{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK: Museveni cannot fight corruption or develop Uganda
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Museveni cannot fight corruption or develop Uganda
The issues are breathtaking. All presidential candidates are well-versed with the ills of the nation: they all acknowledge that Uganda is a broken nation that needs an urgent political, social and economic paradigm shift.
After diagnosing the problem, the candidates are prescribing various emergency therapeutic solutions. Many of them are impressive. Without choosing a particular candidate, what can be summed up from all of them is that reshuffling of the priorities and proper allocation and utilization of the available human and non-human resources can lead us to a better Uganda.
Only a leader with character and patriotism can do so, hence the need for an election to choose one. Sadly, Uganda seems to be far away from that. On the one hand, we have very serious candidates articulating real issues while, on the other, we have an incumbent who believes he is a wonderful leader and that his departure would end Uganda.
Indeed, just like in the past, with the help of the personalized establishment, President Museveni has already won the 2016 elections; the other candidates are in full gear fighting for a nonexistent position!
Yes, Museveni has won. But can he make Uganda better? Absolutely not. To begin with, a leader should have character. In the 1980 general elections, Yoweri Museveni was overwhelmingly rejected by Ugandans; some threw stones at him, others dismissed him as illusionary, a lair, and an opportunist without a plan for Uganda.
Come 1986, he grabbed power. Come 2015, he has vindicated all those people who shunned him. Museveni did not and does not have either the character or the capacity to lead this country to progress.
First, he is a seasoned liar. Almost everything he says is a lie. When he went to the bush, he claimed he was fighting to bring democracy and constitutionalism, end sectarianism and develop Uganda. In 1986, he promised a transitional government – it never came.
He promised a democratic Constitution; it took 10 years and when it came, it was undemocratic – with multi-party politics outlawed. One of the cardinal demands of the people in the new Constitution was to abolish careerist/life presidency and the excessive powers of the executive. The 1995 Constitution did so by introducing term limits, but he has already reversed them. Today, there is little difference between the 1995 and 1967 constitutions.
As regards what Museveni has done for Uganda, it is self-explanatory. Failure, collapse and hopelessness are written everywhere you go in Uganda. Shockingly, he continues to lie and Ugandans fall into his traps. For example, it is a lie to claim that Uganda is headed for the "middle-income status".
Actually, the available economic data shows that Uganda is highly-indebted, government is running on 'advance', credit rating is negative; there is limited energy supply; youth unemployment is over 80 per cent; there is a narrow/weak tax base; and development is not a priority.
Uganda's number one enemy is corruption. Unfortunately, Museveni cannot fight it because he is usually involved. For the transitional government to be extended, Museveni reportedly had to buy people off either by promising them jobs or by offering them cash; for the undemocratic 1995 Constitution to be approved, MPs were compromised; to change the presidential term limits, MPs were bribed; to have his brother and wife be approved ministers, MPs were reportedly compromised;
to elect an NRM MP, people are bribed; for any shameful bills to be passed in parliament, MPs are bribed; for his sole candidature project to pass and gain momentum, people were bribed; during campaigns and elections, people are bribed; to join NRM, people are paid; to attend NRM rallies, people are paid and ferried; in order to be his rubberstamp, MPs earn over Shs 20m per month (compared to civil servants who earn less than Shs 5m).
This basically means that corruption is part of Uganda's governance code. If Uganda were a true democracy, Museveni would not be eligible to run for president. He lacks integrity and is a consummate lair.
No sensible Ugandan should listen to his current promises, which, by his track record, won't be fulfilled.
The author is a Ugandan living in South Africa.
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