{UAH} UNAA CONFERENCE SHOWS WHO IS EATING UGANDA

Uganda Observer | Opinion | Ssemujju Nganda – UNAA conference shows who is ‘eating’ Uganda

Posted September 6, 2012 by Ugandan Diaspora

On Friday, lunchtime, I arrived in the US city of Philadelphia to attend the annual Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) conference. I was part of a four-member delegation dispatched from Kampala by the Leader of Opposition, Nathan Nandala-Mafabi, to represent our side at this conference.

Leader of delegation was Philip Wafula Oguttu and the other members were: Mathias Mpuuga (Masaka municipality) and Judith Franca Akello (Woman MP, Agago). All four of us are members of the shadow cabinet. There were two dozen MPs at this conference sponsored by different interests. The Speaker of Parliament also led a delegation. It appears Parliament was overrepresented. Of course some MPs like Gerald Karuhanga and Gilbert Olanya sponsored themselves.

In Philadelphia, I found a different picture of UNAA and the conference as it had been painted by Dr Muniini K. Mulera in his column in Daily Monitor. Although UNAA is 24 years old, it looked like an infant outfit trying to assemble itself. There wasn’t even a clear picture of what we came to attend. Was it a conference where papers would be presented or one big social event where people who have not seen one another meet to talk about everything?

We kept asking ourselves these questions. Wafula Oguttu, my boss at The Monitor for five years, kept asking whether it was worthwhile spending taxpayers’ money on this conference/big party. We went out to have our names registered, but we were told to wait because the team was still assembling computers.

Marriott hotel and the Pennsylvania Convention Centre where this event took place offered magnificent accommodation and hall, respectively. And Philadelphia, the first capital of the US, is a beautiful city. In the end, each one of us tried to extract whichever value there was in this conference. Dr Muniini Mulera played MC and we were treated to some Miss UNAA of sorts which ended up being a mere imitation as just four girls participated and there was a time when Dr Mulera had to go backstage when no girl was showing up.

I eventually drew my own conclusions about UNAA. I may be wrong, but that is how I saw it. Before the opening ceremony, there was a session on Investment. The speakers at this session were: Jennifer Musisi (Executive Director KCCA), Allen Kagina (Commissioner General URA), Henry Ngabirano (Executive Director Coffee Development Authority), Kenneth Kitariko (of African Alliance) and the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, who was drafted in later.

As you may know, I never fear to speak about tribalism. So, I asked my colleagues if the lineup of speakers taught them about public jobs distribution in Uganda. The lineup included Musisi who by the way is more Western Uganda these days than Central. I later learnt Patrick Bitature was also meant to speak at this investment session. The Ugandan diplomats at the opening ceremony completed the picture. There was Perez Kamunanwire (Ambassador to the US) and Adonia Ayebare (Acting Ambassador to the UN).

Even Oguttu who rarely speaks about the Banyankore dominance of our society, wondered if there is no Musamya anywhere who can either be a CEO or a diplomat. Of course not all these people are Banyankore, but they are all from the West. When I met a Muganda who drove me to Boston to attend Ttabamiruka (annual Baganda conference) and declared the UNAA “Banyankore Kweterana”, it didn’t surprise me.

Because our boss Mafabi had also asked us to attend Ttabamiruka, we left for Boston. It was an experience driving through four states; New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. I have never appreciated the US, but the drive convinced me about what good leadership and focus can do.

The road network in the cities and outside is amazing. At the pace we are on, Uganda needs five hundred years to get to where the US was at the start! Of course Museveni featured prominently in all our discussions and how he was now preparing his son to succeed him. I became the defender of Museveni because people who have stayed away for too long have an exaggerated negative view of the man. For them anyone from Western Uganda is a Munyarwanda. Some even think Col Kizza Besigye and Museveni are the same.

What I told them is that it might be impossible for Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba to succeed his father. The reason is simple; Museveni has been Mr Fixer throughout his regime. Even in the military, Museveni has not allowed Muhoozi to fix anything. Instead, Muhoozi has been himself fixed. For anyone to successfully take over, you need to be the fixer. Muhoozi is neither a fixer of the military nor of politics. [This article first appeared in the Uganda Observer]

EM         -> {   Gap   at   46  } – {Allan Barigye is a Rwandan predator}

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"