{UAH} *The games politicians (especially opposition) play*

BY EDRIS KIGGUNDU,JOURNALIST

*The games politicians (especially opposition) play*

Sometimes I sympathise with people who put a lot of trust in politicians (and other people including journalists). Today's tale will focus on the games played by politicians (not all) to fool people and play to the public gallery- that I have witnessed in my career so far.
From 2005 till 2014, I was a fairly active parliamentary reporter for The Observer. Parliament is a theatre of politics in this country and there is no better place to understand the dynamics of the political game than in the marbled corridors of the August House. Uganda basically has three types of politicians, based on my personal observation.
In name, there are opposition politicians, ruling party MPs and politicians that posture to oppose government (these comprise rebels MPs and a significant number of opposition MPs). My interest however is in the last two categories because they tend to attract more media coverage.
In this country, I have discovered that it sometimes pays to oppose government. I know why some opposition politicians will fight tooth and nail to chair certain committees or will harangue journalists for interviews on a certain issues. Here are two examples.

First Incident

One time around 2009, I went to the office of a prominent opposition MP from the North who also chaired an influential accountability. It was a chilly Friday morning and I needed his comments for a story I was doing. He was also a good news source. I found the MP was sweating profusely, his eyes darting from one wall to another. "What is the matter honourable?" I asked trying. "Kiggundu leave me alone unless you can get me Shs 5 million now." Of course, a poor journalist like me could not find that kind of money then (the situation has slightly improved now but I am still struggling). I asked him why he needed the money so badly and he told me he could not go to his constituency empty handed. A minute later, his face lit. "I have got an idea. Let me call someone," he said. He got his phone and dialled a number..."Afande, I am stuck here in my office. Need something for the weekend...like Shs 10 million". Then he promptly put down the phone smiling. As I excused my self to go, he said don't go yet, something is coming.Indeed after about 25 minutes, Brig Elly Kayanja, the commander of Operation Wembley, came with the package of Shs 10 million. "Here is your message from Afande," Kayanja said as he dashed out. The MP emptied the package on the table and wow...It looked like a billion to me (I had never seen Shs 10 million (in 20K notes) laid down casually before my eyes with the exception of the money I see tellers handling in the bank). He promptly counted Shs 500,000 off the Shs 10 million and handed it to me (see, I also ate but I did not ask for the money). A month later when a female head of a government agency appeared before the committee chaired by the opposition politician, he was uncharacteristically soft on the lady, even stopping other MPs from asking tough questions. Later I asked him why he had not been tough and he laughed. "I am paying back for the other money," he told me. The Afande who sent Kayanja is extremely wealthy and powerful while the MP is still a vocal "critic" of Museveni and the NRM.

Second Incident
During one plenary session, a vocal but cantankerous opposition MP, stood up on a matter of national importance.
"Hon Speaker, last week I was in Karamoja but the roads are very terrible...Traders can't transport their goods..what is this government doing..."
Even before he completed his statement, a couple of MPs burst out in laughter. They knew that the MP had not been in Karamoja that week because they had been with him at a conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Surely he could not have been in two places at the same time.
So when the laughter persisted, the vocal MP also laughed but insisted on making his point.
He was saved by the speaker who asked the minister for Works to come back with an explanation during the next sitting.
Meanwhile, my eyes remained glued on the MP who I realised was looking in the direction of the First Lady, who was the Karamoja minister.
The First Lady was smiling from ear to ear and before long she stood up and made for the exit. The MP also stood up and exited. I later gathered from one of his colleagues that he met the First Lady within the corridors and "received a handshake" for raising the issue. See, the First Lady could not raise the matter on the floor because it would reflect badly on government which she served and on her husband, the president. So she employed the MP as a "mercenary". I later learnt that this is the way business is sometimes conducted in the House. Some of the vocal "opposition" MPs are mercenaries for NRM politicians. The same applies to some of the "critical" journalists (who are paid to be vocal against/in support of a certain issue-I will write this intriguing tale very soon).

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Allaah gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him."And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things." (6:17)

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