, therefore, empty the treasury so he can bribe the population. And because his is rented support, nobody should be allowed to interact with his prey.

That is why we are being beaten up. Col Besigye has been teargassed almost at 40 per cent of his rallies, and the situation is even tense as he enters Kampala and Wakiso this week.

It is because of this that I will not write about debate in Parliament over creation of municipalities and districts. I will, in a future article, tell you why we need more police stations than municipalities and districts.

But for now, brace yourself for the most violent elections.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

"But this I know, UPC believed and still believes in

very high education. We can call Obote all bad names we have, but the bottom line remains that he got more scholarships for Buganda than all previous Uganda leaders combined. That includes Sir Edward Mutesa, President Lule, President Binayisa, up to and into Ssabasajja Mutebi. Who all happen to be Baganda leaders." Mulindwa

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