Besigye-M7 Pending talks is a ”Bone-head” idea but a bit exciting

03 Jan 2012 1 Comment

by semuwemba in Corruption, FDC, IPC, kingdoms, media in Uganda, Museveni and NRM, Politics, Presidency

The Observer front page headline on 02/01/2012

Friends,

The story in the Observer about Besigye and Museveni planned talks is more like a replay of what happened between Zanu-PF and the MDC in Zimbabwe a few years ago. You remember those talks that were mediated by then South African president,Thabo Mbeki. The difference here is that Mwenda and Conrad Nkutu seem to be the big players in this whole thing which is a bit strange. I know Andrew Mwenda is a bit influential in the Museveni government but he is also someone who is not in good books with Besigye at the moment. So, anything where he is involved may raise suspicions.

It is also obvious that the story was intentionally leaked to the press to see the reaction from both camps: Besigye and Museveni’s, and the elites who read such stories published in English. So far, both sides have remained silent about it which confirms that something is in the pipeline. Even the big ‘mouthed’ Tamare Mirundi has not come out yet with his ‘bullets’ to shoot those ‘Nagendaising’ the situation, which shows that this is a big thing in the corridors of power in Uganda. The story has appeared both in the Newvision and Observer newspapers.

However, the whole exercise of these talks is a misdirected effort because the majority of Ugandans would be happy if president Museveni offers a quick time frame to step down from the presidency, but this is not something we expect from these talks. Museveni is not ready to give up power to anybody soon despite the recent Daily Monitor headline of ‘I will not stay in power forever’. The man has no intention at all to give up an inch of power, and I’m sure Besigye is aware of it, and we assume he (Besigye) is bothered by it .So what will be the basis of these talks, I wonder.

On the other hand, senior FDC officials are increasingly aware that there is a need to start planning for a political future after Dr.Besiggye, but do not quite know how to achieve that end. Besigye has already announced his intention to stand down from the FDC presidency despite his undoubted popularity among Ugandans. So, why involve himself in political deals he may not be there to supervise and see to it that they are fully implemented? Let’s say, for instance, Museveni agrees to a power sharing interim government, what will be Besigye’s and the new FDC president positions in the new government? Who will be the superior decision maker in the new government? This whole thing may ultimately weaken FDC if not handled properly.

Seriously, I don’t have a problem with the idea of talks between the opposition and Museveni government, and it is indeed encouraging to see that some people want it to happen, but there is a lot of water under the bridge at the moment- which makes it a bonehead idea at the moment.

A lot of people are in prison or exile because of the fights that have been going between these two guys, and I’m wondering if they have got any stake in these talks. Will there be an unconditional amnesty granted to all those perceived to be enemies of the state? Will all political prisoners be pardoned and let back on the street to do whatever they want before or after these talks? What about other stakeholders, such as the Mengo administration and Ssubi, which formed an alliance with Besigye in 2011 elections to see that Buganda achieves its demands from the central government? Will the Kabaka be involved in these talks? What about the religious leaders who are tired of corruption in government offices and would like the government to also get tough on homosexuality? What about those who just want to see the back of president Museveni for good as soon as possible and Besigye was seen as a representation of such feelings?

That’s why I think that the idea of talks between ‘Ajja Genda’ and ‘Mpekoni’ or ‘do u want another rap’ guy makes very little sense. Yes, looking for the “good”, or looking for the “truth” both proceed by talking and also by investigation and neither, in and of themselves, result in the creation of a sustainable political climate. However, looking for good as opposed to truth is precisely what has led Sub-Saharan Africa to its present downward spiral. Instead of recognizing truths which require little study and even less talk, western governments, media and academe have consistently tried to see good at the expense of recognizing such clear and obvious truths. The damage that this has done is just as evident and all in the service of a corrupt concept of natural equality.

If, therefore, we are to have meaningful talks between the government and opposition, president Museveni must publicly state that he is going to resign from the presidency at a specific date. Short of that, we may as well say that Besigye has betrayed the people who put too much trust in him. All the truth about everything evil this government has done must be put on the table as enough reason for the president to hang his boots as soon as possible. Truth is truth and looking the other way helps no one.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Semuwemba

FDC Should Have Appointed a lady as the Leader of opposition, and Hooting is a Poor Strategy

25 May 2011 1 Comment

by semuwemba in FDC, IPC, media in Uganda, Museveni and NRM, Politics, Women issues

Dear friends,

Appointing a woman as the leader of the opposition would have helped the case of the Uganda opposition more on the international stage than they realize but they have instead gone for a man. Already Museveni is being praised worldwide for appointing the first woman speaker of parliament in Rebecca Kadaga. Women organizations such as EQUALITY NOW which was founded in 1992 are already using this appointment to further their cause.

Please don’t get me wrong here: Nandalla is a fine appointment and he is one hell of a tough cookie. My point was that the opposition would have made a better statement if a woman had become the leader of the opposition.My personal preferred choice for the leader of opposition in parliament would have been Alice Alaso because she is smart, committed, intelligent, steady and very loyal.

Ogwal is another steady politician with a lot of experience who probably would have become our Vice president in the 1990s had she accepted the deal Museveni put on a table for her. However, I think I’m happy she has not made it to this tiresome post because she is now very old. The bones and legs are gone for her to play 90 minutes of full time ‘football’ on rough pitches in Kampala.

I don’t know why men in Africa still under look women potential because I see a lot of under minding statements from people about this. Let’s think about this position of the leader of opposition for a second. It is not really anything ‘big’ in terms of making an impact on the political scene but it can be useful in making some sort of a statement, and I believe a statement on women empowerment and equality would carry more weight than the characters the opposition have mentioned.

FDC has been promising women empowerment for a while now and I think it’s high time the opposition walk the talk. As Biblical directed man is to be the spiritual leader of a household but that does not mean he is better. Men are automatically picked as spiritual and traditional leaders, but we could change this in politics a little bit. The Iteso lady, Alice Alaso, has served FDC with all her heart and I think she deserves a promotion of some sort. This was an opportunity but I guess the FDC has lost it.

All the same, Congratulations to Nandalla Mafabi who I think he will do a good job and if he does so, he will likely be the one to take over from Besigye in future. Now who can say that Besigye is not grooming a successor unlike some leader in NRM who always appoint a ‘weak’ VP to act as his poodle?

As for Dr.Bukenya, he is gone and the sooner his sympathisers accept it, the better. Let’s assume that president Museveni deploys him somewhere else after this cabinet shake-up, do they ever expect him to become VP again or something that could lead him to state house? Uganda politics is so different from Kenya politics. Ours is more of survival for the fittest – in the sense that those close to Museveni will always be big and get protected as long as Museveni is still the president of Uganda.

Bukenya was a VP for 8 years, the same period AlGore was VP under Clinton. When one has been a VP for that long, the next deployment is supposed to becoming president of the country, not to some silly job. I guess 8 years as VP doesn’t count ANYTHING for professor Bukenya. Al Gore, on the other hand, began his career in public service in 1976 when he was elected to represent Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives (1977-1985). He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and was re-elected in 1990 (1985-1992). He then was elected Vice president and served 8 yrs. He also served in Vietnam and grew up in a home where his father served 32 yrs in the House and Senate.

I would also like to comment on the opposition strategy of ‘Hooting’ and whistling in place if ‘WALK TO WORK’. In my eyes, I think it is a poor strategy that needs to be reviewed because few people in Uganda have got cars or whistles. Let the opposition stick to the now famous ‘walk to work’ or come up with something better as in like ‘OKUFUWA OLUWA’(whistling using the mouth) which is natural. This does not need anybody to buy so called whistles or cars to hoot.

I know Besigye had this idea (hooting) in his head for a long time. At one time, he mentioned it on one of his radio interviews on one FM station but hooting is a non- starter in Uganda. It will just bury the protests. Actually, some people have started to lose the steam. Just abandon the idea and go back to ‘walk to work’.

To be honest, I think the protests have lost steam now with distractions such as: cabinet appointments, army not arresting KB anymore, opposition ‘fuellers’ being arrested as we saw with the editors of Gwanga newspapers, the journalists being gagged and their cameras destroyed, anti-M7 articles not published in the newspapers anymore, e.t.c.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Semuwemba

‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ AND IMMORAL UGANDA POLICE LAWS MUST BE REVIEWED IMMEDIATELY

05 May 2011 7 Comments

by semuwemba in FDC, IPC, Legal issues, media in Uganda, Politics, Riots and genocide, security


Friends,

I’m still disturbed by the events that have unfolded in Uganda this month especially with the way the security officials handled the main opposition leader, Dr. Kiiza Besigye. I’m definitely proud of the people that have been marching in these so called ‘walk to work’ individual demonstrations, very disappointed by the people who turned violent, sad about the damage and death involved, and appalled at the police and army who have been attacking people with tear gas and bullets.

Ever since this happened, we have been washed with a lot of YouTube videos and this is the point where one appreciates technology because Ugandans abroad and those at home are somehow now connected to each other because of this. In some of the videos posted online, I watched the police, totally unprovoked; lob tear gas into groups of men, women and children which was totally unnecessary. Dr.Besigye was also sprayed with teargas by one Gilbert Arinaitwe as if he was spraying cockroaches in a car. It saddens me greatly that our civil right to peaceable assemble and demonstrate against the high food and fuel prices- continue to be violated by the security officials in Uganda.

What we have been seeing since last month is the end result of what happens when a government put profits before people and the planet, a point Mr.Robert Kabushenga,the Newvision boss, vehemently stressed in his recorded interview with the BBC World Service as a justification for tear gassing Besigye’s ears and eyes while in his car. Under the circumstances, one can only hope that the truth about the police record of human rights violations, and environmental devastation gets out to the rest of the world and the ICC does something about it. On this note, we must thank the international media especially the BBC and Aljazeera who have done a wonderful job in exposing all this to the world.

Guns and tear gas are supposed to be for self defence such that they should not be misused by either the police or individuals carrying them. In some states in USA such as California, one can register and get a license to carry tear gas. It basically involves an afternoon class where one learns useful facts about the capabilities and limitations of tear gas in self-defence. One’s right to protect oneself with this type of weapon is in no way infringed by the requirement to be licensed. It also make one feel safer to understand how to best use this type of weapon, what the legal implications are of using it, etc. But I’m wondering whether our security officials are subjected to this kind of training before they go out with tear gas on streets of Kampala and other cities, because from what I saw last month with the Uganda police throwing canisters of tear gas carelessly,it left my head pondering with a lot of questions. Protesters ran as the gas burned their eyes, noses and skin just because they are walking alongside their leaders.

Teargas is virulent and noisome and I’m wondering whether the gas used on Besigye was CS or CN teargas. CN teargas is used when the safety of children is at stake but I hear that some nursery school in Wobulenzi was also not spared with CS gas. CS teargas is not supposed to be used indoors but I hear it was the one used on Besigye inside the car. It is also not supposed to be used to force surrender because it is well known to induce panic in a confined area. Usually, it is CN teargas that is used to bring people out of buildings and cars. The good news for Besigye and his eyes is that I’m sure that they will recover back to normal because CS is less toxic but I were him, I would keep glasses on for future protection against police aggression. I also advice him to keep that ”white thing” around his arm for a long time as a sign of fight for freedom.It’s unfortnate that the government went ahead and repaired his car windows which were smashed because it would have been good for him to keep it that way for a long time for some political capital.All the same, his team should sue the Police for using CS tear gas on him inside the car and for causing bodily damage to him and his car.

What the police in Uganda should know is that everything an officer does is supposed to have merit in the investigation. The police officer is the very first stop in an offender’s long trip through the judicial system. The job of a police officer is to prevent crimes where possible, investigate crimes that have occurred but the job of bringing a suspect to justice lies with the prosecutor and the courts. But I was gobsmacked when I watched some of the videos showing police officers on streets acting as politicians especially one video that showed a cop accusing Besigye of owning a petrol station yet he is demonstrating against high fuel prices.

Some NRM supporters have unsurprisingly come out to defend Arinaitwe’s actions to the extent of saying that he would have been within the law if he had killed Dr.Besiye, but my understanding is that it is not the job of a police officer to kill an unarmed person unless that where they take it. Yes, When the shit hits the fan and a deadly force situation has presented itself, it needs to be ended quickly to protect not only the lives of innocent people, but also the life of the officer, but i have rarely seen these kind of demonstrations in Uganda that warrants any officer to shoot in the head of a two year old baby, as was the case in Masaka last month. It was just sheer luck that nobody was killed during the Arinaitwe-Besigye saga and it wasn’t for the lack of gunmen in uniforms trying. Honestly, Laws should not be in place to make it easier for a police officer to shoot people who not armed with anything such that if we have got such a law in our Police Act, as i have been made to believe, then it should be reviewed immediately.

In the UK where I live, most police men don’t carry rifles for many reasons and not the least of which is the incurred liability that a high powered weapon would cause if it is accidentally used. If one walks around with a gun 24/7, it is so likely to go off just out of panic, and such incidents kill the trust between the civilians and security officials.Civilians are under no obligation to make the job of a police officer easier, nor is the public at large. The solution here is to make sure that police officers don’t enforce unconstitutional and immoral laws, thus giving the public cause to lose all respect and esteem for them. Civilians are not obliged to lay down their rights, including their lives, for the sake of aiding people conduct a job that is largely reprehensible and clearly wrong(especially if the Police Act ,Section 32 and 36, chapter 303, still stands). We want ‘peace officers’ not just ‘law enforcers’.

Police should not expect automatic cooperation from civilians, no matter how objectionable the intrusion into our lives. Gilbert Arinaitwe’s sort appears to feel they are above the rest of us in authority, and by extension, value. As a result, they have made the police to look like a symbol of interference and literal evil yet police officers are supposed to be public servants and people as their bosses. I understand being a cop is a hard and thankless job but you don’t expect people to be so vacuously inane that they would thank you for punching their faces, kicking their ribs in, whether literally or figuratively. How can you possibly think that people would cotton to wholly unreasonable restrictions on their lives, like a simple individual ‘walk to work’ protest to Kampala or Jinja or wherever? Even some of the painfully docile opposition leaders don’t like it and i have seen then making some noise.

Good people don’t’ despise cops or security officials for no reason. Good people don’t want to waste the energy to despise the police. Surely, General Kayihura must understand this. The root cause must be identified immediately, which I have done in general terms above, and corrected. However, when given no choice, they do what they must and that is what Dr.Besigye and others are doing.I’m still hoping of organising a football game between Besigye and Museveni side,if they give me a go ahead, as a way of ending this stampede.

Byebyo ebyange banange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

http://ugandansatheart.org/

http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/

BESIGYE AND MUSEVENI NEED A FOOTBALL GAME NOW

29 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in Corruption, Economics, Entertainment, FDC, health, IPC, media in Uganda, Politics, security, UPDF

Gilbert Arinaitwe 'punishing' Dr.Besigye's car for moving to Kampala

Dear friends,

Now that calm has temporarily returned to Kampala after some body from ‘’above’’ changed his mind to allow Dr.Besigye to go for treatment in Nairobi, let me try to comment on the most beautiful game called football. My team, Chelsea FC, is out of the Champions League but I couldn’t stop smiling this week on Wednesday when I watched Lionel Messi ”teargassing” the Real Madrid defense in the last minutes. It was a real thriller especially his last goal.I had never seen anything like that since Diego Maradona days. It was a beauty which even brought a smile on Jose Mourinho’s face!

Now, the real question on my mind is that ‘can football be used as a weapon to settle political and economic differences in Uganda too as it has happened in Ivory coast before Gbagbo made a mess of things after clearly losing the election?’’. Let us remember that Ivorian, Didier Drogba, did a lot to bring the two opposing sides together some couple of years ago, by organizing a football game that was played in the country’s capital, and it was attended by both Gbagbo and Quatara. Peace came back into the country and both sides agreed to have an election which Quatara won but Gbagbo refused to concede defeat. The rest is history as they say and I even don’t know where Gbagbo is after watching him on TV caught like a chicken thief by the French forces from his presidential bunker.

Kampala riots on 29/04/11

Nonetheless,with the current riots looking not to end soon in Uganda especially with Museveni swearing that Besigye will never be allowed to walk on foot in Kampala city, it is imperative that we all find a way of bringing the two sides together to find a way forward. So, I suggest that we organize a football game at Namboole stadium and invite both of them to attend. I will be happy to referee the game or be the goal keeper if both sides have got no problem with it and as long as they can meet my flight costs from England. Yes, I’m still annoyed with the way the police and army have inhumanly treated Besigye but , I promise, I won’t give a red card to the NRM side if I’m allowed to referee the game.

Back to the Real Madrid Vs Barcelona game in the champions League, It might not have been beautiful but it was sweeter than the contents of the sugar bowl for those who appreciate Messi’s talent. For me, I think the current Barcelona team is the greatest team in the history of football, and the son of a factory worker and a cleaner remains the world’s best player up to now. I don’t care what Alex Ferguston says about Real Madrid’s Ronaldo Christian because whoever watched that game now knows that Messi is way up there.

Nevertheless, I always ask myself why Uganda have not been able to turn their football into an a big business after years of listening to teams such as Villa FC, Express, KCC and others on our radios. In the UK here, teams such as Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were floated on stock exchanges in 1990s, and they have been realizing considerable profits for the existing shareholders for a long time.Actually, it is fair to say that football became a business model in England officially in the 1990s when I was still doing my O’levels at Kibuli Secondary school. The media industry played and it still does the biggest part in helping the clubs make money out of football.

Football’s profitability is interlocked with that of the media industry here in Europe and it is greatly associated with football celebrities. So the simple business plan I’m giving to Ugandans back home interested in this kind of business, like my OB Kasule Mujib, is that in order for a club to be successful, one needs: to go into partnership with the media, create a celebrity footballer in the country, allow fans to buy shares into the club if the owner hasn’t got enough money and get good coaches. The stadium should also be located in a populated area to target more customers. The only populated area of any size in England where there are no clubs is Cornwall, which has a strong rugby tradition.

The people running football clubs at community level in Uganda should get serious as well. It is so disappointing to hear that the football club we used to watch as kids at Kangulumira is still in the same ‘ill’ shape. Football is a joint business production that requires a lot of clubs for anybody to make money. Instead of people just concentrating on about 6 big clubs we have got in the country right now, they should also find a way of developing the smaller clubs in the rural areas. For instance, The English Premiership was formed by top clubs in 1992 because they wanted a bigger slice of the available revenue, particularly television revenue (which they were able to increase), and a bigger say in how the game was run. All clubs make money regardless of what position they finish under at the end of the season. For instance, Chelsea may finish 2nd this season but there won’t be a bigger difference with Manchester United in terms of TV money shared at the end of the season.

So may be, we should follow this formula too in Uganda and increase the number of clubs involved in the top national league. This system can, in the long run, also help the clubs to identify talent at community or village level. I’m sure there are a lot of boys in villages who are capable of becoming the next ‘Messi if given a chance to develop their talents.

Our government should do everything in its power to help people who intend to invest in football business. I don’t know what the Ministry of Sport and Culture does about this but I have a few suggestions of my own. They could subsidize the costs of stadium construction and maintenance. They could invest money in community led projects especially sports at village level.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

Mwenda and his Team selectively applied the Kotter’s Model in their Analysis of Besigye’s Performance

13 Mar 2011 3 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Corruption, Economics, FDC, IPC, parliament, Politics

Dear Ugandans,
I like the owner of the Independent Newspaper, Mr.Mwenda Andrew, but as of recent, he has been either soiled in the banana or ‘bogoya’ republic or he has accidentally lost his touch. He nowadays tries so hard to impress those with power yet he used not be that kind of person. Anyway, let me try to use my little time and respond to some of the issues published by his editor, Weere, in his article entitled: ”How Museveni gained 10% and Besigye lost it” , views which Mwenda seems to have supported at Capitalfm political show immediately after the elections.

‘’Did Besigye make Ugandans want a change from Museveni desperately? There are three questions that answer this according to Kotter’s model’’ His paper, the independent, reported or asked.

Kotter’s model is mainly essential in transforming organizations rather than implementing changes or showing the urgency for change. Jick’s tactical ten step model is the one that deals with implementation while General Electric (GE)’s seven-step change acceleration process model deals with showing the urgency for change. I have attached a pictorial version of the Kotter’s model below to this message. Clearly, anybody can manipulate it and make an argument either in favour or against the opposition in Uganda as the Independent did, but im not gonna do what Mwenda and his team did. I’m just gonna show that some of these theories are not applicable in a situation such as Uganda.

Kotter's Model

One of The major lessons from the Kotter Model is that change process goes through a series of phases, each lasting a considerable amount of time. So how does Mwenda expect Besigye to ‘win over outside stakeholders like other opposition leaders, the army, foreign diplomats and governments’ in a specific period of time in a situation , like that in Uganda, which does not allow change to take place any level. The way Uganda is now it is impossible to get rid of Musevenism evenif Museveni died today or lost power in an election.

Mwenda’s team rightly quotes Kotter’s model which explains that Creating short-term wins motivates employees during a long change effort, but he wrongly looks at the short term wins Besigye failed to have as :’’failure to dislodge the Electoral Commission(EC), opposition coalition, et.c. These should not be the short term wins to judge any political leader because all those were not in Besigye’s control. He could not have done more than he did before the elections.In any case, Besigye’s short term wins should be those wins he had in both 2001 and 2006 elections before the 2011 elections. I also think Kotler was particulary looking at managers of organisations who seem to be in control of the situations around them, which was not the case with Besigye. Nevertheless, I think Besigye’s failure to win the youths in elections was his own making, as this was in his control and we pleaded with FDC executive to persuade Besigye to come up with a song that would conteract Museveni’s ‘Mpekoni’, but all in vain. There was some bit of excitement created among Ugandans including myself- by listening to Museveni’s rap.

It seems that “change” is just poorly understood by some people, based on misinformed assumptions or some management theories, poorly executed or all of these. Besigye was expected to meet resistance at all levels of Kottler’s model by trying to bring change to the institutions he does not control. Besigye does not control or appoint the EC, so what better could he have done to get the EC disbanded? What better could he have done which he has not done before to win the army support? What better could he have done than what he did to unite the opposition and bring the Baganda to his side?

There were some people in the population who saw/see the need for change but they don’t want it out of fear and survival. For instance, some Ugandans fear that president Museveni will plunge our country into violence if anybody, other than him, wins an election. As Lewin( 1958) explained change happens if Ch = f(D x V x P) > Co. Change (Ch) takes place if the Dissatisfaction (D) with the status quo, multiplied by a Vision (V) of the future, multiplied by agreed Processes (P) that remove obstacles blocking access to the desired state is greater than the Cost (Co) of change. The way things stand change cannot come to Uganda through so called elections because the ground for free and fair elections is not there at all. There are some countries in East Africa,particulalry Kenya, that have moved a step to better elections because the institution such as the EC are fairy independent.There is nothing like a Kenyan president appointing the head of the EC as is the case in Uganda.Rigging in Kenya might have ended with the Kibaki presidency going by the way the Kenyans have set up their system now.

Therefore, when one deeply analyses all these theories, one finds that Dr.Besigye actually tried to do exactly what the models are telling managers of organizations to do. He could not have done it in any better way. Those criticizing him now have got their own intentions but could not have done better. Most of these management theories are a fallacy when it comes to practice and I normally compare them to love making between a man and woman. Theoretically, everybody has got an idea on what they are supposed to do in the process of lovemaking but practically the results tend to differ among different couples. So, it would not be wise for any of us to go on a blame game just basing on theory without looking at the reality of the situation.

Money in the campaigns

Money is a big factor in any election anywhere in the world. A candidate with money has higher chances of winning the election. The returns from such an investment are undisputable. However, president Museveni clearly used national coffers to campaign and that itself is not only illegal but it is immoral. It was a clear sign that the incumbent was not ready to hand over power and was willing to operate outside the law to achieve his aims. That’s why some of us called this election a ‘remote control’ election where the incumbent was capable of ‘organizing the event, choosing the dancers and master of ceremony’ throughout the process, with the inner knowledge that the situation was favoring him more than his opponents.

Opinion polls

An opinion poll is something that should be taken seriously in any free and fair election. I’m saying ‘free and fair’ because I don’t think this was the case with the just concluded presidential elections in Uganda. For instance, in USA, during the first two years of the Reagan administration, information from opinion polls was discussed in more than half of the senior staff meetings of the White House. Richard Wirthlin, the pollster met with Reagan more than 25 times just to discuss polls.

Actually, almost all USA presidents had their own pollsters: Roosevelt had Cantril, Kennedy had Harris, Johnson had Quayle, Ford had Teeter, Carter had Caddell, Reagan had Wirthlin, while Nixon used most of them. This is because the opinions of the population are something that leaders of the developed nations take seriously before they make any decision.

But in Uganda’s case, with or without opinion polls, president Museveni is not bothered with the opinions of the people of Uganda. For instance, removing presidential term limits was unpopular policy among Ugandans, even within his own party, but he went ahead and removed them. He has been sending our troops to fight on foreign soil regardless of how people feel.

So what is the meaning of holding opinion polls in an environment where the incumbent has got no respect for people’s opinions? So the Afrobarometer polls might have been a reflection of a society that is still caught in fear and survival rather support for president Museveni. Secondly, opinion polls tend to be manipulated by some leaders depending on what they want out of the situation, and they tend to do it differently. For instance, In the 1970s, Harris and Gallup were the giants of the polling industry. Because of their prominence, they attracted Nixon’s interest and became prime candidates for attack and manipulation by the administration. Therefore, I would not be surprised if president Museveni or his team had a hand in the Afrobarometer polls one way or the other, and may be that is why the opposition did not take them seriously and ‘’ buried their head in divisions’ as reported by Andrew Mwenda and his team. Who can blame them, anyway?

The truth is that we shall never know who genuinely won the 2001, 2006 and 2011 elections because the ground for elections was not free and fair. Yes, Uganda is not like Belgium for us to have totally free and fair elections, and this alone is enough for us to discard all arguments made by some people showing that Museveni won the 2011 elections fairer compared to the 2006 elections- just because there was less violence in them. Text-book theories, such as those put forward by Mwenda and his team, are totally inapplicable in this case. We cannot work out the percentage of rigging based on assumptions of violence and nonviolence when the ground for free and fair elections was not there in the first place.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

UPDF/Police Should Not Shoot at Protesters In case of Demos in Uganda!!

26 Feb 2011 6 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, IPC, Legal issues, Politics, security, UPDF

I know some Muslims felt for Brother Gaddafi as much as I did, for reasons which are known to everybody(i.e.we are Muslims), but we must accept that a brother who kills others should have no sympathy from anyone. The same reason I expect Muslim NRM supporters to denounce their support for president Museveni after 33 people were killed in riots in September 2009. No leader deserves anybody’s mercy if he is unjustifiably killing his own people, for whatever reasons. British PM,David Cameron, came out to warn all Libyan leaders that were committing atrocities against humanity that the international law would catch up with them. Basically, Gadaffi  made himself a ‘prisoner’ of the international community before he had even lost power. So let’s hope that UPDF or Uganda police will not be tempted to shoot at our people in case demonstrations or protets start in Uganda.

''I will eat Besigye like Cake or Samosa''-Gen.Museveni. Picture provided by John Nsubuga of UAH

I know most Ugandans have probably given up on the future of our country after the 2011 elections were cleverly and massively rigged, and they have understandably developed fears that the opposition is gonna lead to more deaths if anybody comes out on streets to demonstrate, but we should all emulate the Brazilian born political activist, Paulo Freire, who explained the principle of ‘conscientisation’( the process of becoming critically aware of structural forces of power which shape people’s lives as a precondition for critical action for change). Please read one of his books and you will understand why some people are so passionate about the affairs of their country.

Paulo Freire, who coincidentally has the same names as Chelsea FC’s defender, explained that when a leader has broken all avenues of change, the population usually develops what he termed as ‘culture of silence’. In other words, the marginalized population develops passive acceptance of the bad situation in the country. This passive acceptance can be displayed in different ways:

1. There are those that decide to join the regime in power because they need daily bread, as they say:’ if you can’t beat them, join them’;

2. There are those who decide to do their own things and distance themselves from anything that involves politics. This is the option most people normally take, and this explains why there was a low voter turnout in the elections. Most People are not bothered with Museveni and politics anymore as long as there can peacefully sleep, eat, drink and look after their families.Who can blame them?

Basing on the above theories, there is a big possibility that majority of the population in Uganda may decide not to join the opposition leaders on the streets of Kampala for any protests, simply because of the fear factor. The truth is that if anybody is to take Museveni out of power right now, the biggest celebrations may surprisingly come from those who claim to be core supporters of NRM/Museveni. We have seen this happening in Egypt and Libya where a lot of government people were denouncing their leaders and later celebrating when they are out of power.

President Museveni destroyed the true friends he had in NRM when he removed term limits from the 1995 constitution. One of the reasons why most Ghanaians still love J.K.Rawlings is because he respected term limits and handed over power when he lost the presidency. He also never attempted to rig the elections in 2000 just to stay in power, yet he and his men killed a lot of Ghanaians during the coup detat in 1978. What Rawlings did in 2000 has transformed Ghana’s political landscape to the levels not seen in 99% of Africa.

So we should be careful with who we publicly support when it comes to politics because things may change when we least expect it. Museveni is not immortal. He breathes the same oxygen which we all breathe. So many of us supported him between 1986 and 1990s till when he went AWOL. Yes, he has done some good things for the country but this itself is not a ticket to stay in power indefinitely, and i think this is  bringing about endless demonstrations or protests  in Uganda. Our country is a time bomb waiting to explode.

Anyway, we urge UPDF, police and other security organs not to shoot Ugandans in case they are just peacefully demonstrating. There is no need for that, honestly. We should learn to value human life whatever the situation we find ourselves in.Why kill someone just because he or she is on a street making noise and walking about? Police Chief’s statement today- warning the opposition, was not encouraging, but all the same, lets hope that the police will not be tempted to shoot at peaceful Ugandans as the international law has got no boundaries. Similarly, protestors should also respect the police men/women because they are there to ensure peace in our country.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey.K.S

The ‘Remote Control’ Film Has Ended. Now What is next For Ugandans??

22 Feb 2011 12 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Corruption, FDC, IPC, Politics, Presidency

Dear Ugandans,
Like i Prophesized, the film entitled ‘Remote Control’ (part1) (as far as the presidential elections are concerned) has come to an end. Let us now gather ourselves from our seats, throw away the popcorns in the bins, and do other things instead of sitting in the cinema Hall forever.

I’m a lover of psychology despite the fact that students who solely major in it don’t usually get jobs in the UK where i live. As a way of explaining the psychological input involved in this month’s elections , let us look at some theories, and I would like those who know that this month’s elections were rigged but continue to proudly raise the national flag, to take more notice of the following theories.It is very important that we understand why some people are cheering president Museveni as others are mourning for his presidential win. As they say:’Man can easily disappoint man’.

In around 1900, a certain Russian physiologist called Ivan Pavlov, developed what most people believe was the first scientific explanation of our behaviour. While he was studying the physiology of digestion, he found that his experimental dogs began to salivate every time he entered his laboratory carrying their empty food dishes. He concluded that the dogs had in some way learned an association between seeing the dish and being fed, and were responding to the dish as it contained food. If we are to link this dog behaviour to the behaviour of some voters and supporters of president Museveni, we see a pattern between the money that was spent during these elections and their voting choice. This does not necessarily mean that all those who were bribed with money voted for Museveni or that they are ‘dogs’, but it somehow explains why president Museveni had to use a lot of money to buy off votes. It also explains why voters ‘salivate’ every time they see a politician on a campaign trail.

In otherwords, we have lost a whole population out there whose morals are not different from the ‘dogs’ in the laboratory. Put it flankly, most of the current elites in Kampala are no different from the peasants in the villages. They are more like ‘peasant in suits’ but they wont obviously accept this because they think they are educated with degrees and PHDs. The parliament of Uganda is a typical example of ‘peasants in suits’ who can be bribed with anything from state house and get them to pass anything the president wants without wasting too much saliva.

The operant theory also states that behaviour that is rewarded, or reinforced, will continue or increase in frequency. Behaviour that is punished will reduce in frequency or cease. In the same spirit,the people benefiting from the financial muscles of the NRM government would be less willing to participate in any activity that is going to bring the current government down because this will mean the disappearance of the rewards they get from the government.

It is no surprise; therefore, that corruption has become acceptable in Kampala because those involved in it are not as punished as it should be. For instance, we are so likely never to hear again of the global fund cases against NRM big fish, such as Mike Mukula and Jim Muhwezi, whose hands were caught in the till at some point. Actually, Mukula has bounced back into the next parliament without any scratch and he is gonna proudly represent his people as everything against him seems to have totally gone out of the window.
Going back to the just concluded election, it was intended to show that there is some form of democracy in Uganda despite the irregularities that we have read about, and I think the Kampala regime has already achieved it. As a result, the future of Uganda remains unpredictable, and that is why some of us have got reasons to be worried of what is going to happen next. My hope is that president Museveni takes note of what is happening in North Africa at the moment, and usher in some reforms as soon as possible. Otherthan this, Uganda is a walking timebomb waiting to explode.

As for Dr.Besigye, he has won the respect of many including those in the NRM. He has been saying things which even those in Museveni’s cabinet would not say to his face, yet they needed to be said. Besigye pointed out some of these issues casually without any fear. There are a lot of people both in NRM and opposition who make noise on the outside but when they face president Museveni, they cannot tell him his weaknesses. Besigye is not like that, and we hope that whoever takes over from him will do the same.

Paradoxically, he is the best thing that has ever happened to Uganda politics in the last 10 years. He has played his part and history will judge him as one of the greatest men Uganda has ever had. Nobody in Uganda could have stood up to Museveni casually in the way Besigye did. My worry now is how FDC will hold itself together after Besigye leaves the political scene. He has managed to keep the party together despite being surrounded by mainly‘’moles’’ all the time.

Nonetheless,we should all agree that president Museveni is a very lucky man. May be he has got some Jewish blood in him. For instance, he has openly rigged this election but most Ugandans have already accepted it and moved on. The opposition had a chance of uniting against him and push him out, but then Mao comes in and starts decampaiging the opposition instead of the president; President Museveni has drained the national coffers for NRM campaigns but the EC chairman,Kiggundu, will never seriously ask for accountability and NRM source of funds; e.t.c. The man is just lucky. May be leadership comes from God? May be there is a reason why Allah chose Museveni to be our president?. I dont know. The man is lucky. He seems to get away with everything! May we should just give up and leave the matter in the hands of God.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba</strong

NewVision Plagiarized The FDC Manifesto Story to Benefit Museveni

21 Jan 2011 11 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, media in Uganda, Politics

Dear friends,

The issue of FDC ‘copying’ the UK conservative party manifesto was first raised by one Mubatsi Asinja Habati in the Independent Newspaper on Tuesday, 16 November 2010, but I was surprised to see the Newvision putting it at their front page recently as breaking news yet it’s not. For some reason, the Newvision did not acknowledge that they picked the tab from the Independent Newspaper .In other words, they plagiarized the story which they claim to be their own, but unfortunately they are also accusing FDC of plagiarism because the story benefits a certain candidate.Because the story was on Newvision front page, it has been picked up by some papers in the UK and now it has turned into some international headline, but why all the fuss?

FDC and the Conservatives in the UK have got a special relationship together. They are, in other words, ‘friends’ and aim to change things in Uganda for the better. So I would not be surprised that if consultations were made between the two parties before the FDC manifesto was drafted. So let’s enjoy some similarities in the manifestos as long as they benefit the common man in Uganda.

As someone who lives in a democracy, like UK, I know that manifestos don’t really matter that much howevermuch we pretend otherwise. It’s more of a piece of paper than anything else which most politicians throw away after the elections. For instance, as I assume some of you already know, there were several things that were promised by both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats before they got into power, but the coalition government has turned around and thrown them in the bin.Even the government’s White Paper released in Novemeber 2010 is more confusing than anything else, because few people know exactly what it means.

Secondly, I’m surprised that some supporters of UPC are talking about plagiarizing of manifestos and national programs when it’s believed that all Obote 1 policies were ideas got from somewhere else. His National Development policy that included building referral hospitals all over the country was a product of the British Development plan left behind before they handed over to him, but UPC normally gives itself 100% credit. Obote also copied a lot of policies from Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Nyerere and India, but Ugandans are not complaining,afterall, we benefited from their implementation.

The truth is that everybody copies everybody one way or the other, and there are several examples i can cite here:NRM copied Besigye’s removal of graduated tax policy after the 2006 elections but they have not acknowledged it up to now;Hitler was strongly influenced by Fascism in Italy and copying Mussolini or the Duce, he took the title of Fuhrer; Clinton accused Bush Junior of copying his speeches in 1992;Obama was accused of writing a thesis at university that is similar to the communist’s manifesto. So basically he was accused of copying Marx in some education circles. Karl Marx is known as the father of Communism and he’s the author of The Communist Manifesto too!

All the finest manifestos that the human brain can devise, all the high-flown theories that are flying around in the manifestos of the 8 presidential candidates today have mostly been copied somewhere but they probably won’t tell you.DP, for instance, did not have any original ideas that I am aware of before the elections such that I remember reading on facebook when Mao was in USA and he was telling us that he intended hiring a white/’muzungu’ friend to come and write his manifesto. DP has been involved in internal conflicts for most part of pre-election period.

By the way, I’m starting to think that Mao is not even a bona fide intellectual as he is made out to be (granted this is a very subjective and meaningless term), but stuff like composing a song against Besigye, have made him look like he is not the sharpest tool in the shade.DP had a scaled down version of federalism that was advertised in the 1980s but CP were better at this front, but could we say now that all the 6 candidates that have adopted federalism as a policy in their manifestos are copying CP.

The key here is ‘implementation’ not ‘copying’ manifestos, becase as long as what is copied benefits Ugandans in the end, we should not complain. Otherwise, we risk turning ourselves into full time wingers. If you do your research about manifestos, you will find that almost all the eight candidates have got almost similar manifestos. Six of the presidential candidates have all promised federalism apart from obviously NRM and probably UPC.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

The Traditional Leaders Bill(2010) is one of the Bad Laws I have ever seen in my life

15 Jan 2011 8 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, culture, cultures, IPC, kingdoms, Legal issues, Politics, Tribalism

Dear readers,

The Cultural leaders Bill (2010) is not just annoying but it is likely to breed more than chaos in our country if passed by the parliament. The bill is a disastrous draconian law that has little direct connection with keeping cultural leaders on the leash other than shutting their mouths indefinitely on national causes or issues, as if they are half citizens of Uganda. Uganda Lawmakers are preparing to vote on a bill that would eventually outlaw nearly all traditional institutions in the country, a measure that could become the most sweeping ban in Uganda history.

The bill’s definitions of “partisan politics” are laughable to say the least. I was mostly concerned with the following definitions: (c)” recommending a particular person to the public with a view to promoting that person politically”; (e)” making statements against Government policies or programmes”; and (f)” making statements or comments on Bills or motions under consideration by Parliament with a view to influencing their outcome”. This is simply called interfering with the “freedom of speech,” of traditional leaders not ‘partisan politics.’ In any democracy, even people with traditional or cultural roles can’t be prevented from having an opinion — a.k.a. “freedom of speech.” They may not, however, campaign for, or endorse, specific candidates because that would be “partisan politics.”

The very term “partisan politics” refers to supporting one party over another, or one particular candidate, which Mengo or any other kingdom never openly does. Yes,Ssubi was formed by former Katikiro of Buganda after he resigned from all his duties at the kingdom.In any case, Ssubi would not have been formed if the demands by the Mengo admnistration had been met by the central government. Buganda kingdom particularly does, however, engage in what it considers to be efforts in favor of moral issues.The president may disagree with the Kabaka( Buganda kingdom), but he has to admit that opposing bad policies or leadership on moral grounds is clearly within the purview of any cultural leader, not just the Kabaka. If the truth is more important than partisan politics, I’m sure president Museveni who is the architect of this bill, will take the time to learn. If partisan politics are more important, then he is just wasting my time and yours.

Kabaka Mutebi

Part 2 of clause 7 of the bill is another annoying one as it says: ”The Government may in accordance with a court order withdraw its recognition of a traditional or cultural leader where the traditional or cultural leader:(a) acts in contravention of the Constitution or this Act; or (b) abdicates the institution of a traditional or cultural leader”. This article just confirms all the fears people have always had that president Museveni is planning to ‘abolish’ kingdoms in the country. This means that if this bill is passed and mengo goes ahead and starts opposing some other ‘funny’ bills, as it did with the land bills, then Kabaka may end up served with a notice to say good bye to his kingdom.

Clause 9(2) says:’’ Where there is more than one traditional or cultural leader in the area of a regional government the position of the titular head of the regional government shall be held by each of the traditional or cultural leaders within the area of the regional government in rotation for one year at a time.’’ This was intended to make the chiefdoms created in Buganda under Museveni very happy. It simply means that Ssabaruli or Ssabanyala can easily take over at Mengo and, by law; Baganda will just have to accept it. I will not be surprised if these chiefdoms embrace this bill with two hands because their survival solely depends on the government in power. It should not be forgotten that Uganda had only four recognised kingdoms at independence in 1962.

Concerning the conduct of cultural leaders with foreign governments, article 15 of the bill says:’’(1) A traditional or cultural leader shall not deal with foreign governments except with the approval of the minister responsible for foreign affairs; and (2) The minister responsible for foreign affairs shall develop guidelines for approval to be granted under subsection (1).’’ This means that the Kabaka has to seek permission before he hosts any foreign leader as he did sometime last year when he received a delegation from Swaziland, the US ambassador at Kireka palace, and the Libyans when Gadaffi visited Uganda.

Clause 17 says:’ The ministry responsible for culture shall once in every calendar year cause to be published in the Gazette a List of all traditional or cultural leaders in Uganda whom Government facilitates.’’ This in effect means that the government intends to create more traditional leaders as it has been doing ever since Kabaka and president Museveni fell out, and any of the cultural leaders who falls out with the government will not be listed in the annual gazette( which I suspect will be the Newvision newspaper). In other words, becoming a traditional leader is going to become more like winning a prize or trophy of some sort, as in like football or other sports. It is also one way of blackmailing traditional leaders to support whatever the government wants.

Clause 18 is meant to cut off the likes of Beti Nambooze, Medard Segona and Mpunga from the Kabaka completely. Nambooze was the chairperson of the Buganda civic Educational Committee, an organization mandated by Mengo to teach people the ills in the 2007 land bill which was later passed by the government. Namboze and the two Mengo ministers ended up being arrested and later charged in courts of law. But with this bill, it means the Kabaka is ‘’ personally liable for criminal offences committed by the traditional or cultural leader or the agents or persons in the employment or acting under the authority of the traditional or cultural leader’’. In otherwords, the government is trying to cut off Kabaka or other cultural leaders from their loyal subjects. The bill is practically dumping them in a social ‘prison’. It also means that we are likely to see the Kabaka arrested or in a dock or jail at some point if he breaks any of the contents in this bill.

The ancient Greeks maintained that “a bad law is no law.”They did not expect people with common sense to take bad laws seriously. Yet, as a nation, we are so regimented that we are willing to use guns, parliament, jails, prisons and all manner of violence to enforce bad laws on otherwise law abiding citizens, as the traditional leaders in our country. I therefore request Uganda law makers to throw this bill in the bin because it is simply a bad law. It does not belong with us at all.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

NRM has beaten the opposition in the ‘’rigging’’ game again

12 Jan 2011 6 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Corruption, FDC, international, IPC, parliament, Politics

Dear friends,

So the NRMs are up to their old tricks once again. In the face of near-certain defeat in the parliamentary race in some regions especially in Mbale and western Uganda, they have reportedly managed to convince or rather bribe some FDC candidates, to drop out of the race which is so sad for democracy in Uganda. Most Ugandans I have spoken are resigned to the fact that these elections are a already a sham because they wont produce a proper outcome. An election with only one viable candidate is not the ideal situation in a democracy, and I think NRM prefers to only compete with itself than anybody else. In other words, these bribery allegations portray NRM as a party that fears free and fair elections. Certainly a competitive election is more desirable than a non-competitive one, all things being equal, but NRM has ensured that Ugandans don’t get this feeling as long as they are in power supported by the state apparatus.

I know FDC have gone into a debate with the Electoral Commission over the legality of withdraw of a candidate but my understanding is that the law as it stands favours the NRM tricks , and a candidate that has dropped out cannot be replaced since the deadline has passed. Nevertheless; since our parliament is very good at passing emergency bills during election time, such as the controversial traditional leaders’ bill that president wants passed before the end of these elections, they should in the same spirit find a way of legislating against this bad spirited move by the NRM that involves threatening and bribing opposition candidates to withdraw from the race. The electoral law should be amended such that withdraw is only acceptable in case of the death or incapacitation of the candidate, for example, or perhaps the candidate’s withdrawal due to the grave injury or death of a parent, spouse, or child, or some other traumatic personal event.

Either way, I can see the FDC ending up with a short end of the stick because the Electoral Commission seems to unanimously agree that these sleight-of-hand tactics by NRM officials pass legal muster, despite the ethics and morals involved in an election.

So once again, the NRMs have managed to flagrantly find a loophole in the electoral laws which they have used to their advantage. The only possible candidate who has so far reportedly managed to resist their bribery tactics is Mr.Francis Atugonza who was allegedly offered shs.1.5b to withdraw from the race by one of president Museveni’s son’s in laws, and he turned it down. What a rare bird because I cannot see so many people in Uganda turning down that kind of money in the name of democracy! I can bet that there are even some in the opposition who are wondering whether Atungonza is really insane or not!

By the way, these cunning methods have happened before elsewhere in the world and I’m blaming the legislators and the opposition not to have foresighted this in advance such that they bloke this loophole in time before the elections. For example, in 2005 USA west Virginia elections, Thomas Esposito withdrew from the race citing the ill-health of his mother-in law but the real reasons surfaced later showing that his candidature had been planted by the FBI to help find evidence of vote-buying in Southern West Virginia.

In 2004 Afghan presidential elections, the Los Angeles Times reported that some presidential candidates in the race against Karzai were requested by the then US ambassador to withdraw from the race, with attempts to bribe them with cabinet positions.

However, the real questions we should ask ourselves are: how did we reach this level? How did we let NRM become a party full of crafty people ready to pervert the democratic process, and not only get away with it but come up smelling like roses? How do they manage to use tax payers’ money to do anything they want as if they own everybody in Uganda? How do they get people to give them a pass for tactics which should have been despised by every sane voter in Uganda? The sad note here is that NRM has beaten the opposition in the ‘’rigging’’ game again as we wait for more withdraws from the opposition before the end of the elections.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

UK

Besigye’s ”Bush” Comments didn’t Break Medical Ethics

07 Jan 2011 1 Comment

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, Politics

Friends,

The recent comments attributed to Dr. Besigye that he regrets treating Museveni while they were in the bush fighting to liberate our country, have been blown out of proportion by both the NRM and DP(Mao) supporters. Medical ethics have been violated internationally by countries such as Israel when they deny medical personnel a chance to treat the wounded Palestinians in battle. Israel is known to attack medical personnel and damage medical facilities in its battles with the Arabs but nothing has been seriously done even by UN.

On the other hand, Dr.Besigye lived up to his code of ethics and a professional obligation to care for NRM patients while in Luwero bushes in 1980s. Museveni was among these patients he looked after them very well. If he had refused to treat Museveni while in the bush, then his ethical conduct should be questioned.

His comments on campaigns , therefore, are political and were said in a political spectrum, and therefore have got nothing to do with his profession as a doctor. The laws of politics defer to medical ethics. There is no evidence of systemic problems in the medical care Dr.Besigye gave to Museveni before they became political opponents.

Besigye has not participated in the abuse of medical information as far as Museveni’s health is concerned.He has not told us that Museveni was infected with diseases A and C while in the bush. The only time when he almost lost it is when his former patient who is now the incumbent, Museveni Yoweri, ‘diagnosed’ him with HIV during the 2001 elections, and the doctor demanded that they both go for blood tests. But nobody called Museveni’s political ethics into question at that time for reasons best known to themselves.

It is kind of startling that some NRM and DP (Mao) supporters are making a meal out of Besigye’s comments instead of blaming the man who has presided over a collapsing health care system in the country for the last 25 years. In effect, they are telling us that medical ethics don’t apply to poor people in Uganda who can’t be treated because they don’t have money due to the poverty brought by this government. Norbert Mao himself who started making these accusations against Besigye before he was joined, as expected, by his NRM band wagons, has a personal interest in Besigye’s campaigns, and can’t claim to be objective on the issue. He’s just motivated by his own selfish needs, which is fine, but he is not expected to claim that he’s any sort of expert on medical ethics.

So I suggest that we don’t waste the time of the medical ethical panels in Kampala since the person who created this situation in the first place is the one in power. He is the one that started the politics of abusing opposition leaders and all sorts of bad characters. The Electoral Commission and human rights organizations should investigate his political ethics instead of wasting time on a doctor who turned into a politician.I even doubt whether Besigye has tried to practice Medicine again ever since he left the NRM government as he is known to have last been a full time medical doctor while at Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, before he joined the then NRA rebels in 1980s.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

”FDC was denied Licences to Start up its own Newspaper and Radio”,Reveals Salam Musumba while in the UK

01 Jan 2011 2 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, media in Uganda, Politics

Dear Ugandans,

Happy New Year! I have spent my first day in 2011 listening mainly to radio stations in and outside Uganda. The political show that caught my breath was the one at London based online radio, Ngoma, which was hosting FDC deputy president, Salam Musumba. All my life, I have been watching Mrs. Musumba on TV and YouTube, and she has always come across as a noisy lady, but I was astonished with her humbleness while answering questions on this radio. I don’t know whether this was her New Year resolution or it was because her in-laws were beside her while she was on air.

musumba salamu of FDC

Nevertheless, she talked about different important issues that I feel I should summarily share with the rest of Ugandans that missed the program. Musumba revealed that FDC applied for licenses to start their own newspaper and radio station but the government turned them down.

When asked about how she juggles between being a deputy FDC president and wife to an NRM minister, she said that marriage does not mean that husband and wife have to support the same political party, an issue she finds it easy to explain to elites in Kampala and the people of Busoga who voted her as their MP in Bugaluba South -very well knowing that she in the opposition and her husband is in the NRM. She also revealed that her husband has started being frustrated with the NRM leaders as they intentionally rigged him out in the NRM primaries. In effect, this means that Mr. Musumba is standing as an independent in his constituency in Busoga.

Salaam also told listeners that president Museveni is primarily responsible for the controversial Traditional leaders Bill as he is working around the clock to make sure that it is passed by the parliament.

Regarding accusations that FDC is a party for Banyankole and non-Baganda, Salaam told us that it’s not true because the party has got a lot of Baganda in very responsible positions. She said that this rumor was started by Honourables : Beti Kamya and Nabillah Nagayi, and she accused the duo of being ‘spies’ in the party. She said she is reliably informed that Kamya and Nabillah were sent to intentionally disorganize the party and target the party secretary General, Alice Alaso. She complimented Alaso for doing a fantastic job especially when it comes to keeping party secrets.

Regarding the jiggers in Busoga, she acknowledged that she and others let down the people of Busoga in providing leadership to this problem, but she added that jiggers is one of the symptoms of the bigger problems in Busoga. So she reportedly promised that she’s going to use her position to fight the causes of problems in Busoga rather than the symptoms. She said that she is not going to do what Honourable Kadagga did by parading the jigger sufferers in front of the press cameras, washing their infected feet with water. She said that it was very cheap of the deputy speaker of parliament to look for publicity in this way.

She asked Basoga to blame the NRM leaders that killed people organizations such as: Busoga Growers Union, Busoga Diocese and the Kyabazinga, that could have been useful in developing the locals at the grassroots. In the same message, Salaam said that Busoga does not have a traditional leader up to now because president Museveni hijacked the issue instead of helping the Basoga to install the legitimate leader, Gabula Nadiope 1V. Gabulla’s grandfather was the fourth vice president of Uganda in 1962 when Uganda got independence.

It was also revealed that the death of leaders in Busoga such as Namiti, rendered Busoga to a lot of NRM interference. Namiti died as soon as he was released from Luzira prison, a trend that has been seen with some opposition politicians recently. She said that the government has successfully weakened the traditional systems in Busoga such that the same efforts are now being tactically deployed to weaken the Buganda kingdom.

When asked how FDC/IPC are going to protect their votes in this election, Musumba said that they have got a lot of means they have come up with but she was not going to reveal them to anybody, because NRM will know and render them useless. She, however, revealed that IPC is planning to put 19 strong men and women on every gazetted polling station in Uganda to protect their votes.

She concluded the debate by requesting Ugandans abroad to contribute to the FDC/ IPC cause financially. The following were the bank details she left behind for those wishing to deposit money on any Barclays Bank Branch near them: Account Number: 23527603 and sort code:202065. My feeling is that this is the FDC account in the UK which makes it just perfect for those abroad who wish to contribute.

All in all, it was a beautiful debate with a lot of Ugandans calling in. I enjoyed it and now I’m sharing it with others. I tried to call in to contribute but the phones were to busy.

Byebyo banange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Being a former Student Leader does not necessarily make one a presidential material

30 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Africa, FDC, IPC, Museveni and NRM, Politics, Presidency

Dear readers,

We will never know if FDC’s Kiiza Besigye lost or won the 2001 and 2006 elections because of the rigging that was reportedly involved in both elections. This rigging is partly mentioned in Dr.Kobusingye’s book: ‘The Correct Line’. So it’s unfair for one to justifiably determine Besigye’s failure in politics basing on the elections that were reportedly rigged unless if some people wanted him to fight his way to the top, just like Museveni did, by waging a war against the government. But then again, the same voices would end up accusing Besigye of ascending to power using primitive means of violence. So what do these people exactly want, a conference room and aeroplane politician, like Mao, or the guy who bends it like Beckham, such as Besigye?

Some Mao supporters have also been telling us that he was born a leader and that’s why he has a story to tell, and that it was not by mistake that he was Head prefect at Namiryango and later on, the guild president at Makerere University. But the fact is that Norbert Mao’s story in leadership is one of those that can send anyone to sleep because it does not really involve anything extra ordinary. First, anyone with sheer luck can easily become a guild at Makerere University or MP in Uganda. It’s not rocket science or such a huge responsibility as exemplified by some of the sleeping MPs in the parliament. With due respect to our MPs, I think so many Ugandans are probably more qualified to be MPs in that parliament than the ladies and gentlemen there. So I don’t think there is any big deal there as far as Mao’s CV is concerned. He only became Gulu chairman with the help of FDC and UPC but he is probably too arrogant to publicly admit it.

If presidents were picked based on their prior performances as student leaders, then we would have had many of those in Uganda. Uganda got its independence in 1962 and we have had more than six presidents but none of those were guild presidents,partly because student politics tend to be totally different from the national politics. So I was amazed to watch Mao on YouTube making this a big deal in one of his rallies as if he won some sort of a lotto by having one leg over late Mayombo while still at the university.

Mao’s guild presidency story at Makerere University is more of a fable than anything else. I don’t know of many student leaders that have made it to the top office just because they were student leaders. More importantly, I don’t know of any great leaders of the world that became so because there were student leaders prior to that. At least, I know George Washington,Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Churchhill, Nyerere Julius, Mandela Nelson, Kenyata, Obote Milton, Sir Edward Mutesa, Kwame Nkrumah, Fidel Castro, Gadaffi(Libya) and others in that category were not some university student leaders. Bill Clinton was a student leader and musician in primary and high schools but I don’t remember watching a video of him on TV telling people: ‘you see me here, I defeated MN at university elections when a few people expected it and now I want to make KB and YM history’’.Nyerere founded a group to bring together TZ students at Makerere University but I don’t think he went around singing about it when campaigning at rallies in Tanzania, and I’m sure he made it to the presidency because voters looked at other things other than his student involvement at MUK or Edinburgh universities

Jan Bubenik was a student leader during the Velvet Revolution but he did not make it very far in Czech politics.

Li Lu was a student leader who later turned himself into a politician and an activist after going to exile in USA, but that did not bring him anywhere near the presidency or prime ministerial offices in China. Actually, after going into exile, he only managed to sneak back into the country this year in September, under the wings of US billionaire, Buffet, for the Chinese car manufacturer annual business meeting in Shenzhen. The government saw no need to arrest him since he was bringing them business and profits instead of politics. Li is actually spending most of his energy in business and working closely with Buffet instead of wasting time with Beijing politics. He has tried to make peace with Beijing after realising that some times dogs can only be chased by fellow dogs, something which will take some DP supporters a long time to understand.

Another famous former student leader in USA called, Sam Brown, was only very instrumental in helping one of the Democratic presidential candidates, Kerry, in raising funds in California in 2004 but he never became a president. He also served in Carter and Clinton administrations.

In France, there was Daniel Cohn-Bendit who was a student leader of the May 1968 student protests in Paris. The best he could become was an MP for some party but not the presidency.

In Britain where I live, Margaret Thatcher was the only student leader who made it to the Downing Street as PM but Labour’s Charles Clarke looks like he will never be anything bigger than a cabinet minister in politics despite his endless campaigns on TV against Gordon Brown when he was prime minister.

In Iraq, Iyad Allawi was a student leader in Britain in 1960s and he only became a PM because of his connections to CIA and M16.He established these links when he started opposing Sadam Hussein.

As for his being Head prefect, Mao should not be mentioning this on rallies too because there are lots of head prefects I know who are now grassing. Actually, these things of ‘head prefect’ or whatever don’t really matter that much or determine anybody’s future prospects or potential. President Museveni was reportedly one of the bumless and unrecognisable boys at Ntare Sec School -constantly involved in political debates but he is now our president. Late Obote was a university drop out but he died being called a president and a doctor. Sematimba peter is a school drop out but he may become our city mayor if Lukwago and Mbaike don’t sort things out.

So ,it would only be reasonable if Mao stops wasting time attacking Besigye because he is not going to become anything bigger than Besigye, at least not in the next 15 years, unless if he later decides to join NRM.

Byebyo ebyange
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

IPC & DP Should Not Dump Weak Candidates on Ugandans

11 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, Politics, Presidency

Dear readers,

We should applaud DP for withdrawing their candidate, J.B.Kakooza for mayoral elections but if rumours that they intend to back Mike Mabike over Erias Lukwago are true then we are back to square one. DP is not doing this in good faith if it’s true. They are just trying to punish Erias Lukwago for going AWOL on Mbale’s Mao but things may not work in their favour and this should not worry anybody supporting Lukwago for mayor because all indications are that the mainstream DP (MAO) has lost control of its supporters. So under the circumstances, DP supporters will support the best man for the job who happens to be Erias Lukwago.

Nevertheless, we hope that DP go an extra mile and do the same elsewhere in elections like they have done with the Kampala mayoral elections. For instance, Mao should also stand down for Besigye as soon as possible because this ”mix-up” in the opposition does not make sense to a lot of people I have spoken to so far. It is obvious that Besigye is a stronger candidate than Mao in this race such that if they work together, they are in position to pull this thing off, at least on a paper.

Personally, I’m getting fed up with having a lot of political parties in the country because they tend to misrepresent what voters want. The IPC or any other political party will be making a big mistake to endorse Mabike for Mayor because I’m sure that’s not what the majority of Kampalans want. In a book called ‘The Politics of the Real World” by Jacobs(1996), some organisations in the UK expressed dissatisfaction with the formal political system or main stream political parties because they seemed to be out of touch with what people wanted. As such they formed their own organisation in that year (1996) which they called ‘The Real World Coalition’. This was an alliance of over 40 national and international civic bodies, charities, NGOs, and agencies, covering issues such as poverty, community, economics, environment, pollution and development.

So, similarly, we would not be surprised if Ugandans start losing faith in certain political parties and start their own organisations that will fight for what they want. The formation of Ssubi was a starting point in that direction. We expect to see groups such as the businessmen or traders in Kampala forming organisations that will end up turning political. In all honesty, why should we allow IPC or DP-Mao to tell Ugandans to vote for Mabike yet there is a better alternative to him. I therefore ask the supporters of Lukwago to go ahead and form organisations that will help him become a mayor if the IPC goes ahead and endorses a weaker candidate.

As a certain writer called Boulding wrote in his book:” Three Faces of Power”, power is the ability to influence the behaviour of others in a manner not of their choosing”. This is exactly what some leaders in the IPC and DP are doing as far as dumping Mabike on us is concerned but Ugandans should not allow it. If Mabike’s SDP decide to quit the IPC as they are threatening, it will affect their leader more than anybody else because it means IPC have to nominate a candidate against him in Makindye, something which will affect everybody in the process. Mabike will not like it to campaign against almost three strong candidates from DP, IPC, and NRM. He needs to think this through before he makes any further threats. Life does not end with becoming the Mayor of Kampala. He should look at the bigger picture here instead of blackmailing the IPC leaders.

We should also accept that Mao is equally matching Besigye in terms of the number of supporters abroad, if we are to believe the online polls done so far. So why can’t they work together if their intention is to represent what majority of Ugandans want?

Some in DP are deluded that there would be a rerun in these presidential elections but they are bound to be surprised because I can’t see it happening. It has not happened before and it is not going to happen this time. In Museveni’s Uganda, it’s either a Museveni win in the 1st around or he finds a way to remain the president.

As for Besigye, he is serving his last term as FDC president or presidential candidate. I’m sure that he won’t tamper with the party constitution at the end of his term and he will set a precedent in Uganda politics which we have not seen for a long time. So Ugandans should support him for his last term by persuading all the other candidates to stand down. If the likes of Mao and Otunu continue being in this race and they don’t want to listen to our cries of cooperation, and then by December Ugandans should be told to shun them and vote for someone who has higher chances of beating the incumbent.

–
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Blogs:

http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/

http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/

http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/

http://ugandamuslims.wordpress.com/

”We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what is best for society.” (Hillary Clinton, 1993)

The Kabaka Will Never Abdicate His Throne for Direct Elections

31 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, media in Uganda

Dear readers,

I would like to react to Afande Chama’s article that appeared in the Sunday Monitor on 31/10/2010:”Forget Besigye, we had only feared Kabaka standing” ,available at : http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/-/689364/1043372/-/13u15ldz/-/index.html. There was no way the Kabaka would have abdicated his throne to stand for presidency or anything like that. The Kabaka does not need to this directly but he can use other groups to champion for what he wants, and indeed the formation of Suubi2011 is exactly for that purpose. Suubi is undoubtedly Kabaka’s invisible hand in the 2011 elections in Uganda. It’s unfortunate that there is some form of mistrust that historically has been in existence between Mengo and DP such that I was not surprised when DP started attacking Suubi even before its official formation.

That said, I think there is a lot of credibility in Afande Chama’s article than what meets the eye. Since the beginning of this year, the Katikiro and Mengo officials have been very careful with their words as far as the central government is concerned. The Katikiro even made an attempt to distance Mengo from any political party or pressure group yet we all know that Suubi is fighting for most of what Mengo wants in these elections. The feeling is that something must have been agreed upon between Mengo and the central government despite the mistrust between the two. For instance, Mr.Otafiire and the Katikilo,J.B.Walusimbi, kicked off an SMS fundraising drive for the Kasubi tombs recently, and it’s so likely that the government will financially contribute more to the reconstruction of the tombs than any other group. I also remember writing after the September 11th Buganda riots that CBS will be opened but I did not know when, but it has been opened before the elections, and I think the timing of this is just perfect for Museveni’s electoral team.

Will CBS ever be the same radio again?

There is no doubt that the popularity of CBS exceeds any other radio station in the country and it will remain so despite being off air for a year. However, it will not generate the same buzz it did before its closure. The management is going to be more cautious as far as anti government views are concerned. They will get rid of workers who are deemed to be anti -Museveni or anti-government. This means that a guy like me does not stand a chance to get employment in CBS even if I apply. In other words, it again looks like president Museveni has marginally won his battle with both Buganda and CBS and the media.

Yes, CBS employees will keep demanding for compensation over being closed for one year and they have got a strong legal case over this if they want to keep pursuing it. Again, my feeling is that the government is willing to cough up some money to compensate all groups concerned but it won’t be in billions as some people think. The government team is working around the clock to make sure that the CBS issue is settled once and for all, I believe. Therefore, more backdoor meetings are still taking place to sort out all the remaining problems, and trust me they will be sorted out by Museveni standards.

Why has Mengo agreed to engage the government again?

Mengo have been disappointed, probably like many of us, by the divisions within the opposition. There was an assumption before the elections that the opposition will unite against the incumbent, and I think a lot of Ugandans wanted this but it has not happened. As I write now, the Inter Party Coalition ( IPC ) is probably more attacked in campaigns than NRM and Museveni. The leading attackers are the opposition presidential candidates, particularly Bidandi Ssali(PPP), Mao Norbet(DP) and Beti Kamya(UFA). For weird reasons, UPC’s Olara Otunu and IPC seem to have some sort of an official agreement not to attack each other in public, and it is working so far. I also think that Otunu must have realized by now that he made a grave mistake to abandon the IPC because he has since been politically isolated.

Mulyanyamuri and Mulwana at Kasubi tombs in 2009

It was also thought that the former Katikilo, Mulyanyamuri Ssemogerere, would be in position to help unite all the political forces in Buganda because of the too much respect he commands in the region, but all signs are that he failed. DP’s Mao, whatever the reasons, they kept playing hide and seek with both the IPC and the Katitkiro. At one time, we saw Mao emerging from talks with Besigye and Mulyanyamuri and we thought that’s it, but it was all meant for the cameras. It was never going to happen, and for me, this is enough reason to detest Mao in this or any future elections in Uganda. He simply put his personal selfish ambitions ahead of anything else, and this hurts like hell.

Because of the above developments, there was no way Mengo was going to put all its eggs in one basket. They realized that there are higher chances of president Museveni ”winning” this election than Besigye despite the memorandum of understanding that had recently been signed between Suubi and IPC. Mengo also realized, again just like many of us, after the NRM primaries which were marred with open day rigging, that even if by some miracle Besigye wins this election, the current Electoral Commission will never announce him as the winner. Actually, to be blunt, they will never announce anybody as the winner as long as Museveni is still the president of Uganda. Yes, Buganda will never trust NRM and Museveni again but their options are limited as long as the status-quo does not change in the political circles.

So why are IPC and Besigye involved in this election?

Dr.Besigye is an intelligent man and I think deep inside, he knows that the elections are going to be rigged again as was the case in 2001 and 2006, but he is hoping that some miracle will happen and Ugandans decide to defend their votes with or without a partisan Electoral Commission. There is also a genuine feeling that boy courting election in Africa does not make any difference to the party in power. Actually, it ends up weakening the opposition than anything else. With the FDC involved in this election, it helps them to keep in touch with their esteemed voters at the grassroots and to also win some parliamentary seats which are  both good achievements in the long run.

It’s unfortunate that some people will keep unfairly attacking Besigye as a loser even after these elections yet there was no genuine and transparent way of determining that he indeed lost the past elections. Anyway, whatever happens after these elections, Bessigye’s work in the politics of Uganda will remain legendary and highly appreciated. He could not have done it any better and some of us salute him for this.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
UK

–

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

”We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what  is best for society.” (Hillary Clinton, 1993)

We all contributed to the Reopening of CBS fm

25 Oct 2010 2 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, Bunyoro and lost counties, FDC, IPC, media in Uganda, Politics

Dear people,

I think there is no need for Suubi/IPC to revisit the CBS issue in their memorandum of understanding. It should just be ticked as one of the issues already achieved earlier than expected and then fight for others. CBS has been a yearly struggle of all of us, and by us, I mean members of Ugandans at heart (UAH) forum. We have been running a yearly campaign to keep the CBS issue burning in the ears of our leaders and the media. We have been using UAH as a medium of communication for Buganda issues, something which probably would have been done by CBS if it was on air. So the credit goes to everyone who has been helping out in one way or the other.

I read in the Observer of 25/10/10 and it seemed to have given more credit to Mrs.Ameria Kyambadde in this struggle than anybody else. But they were wrong because Suubi, IPC, Besigye, Ugandans at heart forum, media organizations nationally and internationally, online radios and other pressure groups, have all been fighting for CBS fm, and they should be recognized.

Nevertheless, whatever the tales, Museveni’s relationship with Buganda will never be the same. Baganda will never trust him! Reopening CBS is more like a man who organizes a holiday to Spain to salvage his marriage but when all the signs on the wall show that the marriage is finished. So let’s enjoy the ‘’CBS holiday’’ but I think the divorce papers are still on their way, and somebody will have to sign them. The marriage is FINITO

As for DP and their wars with Suubi, I think it’s a bit unfortunate because they (DP) have got bigger problems than just Ssubi. Beti Kamya’s UFA has almost got the same aspirations in Buganda as Ssubi and they are seriously eating into DP support in Buganda and elsewhere in the country. For instance, some of the DP supporters who were previously loyal to Kampala Mayor, Nasser Sebagala, have now crossed to either UFA or Suubi/IPC according to newspapers. Lukyamuzi’s CP should also be in position to finish DP off in Buganda if they expand their horizon other than keeping themselves in cities.

In the north, DP may make some gains because of the little profile of their leader in Gulu but then again we expect UPC and FDC to remain the tigers of this region. NRM is also making inroads slowly with the help of their ‘brown envelopes’ policy.

So basically, the 2011 elections may determine if DP should be admitted in intensive care unit or not. May personal feeling is that unless they get the help of the ‘remote control’, they will come out of this election a bit weaker than even last time in 2006. Mao is not the kind of leader who is ready to roll up his sleeves and put his hands in the dusty part of politics on streets. He prefers to remain in a coat, tie and shirt despite the hot weather in Kampala, and then just preferably appear on rallies and conferences. I have not see him leading any demonstration of anything though I must admit his ‘’magishu’’ dances on YouTube have been outstanding so far.

Finally, I was amazed to see a photo of Besigye’s house in Rukungili in both the Newvision and Bukedde newspapers. So I wondered whether this election is about people’s houses rather than issues. Just for the sake of argument, Besigye has never stolen anybody’s money and if he had anything wrong while in government, the Museveni government would have been the first to expose it and he would probably be in prison. Actually, Besigye has made more of his money after leaving the government. He is simply a hardworking man. He said this himself in his memoirs with the Monitor newspaper ages ago that he intended to be an Accountant/ business man rather than a doctor or politician. And as you know, there is no better way of making money than being self employed.By the way, why do people always want poor people to lead them? How much have we benefitted from getting poor leaders into state house?

We should accept that Besigye is not in politics to ‘eat’ or benefit himself. He can survive without leading FDC or IPC or opposing Museveni. Actually, he probably would have benefited more if he had chosen to remain in NRM instead of being in opposition. He is an average rich man belonging to the middle class of Kampala. In other words, what he has achieved wealthy wise can easily be achieved by any hard working man or woman in Uganda at his age. Those who exaggerate his wealth have got other intentions which we already know. So shame on Newvision and Bukedde for running headlines intended to portray a certain image of the best opposition candidate Uganda has ever had. Let their cameras got to the north and take pictures of Otunu and Mao’s houses too if they want to turn this campaign into ‘who has got the best house’.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Note:The song below is dedicated to president Museveni’s new friends, possibly the Banyoro, after falling out with Buganda:


Dr.Gilbert Bukenya Was Simply Shown a Copy of the Animal Farm

18 Sep 2010 16 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, Corruption, IPC, Museveni and NRM, parliament, Politics, Presidency, Tribalism

Dear readers,

Following the end of the NRM primaries, I would like to congratulate president Museveni as one of the brilliant political brains Uganda has ever produced because he managed to get rid of one his future opponents in his vice president, Bukenya Gilbert, without firing any bullet or anything like imprisonment. President Museveni has ended Bukenya’s political ambitions in the most extra ordinary way possible which may not bruise him (the president) that much and I’m still shaking my head over it. What a genius!

Gilbert Bukenya

There is no way the current Secretary General of NRM, Amama Mbabazi, could have beaten Dr. Gilbert Bukenya in any fair and free election unless if there was some underplay somewhere. Obviously, I’m basing this on Mbabazi’s previous abysmal performance as the Secretary General of the party. However, I remember watching a YouTube video where Mbabazi laughed off Bukenya’s challenge in simple words, and some of us called him arrogant, but maybe he knew something we didn’t know. Actually, the Observer newspaper went with a big headline about Mbabazi Vs Bukenya for the Secretary General, and it was all arrogance throughout.

I therefore made a prediction sometime this year that Bukenya was going to win the post of Secretary General but I had underestimated the powers of the ‘remote control’ in this process. I apologize to the Vice president, Bukenya, if he got a snooze about it and also got excited about the whole thing. The way I see things now is totally different after the NRM primaries and I would never rule out Amama Mbabazi or anybody from becoming my president in the post Museveni era.

Now, let’s face reality: If Bukenya was told not to stand against Mbabazi before the delegates’ conference but he insisted and lost, what does that say about NRM? It means that there is a ‘remote control’ – controlling everything in NRM, and this time the button ‘BG’(Bukenya Gilbert) was not pressed. Somebody decided that this is the best way to dump him, and to be honest, I think he is gone after this.

Bukenya’s Life after NRM primaries

This is my simple prediction as far as post Namboole-Bukenya is concerned: He is going to accept the results and move on, just like Honorable Ssekikubo(Lwamiyaga) did. He will accept the advice from the Animal farm: ” All men are equal but some men are more equal than others’. Probably he may be consoled with some simple post somewhere if he does not wreck the boat or make too much noise but we should accept that Bukenya’s political ambitions are over. If he is maintained as the vice president, it will be because he is a catholic and there wasn’t a single catholic elected in the top five powerful NRM positions. Honorable Kaddunabi Lubega (Butambala) and honorable Sempijja (Masaka) were also among those ones that were humbled using the NRM ‘’Super’’ Electoral Commission and now I think they have leant their lessons. Sometimes I wonder what is going in these guys’ minds!

If anybody wants to enter that parliament, they better run to state house and get endorsed by president Museveni. I think his hands are everywhere and my hats off to him. You become stubborn, he will always find a way to humble you which my Rwanda friend I hosted for Iddil Fitri called ‘MUSEVENI’S DIPLOMACY’ which he wants president Kagame to borrow as far as his enemies, the Nyamwasas, are concerned. The same diplomatic skills have worked on the Kampala Mayor, Alhajji Nasser Ssebagala, and now he is singing ‘long live Museveni’.

Amama Mbabazi,NRM Sec Gen


Baganda in the NRM

It’s also wrong for some people to blame all this jiggery and thuggery we witnessed in the NRM primaries on Baganda delegates who did not support Bukenya.  Baganda in the NRM are not as powerful as some people think. They control nothing and if you control nothing, you cannot control an election. NRM have got their way of doing things which has got nothing to do with any particular tribe. Somebody is controlling everything on a remote control and I think this is the time to think twice about the whole 2011 election thing because the opposition may be wasting their time.

Bukenya did not lose because of what he uttered about Buganda riots and CBS last year. There are those Baganda in NRM that didn’t approve the closure of CBS and condemned the riots but the ‘remote control’ again did not want them on the scene, and so they are gone. For instance, Brother Hajji Kadunabi was shown the one way ticket out of Butambala, and also got disqualified to stand against Alhajji Moses Kigongo for the post of vice president. In simple terms, he was also shown the copy of the ‘Animal Farm’?

If a man controls the system in Africa, then he controls the elections. If you control nothing, you cannot determine the outcome of an election in most developing countries. As things stand, Ugandans should be prepared for anybody to become their president starting with 2011 elections. As for me, I will be watching a film entitled ‘Remote Control’ while eating popcorns with a cup of tea in next year’s elections.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

IPC IS NOT DEAD AND SHAME ON THE PROPHET DANIELS OF UGANDA

31 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC

Dear people,

I originally come from a country where I do not count that much. I am a muganda by tribe and a Muslim by religion, a combination that has never seen anybody become a president in a country like Uganda or a katikiro of Buganda. I don’t have coalitions rallying for what I feel is important but I support any coalition that can make my country a better democracy. I don’t have news reporters writing about “poor me” but, I have views and that’s my only weapon. I vote in the UK where I live but I don’t vote in Uganda because there are no arrangements for Ugandans abroad to vote in their countries of residence. And, I know there are millions of Ugandans all over the world just like me.

One of Uganda’s oldest and nastiest party, UPC, has decided to quit the Inter Party Coalition (IPC) simply because they could not accommodate or accept the views of the majority in the coalition.Coalitions and diplomacy are nice, especially when everyone agrees to do the same thing at the same time in the same way. For instance, the United Iraqi Alliance, a coalition of Shia parties, triumphed in the first proper elections in post Sadam Iraq, and this was hardly surprising since the Shia make up 60 per cent of the Iraqi population.

Why coalitions fail

The decision by UPC and DP to snub the IPC shows that up to now the opposition in Uganda don’t know what they are up against and they don’t understand the nature and magnitude of the campaign needed to gradually take NRM out of power. The differences between political parties in Uganda is as small as it was at the time of their formations but egos and selfishness have stopped them from cooperating with FDC to have a serious impact on the 2011 elections. With Mao and Otunu now attacking Besigye more than president Museveni, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell of a future alliance happening, particularly since we don’t have a strong multiparty system or a history of credible and fair elections in the country.

Yes, it’s true that some coalitions are formed prior to elections ,and with multiple parties, coalitions often have to be formed after elections, but in Uganda’s case the parties involved are too weak to even claim to be under serious multipartism. Both DP and UPC have got internal factions hanging over their heads and therefore the argument to form a coalition after the elections in a banana republic like Uganda does not make sense. Besides, there are never guarantees that any body can beat the incumbent on their own in the first around. Therefore, I think early coalitions are more efficient in developing countries than after elections.

Secondly, most of the coalitions in developing countries are not on the basis of strength, since some parties come to the table bringing nothing, and then having to accept other person’s guidance, instructions, and philanthropy. I guess this is what happened with UPC when it joined the IPC as they contributed very little to the coalition, but surprisingly they started complaining of the FDC’s dominance.FDC did put too much effort into the coalition than their partners.

In addition, most of our coalitions, unfortunately from my vantage point, are usually from a position of weakness. When IPC sit at tables with their donor counterparts, they come with ideas but not money. So donors finance their activities, and when people finance you ,they’re the ones paying the piper. So they usually feel justified in calling the tune. So IPC don’t feel that as if they can make progress with these kinds of coalitions where it serves the best interest of others who they are externally coalescing with, but not their best interests.

DP and NRM are happy with UPC’s pull out

NRM and DP-Mao are happy that UPC has pulled out of the IPC but let’s consider the following: there was a Christian prophet called Daniel who predicted about 2500 years ago, a political dynamic that would develop in the last days in the Middle East. It was an impossible projection at the time but it has come to happen and historians who were laughing at him are not issuing apologies but they praise his foresightedness.

Writing from the 6th century B.C., Daniel said that in the last days, there would exist a state of Israel. Israel state was just a dream for many people then but it came into reality on May 15, 1948 even when Daniel was already dead and buried. Daniel predicated that Israel would be at war with the surrounding states. Daniel also foretold the rise, fall and revival of the old Roman Empire.

I’m yet to find out the quranic version of the state of Israel but the point is that the pull out of UPC from the IPC was something that was around the corner and it was easy for those against the coalition or cooperation to predict something like that. Their predications were based on the fact that they wanted the IPC to fail not because they were a lot of reality in it. Those of us who wanted and still want the IPC to work will continue promoting unity among different political forces even if the current coalition does not achieve that much in the 2011 elections.

Some NRM and DP supporters read into the situation when they realised that Otunu had not turned up for nominations at Kololo and took their chances to make legless announcements that IPC was dead. But IPC membership is not defined by UPC or DP only as there are other parties involved. If membership was defined by the political weight of the party then FDC remains the ‘king’ of the IPC, and if the ‘’king’’ had thrown in the towel then it would probably be justifiable to announce the IPC dead.

Therefore, for those who have remained in the IPC ,they need to be most organized and also understand that they are going to run the most expensive campaign ever in Uganda’s history. Ugandans should reject the narrow vision of DP and UPC who have built walls themselves for the sake of promoting their self interests.

For now, let’s rally behind the four gentlemen: Besigye(FDC), Kyanjo(JEEMA), Mabike(SDP) and Kigongo(CP), who have put their personal differences aside for the sake of the restoring democracy in the country. It’s my prayer that other pressure groups such as Suubi and IPC women organisations keep working with them despite the official withdraw of UPC from the alliance.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

–
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
Blogs:
http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/
http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/
http://ugandamuslims.wordpress.com/

”We must stop thinking of the individual and start thinking about what  is best for society.” (Hillary Clinton, 1993)

UPC internal Divisions are affecting the IPC

23 Aug 2010 54 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, Politics, UPC current politics

Dear readers,

Those UPC supporters who say that nobody within the party is against Olara Otunu, I believe they are just in denial and anybody can see it. There is a section of UPC supporters that dont want Otunu in Uganda House and they could do anything to boot him out, but they are making a mistake, actually a big mistake. This group came up with an excuse that Dr.Otunu’s election as UPC President was in violation of the party constitution, but if we flip the coins: assuming James Akena had won that election, would they still be crying over spoilt milk? The answer is ‘no’. Therefore, i ask James Akena again to come out and distance himself from the group working to bring Otunu down because this is gonna affect UPC in both the short and long term. There are no two ways about it.

Coutesy of John Nsubuga ( member of UAH forum)

The fact of the matter is that the two oldest political parties in Uganda are split into two factions. The Kampala DP faction is understandably and openly working against the Mao factions. There is also DP faction headed by Alhajji Nasser Sebagala which the EC refused to register. Then there is one headed by Mabike which he called the Social Democratic Party (SDC), and it was registered by the EC. Nevertheless, SDC is now part of the IPC.

The Kampala group headed by Sam Lubega is so bitter with Mao such that they will never stop working against his downfall. I understand Mao and his party machine have now summoned some of these members to appear in front of the disciplinary Committee but this is like adding salt to the wounds. The worst that the Mao group can do is to officially expel all those working with Sam Lubega from the party but will this solve Mao’s problems? I dont think so. It will be the beginning of an open warfare which even the DP elders will find difficult to contain. Lubega has got some followers in UYD as is Mao. So we are likely to see these battles throughout the elections and afterwards.

On the other hand, the UPC faction with no address is clandestinely working against Dr.Otunu. This is an open secret. The UPC faction with no address is the one that was against UPC joining the IPC and they are Oboteists. For them, without Obote’s ghost or his son or family member, there is no UPC, and probably that’s what was broken in the UPC constitution by Dr.Otunu. The legitimate faction headed by Dr.Otunu is pro-IPC but it has got some elements fighting Otunnu within, yet we are less than 190 days away to the 2011 elections. As a result, Otunu has been confused by some elements in his party such that he has not yet picked the nomination forms for the IPC flag bearer. If Otunu eventually decided to pull out of the IPC then it will be a big victory to the Akena group or his enemies. Let him soldier on: pick the nomination forms and then support Dr. Kiiza Besigye as the IPC flag bearer.

Seriously, how can a party be divided internally and still think they can chip any votes off NRM in 2011? DP is in a mess as i write this and so is UPC. By the time, they sort out this mess; probably the 2011 elections would be over. That is why I request both DP and UPC members to rally behind FDC’s Dr.Kiiza Besigye, regardless of their party positions, such that the opposition at least gains something in the upcoming elections. We may pretend as much as we want but Dr.Besigye is the best ticket for the opposition right now. I was impressed that Andrew Mwenda of the Independent has so far written two consecutive articles concluding with the same thing.

Let me leave you with a message posted on my blog from one of the most respected elders in UPC. Probably, you will understand what I’m talking about. It was posted on April 21, 2010 at 12:52 am:

”Semuwemba,The fact of the matter is UPC is split and no amount of trying to explain the split away in terms of Jimmy Akena misleading the people of Lango will help Otunnu. As WBK said earlier, in a large measure it is the people leading Akena and not the other way round. An example is what happened just before Otunnu went to Lira. Akena was told in no uncertain terms that he would open a major flood gate into NRM by merely standing near Otunnu. That is the reason you never saw Akena besides Otunnu in Lira, much as Lira Municipality is Akena’s constituency. Later when Otunnu met the elders in Lira they told him they would not accept Akena to hold sinecure offices in Otunnu’s cabinet.

Semuwemba, let me tell you: it is simply resources which is holding us up from opening a rival office to that Otunnu in Kampala. And let me assure you, were such an office to be opened, you would see a flood of UPCs flocking to that office and not 6th floor Uganda House.” Yoga Adhola.

Byebyo ebyange. Abagala okuwuliliza muwulilize


–
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
Blogs:
http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/
http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/
http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/
http://ugandamuslims.wordpress.com/

Opposition should ignore Mao’s DP for a bit and start selling their policies to the voters

15 Aug 2010 3 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC

Dear Ugandans,

We have got less than 200 days away to 2011 elections but the Uganda opposition has failed to convince the voters that they have got a bigger alternative than fighting among themselves. DP-Mao and Bidandi Ssali’s party are fighting the IPC instead of NRM which has confused the voters so much. So I suggest that the IPC ignores Mao and Bidandi for a bit and start selling their policies to the voters. The opposition should, for instance, have a policy on Universal primary (UPE) and secondary education (USE) instead of just criticising it but I have not read any yet. The opposition should have an independent policy on ‘prosperity for all’ or ‘BONA BAGAGAWALE’ and ‘how to deal with terrorism’, but I have not read anything to that effect.What have the opposition got to say on the disputes between the Heritage Oil company and the Uganda government?

President Museveni, on the other hand, only goes back to Ugandans when he is looking for votes. When he introduced UPE or ‘Bona Basome’ in 2001 elections, it won him a lot of votes despite the fact that he was facing a formidable challenger in Dr.Besigye for the first time. In 2006, when he went back to the population, he told them that ‘I introduced UPE and all your kids are now having free education, what else do you want from me?’ The peasants replied: ‘Anti Muzeyi, when the kids finish primary school, they stop there and we cannot do anything about it’. So Museveni responded like a king: ‘O, you will then have USE if you vote for me’ and indeed some peasants did vote for him though that time Besigye fairly won it but was denied the presidency by the rigging machine.Actually, Universal Education is mainly funded by the World Bank but NRM always takes the credit.

Courtesy of John Nsubuga (member of UAH forum)

I don’t know what President Museveni is going to promise the voters in 2011 but he has always got something up his sleeve to give them. The July bombs in Kampala have already paralysed the 1PC and other opposition pressure groups as they are now finding it difficult to hold rallies and demonstrations in and around Kampala. The bombings have also helped the president to get USA and other donors to his side which is not good news for the opposition at all.

Nevertheless, some people have been unfair on FDC’s Dr. Besigye by saying that he has got a bad temper and that is why he is losing out to Museveni. Dr.Besigye has improved on the way he deals with the common man in Uganda. I read about him trying to crack jokes in his speeches while on his nation wide tours. He has been forced to dress in Muslim attires while on Muslim functions like Iddil or when he was attending Late Dr. Sulaiman Kiggundu’s prayers(‘DUHA’) at Kibuli mosque in 2008. He dresses in Buganda’s traditional ‘Kanzu’ while meeting Mengo leaders and the Kabaka -as we saw recently in Butambala during the celebration of Kabaka’s coronations. He dances ‘DOMBOLO’ on different wedding parties or other functions he is invited to in Uganda. He has generally learnt to do emotional labour (smile even he doesn’t want to) and dress in ‘BITENJE’ unlike in 2001 when he used to put on shirts all the time. The man is doing a lot of things to connect with ordinary Ugandans and we should give him credit for that.

Some in DP keep comparing Dr.Besigye to Mr.Mao which I find odd because these are two different people. Yes, Mr. Mao is a likeable person, I hear, but I don’t think that he is gonna worry Museveni at all because he(Mao) is a secessionist, presidential newcomer and novice, and a political beggar. The main effect I see on Mao’s candidacy is that it may help DP to divide the opposition votes in northern Uganda and Buganda which in turn will help president Museveni to win more votes in northern Uganda and Buganda.

The truth is that most Ugandans still believe that the only person who can take over from Museveni must be a military man like him, and I think even president Museveni agrees with them. That’s why the president had to write a full letter in Sunday Vision in May 2009 responding to Besigye’s allegations that he never fired a single bullet throughout the NRA struggle. I read president Museveni’s letter with a heavy heart and I was amazed that the president could make time to respond to such a pity issue till when I tickled my brain to look outside the box. What I found out was that the military is still running the show in Uganda and it is embedded in everything the state is doing at the moment. You ignore the military at your own peril.

The opposition should look at DP Mao in the same spectrum as the Nelson Ocheger’s party in 2001 elections. The Nelson Ocheger’s party were one of those parties created to distract the ‘real’ parties. In Venezuela, Likewise, Chavez melded together an amorphous array of parties to support him during the presidential elections. Chavez unlike Museveni, he never banned political parties in the first place. When elections are held with a multitude of ‘fake’ political parties, you end up with an ‘elected’ dictatorship , much like 2001 and 2006 Uganda elections, where elections kept on sending Museveni Yoweri into office.

That said, the opposition (particularly IPC, and Suubi) just need to organise themselves and sell their policies to the Uganda electorate after all they have got some form of legislations protecting them at the moment. At the end of the day, even an opposition working in an environment where freedom of speech is zero can make a formidable challenge to the government. For instance, Boris Yeltsin abolished freedom of the press, crushed an elected parliament with armed force, outlawed opposition parties, suspended the constitutional court, and ruled by decree but where his legacy in Russia is.   Another one is Hitler of Germany- Hitler and his party members set about grabbing as much dictatorial power for himself as possible. The final act was the passage of a “law” making him dictator just after the death of Hindenburg. He outlawed opposition parties, intimidated dissent with the “wild concentration camps,” and assumed control of almost everything but ultimately Hitler had to go. Nevertheless, the fact is that most Germans did not support democracy, and Hitler managed to use emergency powers in a manner not intended by the constitution in order to eliminate the major opposition parties.  The point is that everything has got an end.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Those Fighting Suubi and IPC are the most selfish of Ugandans!

23 Jul 2010 11 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, culture, FDC, IPC, kingdoms, Politics

Dear readers,

I’m for Uganda but not for really ‘so many political parties’. In other words, I’m not ‘married’ to any ‘bogus’ political party or organisation. By ‘bogus’ I mean any political party that does not really fight for Ugandans but its leaders. It’s the very reason why NRM are no longer for me because they are just fighting for president Museveni to remain in power regardless. Groups such as Kiboko squard and Kalangala are basically there to make sure that the status quo in the country never changes.Anybody who tries to change it in NRM, he is immediately whipped back in line and If one continues being stubborn then one faces the ‘Besigye’ disciplinary measures.

Nevertheless, I get so astonished when we spend a lot of our energy and efforts on the survival of certain political parties rather than the interests of our country. For instance, all those fighting ‘Suubi’ and IPC are doing so because they want DP to continue to survive in Buganda. They don’t want another bull in the kraal. Mao is fighting all other opposition parties basically for his survival and nothing else!

Cartoon by John Nsubuga (member of UAH forum)

Some Mao supporters are trying to make a meal out of what was said by both Cardinal Wamara and ex-Katikilo Muliika in regards to Suubi and IPC, but the context of their words is no different from what was officially said by the Katikiro of Buganda. In other words, these two guys aren’t doing anything to burry Suubi but they are trying to keep the Kabaka away from politics which i think is good and bad. Good, because it will not bring him further problems with the central govt, and I suspect somebody from statehouse asked the cardinal to take this noble responsibility. So we are likely to see a lot of noise in the next few months coming from specific people to remind us that Suubi is not a Kabaka project. It’s a task that has been put on their heads and they have got to fulfill it.

It’s bad because the Kabaka is slowly being distanced away from politics in Uganda since 1966 yet he has got constitutional rights to participate in non-partisan politics, and it is an indicator of the gradual extinction of the Buganda kingdom or all kingdoms from Uganda. In other words, they are slowly being rendered irrelevant to people’s lives. If they cannot do anything about Uganda politics and economics which are the two main things that matter to the people of this country, then what is their use anymore? People are gonna say they are still relevant to ’Culture’ but what is really ‘culture’? This thing called ‘culture’ will keep changing till when people start determining their own culture. It’ s already happening here in Europe where you dress anything you want as long as you feel like it, and somebody is gonna say:’ that’s how it’s should be”. So if Mengo/Kabaka is also limited on how much business he can conduct too, as it was reported by the Eddobbozi newspaper that the MTN deal was hijjacked from Mengo by the central government, then the future of the Buganda kingdom is at stake here.

To be honest, if organisations like Suubi are being fought left and right by the same Baganda/Ugandans that are supposed to protect them, then Mengo is in trouble.If suubi proves to be useless come 2011, then Mengo will become weaker and weaker. Just watch this space! We may say as much as we want but Suubi is Kabaka’s hidden stick against the central government. So the question is: ‘where is our loyalty as Baganda?”. Is it only DP and Mao or Kabaka? Is it in DP and Mao or in Uganda too? Is it in NRM & Museveni or in Kabaka too?

Byebyo ebyange mikwano gwange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

A War against Alshahab Militants will not make Ugandans safer

19 Jul 2010 16 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, East Africa, FDC, IPC, security

Dear people,
I’m not in agreement with those who are supporting the government’s position to wage a full scale war on Alshabab Militants because history has shown that the war on terror, if it is the one we intend to fight, is not won that way. The attack on Al-shabab Militants is a very small, almost incidental part of the War on Terror, certainly not the heart of the matter.

Therefore, I disagree with president Museveni’s war drums since I believe he is not focusing on the problem of terrorism as in terrorism. It seems he has an agenda that has not been presented to the citizens succinctly. I suspect one of the reasons why the government is war mongering is to get people to think of war instead of domestic issues. Most leaders do so to deflect attention from their inadequacies and I simply think that president Museveni is petty.At this time, I really don’t understand our need to go to war with Alshabab despite the recent bombs in Kampala, because we simply don’t have resources to fight such wars. Perhaps some Ugandans are content with his reasons but I’m not impressed with what he has put on the table.

President Museveni should not fall into the traps of the former US president, George Bush, who after Sep 11th attacks on New York, kept telling Americans and the world that the war on terror will be worn, but later to backtrack on this statement some years later, in an interview broadcast by the ‘Today’ show, where he told host Matt Lauer that he doesn’t think his ‘War on Terror’ is winnable. “I don’t think you can win it,” said Bush. “But I think you can create conditions so that those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world.”

Of course some of us had already seen it that a war against terror cannot be won by bombing and waging several wars. Terrorism is a weapon. How do you wage war against a weapon?

Religion
It’s also so unfair and wrong when some people generalise that all Muslims are terrorists because they are quite wrong. While there are some scriptures in the Koran which encourages violence ,it is quite pale compared to the bible and that’s a fact. Secondly, some of these verses were revealed to the prophet depending on the circumstances at the time but some writers manipulate them to fit in today’s surroundings.

I know the Koran has a lot to do with the Old Testament and some Christianity because whatever is in it does not really conflict so much with the original books of earlier prophets. But many historians are frustrated the earliest texts are locked away and have been allowed to rot rather than be examined and copied. Few early copies of Koran have been examined and most findings never publish widely. Much of history is threatened or political correctness forces it off shelves.

There are over a billion Muslims in the world and about 9 millions in Uganda. If they all supported Kampala’s 711th bombings ,we would already have a hell of a problem on our hands. It is therefore wrong to call Somali alshab militants ”Muslim combatants” and ”Jihadists” instead of simply “the terrorists” and the “evil doers”. It is simply an insult to the rest of the peaceful Muslims in Uganda or the rest of the world.

Terrorism is simply a tactic of war and in the past has been used even by the Western democracies, e.g. the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the fire bombings of Hamburg and Dresden Germany. So it is simply wrong to call the warriors of al Qaeda, Hezbelloh, Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, etc, ”Muslim” terrorists.So I have a better idea: Hold individuals accountable for their acts, don’t collectivize and group based on alleged beliefs, and have a counter-terrorism policy that does not play into the hands of extremists who say we are true to our evil core of conquest and killing for the sake of wealth and power.

I must also point out that Islam has no central religious authority like the Vatican in Catholicism. So there is conflict over interpretation of some verses and sayings of the prophet, as some claim Koran calls for slavery to god, others say servant, some obedience, some say it is presented in strict format. So we have Sunni and Shi’te and other splinters all over the place though personally, im just a Muslim without any alliance to any sect.

Some people say that Islam was forcibly exported to other regions but this was also the case for christianity in parts such as Spain and America. Spanish colonialists forcibly exported Christianity and they were after gold, not souls, while the people that conquered what is now Saudi Arabia were unambiguously after souls.I don’t have enough information to measure Saudi religious oppression against, say, that of Spain on its own territory , but there were certainly periods of forcible Christian expansion.

Old pagan religions, Mithraism, Gnosticism, Arianism, and non-Christian Judaism all just didn’t disappear out of Europe because the Catholics employed sweet reason on infidels and heretics. Christianity also came to Europe wading in blood.Besides the Spaniards in the new world, most of European colonialism had a religious component. Europe conquered the world and religion was a part of that.

IPC and terrorism
Now that we already know NRM position on fighting terrorism, we would like to know FDC’s stand on this since we have been reading conflicting reports from the party officials ever since the bombings on 11th July. Is it really asking so much for the second largest political party in Uganda to put forth some official statement of position on terrorism and how to deal with it? It shouldn’t have to be an election trick.IPC should also have an official position on this instead of newspapers quoting Besigye and Lukyamuzi as having different views on the issue.

I think the perception among some Ugandans is that the FDC and the rest of the opposition would simply shut down the war on terror and commit to a policy of appeasement and apologism. So I call upon the opposition to break that perception and show us that there’s other people besides president Museveni committed to addressing the problem of terrorism in Uganda and Africa in general.

Solution to terrorism
I consider terrorists to be like criminals as like any other. As such, the way to get rid of (we’ll never get rid of evil) is to simply limit them through detective work. We can use the military for crushing pesky folks, but the way to limit these folks is through detective work, infiltration, Intel, seizure of money, but military muscle should be a last resort.

One defeats terrorism by undermining the conditions which breed terrorists. Economic inequality, crushing poverty, shattered educational infrastructures, rampant violence and a total lack of hope are the soil in which suicide bombers germinate. Until one get rid of those, there will always be terrorism. Period. Somalia is fertile with such conditions such that a simple act of war will never make Ugandans safer in any way.We should do more assessment before we think of a war with Alshahab militants because i believe it may breed more problems for our people.

–
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
Blogs:

http://ugandansatheart.wordpress.com/

http://semuwemba.wordpress.com/

http://ekitibwakyabuganda.wordpress.com/

http://ugandamuslims.wordpress.com/

Mao & and His Group Are as Fake as the Regime they claim to oppose

13 Jun 2010 8 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, IPC, Lule and Uganda politics, luwero war after 1980 'theft', Moshi conference 1979, Obote and UPC, Politics, Presidency, Tribalism

Dear friends,

How does DP expect to decampaign IPC but at the same time expect them to cooperate with DP at parliamentary level during the 2011 election? I listened to Mr. Mathias Nsubuga who is the DP’s Secretary General, today on London based Ngoma radio, and he quoted a lot of history, how alliances have historically weakened DP due to loss of members,blah blah. But he clearly missed the gist of the point why opposition parties in developing nations form coalitions: the incumbent always uses the state apparatus to frustrate the opponents and therefore it becomes difficult for an opposition party to win an election on their own.

Mathias Nsubuga rightly quoted the alliance made in 1961 between KY and UPC and what later happened afterwards in 1966, but he forgot to tell people that the alliance had received its initial objective which was to stop Ben Kiwanuka from becoming the Prime minister. Whatever happened afterwards can be attributed to other factors but not the alliance itself. It should also be noted that between 1961 and 1971,DP lost members to UPC despite the fact that they were not part of any alliance at that time. For instance, UPC catched a big fish in 1964 when the then DP Secretary General, who was also the leader of the opposition, Mr. Basil Bataringaya, crossed to UPC.

The alliance made at Moshi in 1979 also achieved its initial objective of removing Iddil Amin Dada from power. The different groups that were fighting Amin on their own could not have achieved this objective. On the military front, FRONASA, Kikosi Malumu and others had to combine efforts to fight dictator Amin. Whatever happened afterwards, like the forced resignation of Professor Yusuf Lule, cannot be attributed to the disadvantages of an alliance. But if we had people that reason like DP-Mao at the time, probably Iddil Amin would have remained a president of Uganda for longer.

After the 1980 elections where UPC openly rigged and denied DP a chance to take over power for the first time since independence, again a mother of all alliances had to be formed to kick out dictator Milton Obote . Before the alliance was formed, DP again lost its members to other parties particularly the ‘third force’ which was formed by former UPC members who wanted to fight Obote but did not want to join DP. For instance, the ‘third force’ recruited DP members such as:Matia Kasajja of Hoima, Bernard Buzaabo, Dr. Bwambale and several others. So the argument that DP only loses members after alliances had been formed does not hold water at all. Secondly, if different parties had not worked together, probably Late Obote Militon woul have died the president of Uganda since he had the support of Julius Nyerere who was controlling Uganda through a remote control from Tanzania.

DP claims that they lost a lot of members after 1986 through an alliance formed with Museveni at the time to form a broad based government but I think this is a fallacy meant to hide the internal weaknesses of the party. Those DP members who decided to remain in NRM other than returning to DP would have done the same if those very privileges they enjoyed while in NRM had been offered to them outside this alliance. For instance, president Museveni has managed to get on board UPC guys like Agrey Awori, without necessarily forming an alliance with UPC itself. He also unsuccessfully tried to recruit UPC’s giant lady, Cecilia Ogwal, during the CA elections when the issues of federo had caught fire in parliament, and he therefore needed UPC to be on his side to block Buganda from getting federo.

Let’s assume that we take DP’s reason to lose their members to other parties because of alliances as a bit weighing, but how does DP explain their hypocritical claims that they would be ready to form an alliance with the IPC if president Museveni does not get the 51% required for some to win all election. Will this not make them lose their members to other parties OR the party will be strong then after just a period of 7 months to the elections?

Finally, I’m still so skeptical about Mr.Mao’s presidential candidature and intentions because this is not the first time he is talking about a Nile Republic. He at one time wanted the north to secede from the south. He is a secessionist like JEEMA’s Hussein Kaynjo and this is not material for a Uganda president. He does not really believe in One Uganda, One people project. Secondly, because Mao has been elected DP president by one faction of DP, he is gonna affect the fortunes of the IPC candidate in the north since some people in the north believe in him. With this, president Museveni does not need to win the north to remain the president of Uganda come 2011 since Mao would do the job for him. If DP-Mao also fields candidates in Buganda in 2011, then the Buganda opposition vote will be divided between the IPC and DP-Mao candidates .It will actually be the same everywhere if Mao goes ahead to think in terms of ‘ONLY DP’ and ‘ONLY MAO’.

With that I can only conclude that by DP-Mao staying away from IPC, they are looking at themselves as bigger than anybody else and I find this arrogant and sickly. The reasons they give for not joining the IPC are as fake as the current regime in power.  Therefore, any sane Ugandan who is tired of the Museveni regime should shan them completely. Only IPC candidates should be supported in the 2011 elections by opposition supporters. I hope the donors do the same thing.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
United Kingdom

Mengo makes their Big ”Political” Statement since their fall out with NRM

10 Jun 2010 9 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, Buganda, FDC, IPC, kingdoms, parliament, Politics

People,

We should not get overexcited over the joining of politics by former Mengo ministers till when we see some changes in the Badru Kiggundu Electoral Commission (EC). NRM will still win big in Buganda and other parts of the country in 2011 as long as the EC remains as it is. Several people are going to be forced to stand on NRM ticket in Buganda basically because this is the only way they can go to parliament despite the fact that they don’t like NRM. For instance, two former Mengo ministers: Mr.Muyingo and Mr. Nsamba are standing in Bamunanika and Baale County respectively on NRM ticket yet their intention is to fight for Buganda interests in the next parliament if they get elected. There is also a lady, whose first name is Faridah, intending to stand as MP in Ntenjeru South as NRM yet she is believed not to like NRM, but she was told that she could only go through if she stands on NRM ticket.

NRM will still have the majority in the next parliament and President Museveni will remain president after the 2011 elections as long as the EC remains as it is. All those in the IPC,DP,PPP,…………..  know it, and that is why they are putting their bodies on line almost daily to get some reforms in the EC. Unfortunately, the state has unleashed the police and the army on them to ensure that the status quo does not change. I really feel for those IPC women, like FDC’s Ingrid.T, who are harassed by the police every time they try to demonstrate against the EC on streets. Eventually, they will give up because of pressure from their husbands or partners. Ingrid, for example, is a mother and wife, and I don’t think her husband is happy to see his wife being humiliated by the police daily. Nobody wants that.

A friend of mine in Uganda once told me that Nambooze won because they (NRM) let her win, but it will not be the same in 2011. Actually, I watched Ofwono Opondo on NTV-YouTube after the Mukono South elections saying almost the same thing. The fact is that if there are no changes in the EC, it’s going to be difficult for the opposition to protect their votes in 2011. That is a given. DP- Mao is also likely to de-campaign the DP candidates willing to work with the IPC, and Nambooze falls in that category. They have already started a smear campaign against them.

All I know is that, when the Kabaka asked people a few weeks ago to go and register, it raised a lot of eyebrows among the NRM camp, and I think that was the beginning of Mengo’s involvement in the 2011 electoral process. The crossing of the former Katikilos to the IPC and the formation of the Ssuubi organisation was just an icing on the cake.  I heard that there were a lot of people queuing up to register after this mobilisation by the Kabaka and this kind of scared the rigging machine and I suspected that Dr.Kiggundu would not give any more extensions after this, whatever the situation on the ground. The IPC leaders are also partly to blame for telling people that they will boycott the elections such that people became reluctant to register in time after that announcement.

The most important thing in all this is for the opposition to combine their forces together before 2011. Candidates from Mengo need to work with the IPC if they want to achieve something in 2011. IPC must think of various ways of counteracting the rigging machine because everything so far shows that NRM is again ready to rig this election. In other words, I cannot see the numbers changing in the next parliament that much if the opposition remains in this fragmented state where Mao’s DP faction is now campaigning against fellow DPs, IPC and Suubi instead of NRM and Museveni.

Lastly, there is nothing like a”no go” area for any political party in Uganda. FDC was created in 2004 but it’s so far the largest political party after NRM, with several candidates in different parts of the country. DP was formed in 1954 but it has only got candidates in Buganda region. NRM was formed in 1981 after Professor Yusuf Lule joined the then UPM headed by Museveni, and Lule became the chairman and Museveni his vice, but NRM has now got candidates in almost all parts of the country including the north.  It also replaced DP and UPC in the west among the Bahiru and Bahima.

DP will remain strong in Buganda as long as there are few Baganda in FDC because people still look at FDC as a party for westerners, yet this is not true. You could say that NRM is also looked at in the same way but because they are in power, they can attract a lot of ‘NFUNILAMU WA?” (Selfish and greedy Ugandans) into their party. Once NRM are out of power, that will be the end of them. They have committed a lot of mistakes such that if anybody is to write a big book about them in areas of elections rigging, corruption, murders, tribalism and nepotism, it can sell like a hot cake, and trust me, people will do.

So basically, some Baganda still look at DP as a Baganda party because all their leaders ever since it was formed have been Baganda till recently. The election of Mao as the DP president is likely to force some DP supporters in Buganda to vote for the IPC candidates rather than those fronted by Mao. Some of these IPC candidates who may benefit from this situation are likely to be DP (minus Mao) or FDC. So we are likely to see some FDC candidates in Buganda in the next parliament. Secondly, I don’t think DP have got strong structures in all constituencies in Buganda such that any party is capable of benefiting from this. FDC have now got structures in almost all parts of the country, but most importantly they have got money to sponsor all their candidates if we are to take Besigye’s announcements seriously.

I think Ugandans do not elect people basing on their parties but they do so because of their personalities, tribes, qualifications, and religion.  As such, Ssemujju nganda will stand in Kyandondo on FDC ticket but people will only vote for him as Ssemujju Nganda not because of his affiliation with FDC. This will be the same for every candidate who intends to stand as MP anywhere in the country. Multi party politics has not yet sank in among Ugandans but we shall eventually get there. If FDC can source out strong Baganda candidates to stand in Buganda, then they will do just fine in Buganda. There is nothing like a ”no go” area in politics. I had a dream the other time when Lango had become an NRM stronghold, and i think one day Lango will be switched to another party other than UPC.


Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

FDC Will be the party to beat in the West after Museveni’s exit

01 Jun 2010 36 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC

Dear readers,
I did not wish to comment on the recently released polls by the Daily Monitor because I never take polls done by newspapers very seriously but i was tickled by messages from some Ugandans who seem surprised that Besigye has got a lead of 35 per cent in western Uganda. In any case, I think Dr.Besigye should be with an overall  bigger % than what the Daily Monitor poll gave him, because i believe that prresident Museveni is not that popular anymore. I also believe that the Daily Monitor feared to be whacked into some form of a demand for ‘ an apology’ if they had gone ahead with a headline like: ‘New poll puts Museveni vote at 33 per cent’‘. The current government is very good at demanding apologies from media outlets if things do not go their way, as exemplified by the hosting of Dr.Otunu by some radio station in the north.

Nevertheless, I think FDC has started eating into Museveni’s support in the western region and the results in all by-elections so far have been showing this. For instance, Jack Sabiti was the second after the NRM Candidate in Rukingiri by elections, and the gap was not as big as before. Yes, most westerners are satisfied with the status quo but some are not happy with the way they are perceived by the rest of the country, and this may be one of the factors why FDC may do well in 2011. For instance, the Buganda riots last September depicted a country divided along tribal lines, and the biggest casualties were unfairly westerners. I’m saying ‘unfairly’ because some of these westerners have genuinely worked hard to be where they are at the moment.

FDC and Buganda

I also think that FDC is gonna do well in Buganda next year because of the internal friction in DP. I have heard voices of some people in Buganda saying that they will never vote for Norbert Mao even if he kisses the hot flat iron. Ironically, Mao and his supporters have continued to brush this off by simply calling it old tribalism which had embedded DP for a long time. To be fair to him, DP’s strongest base has always been Buganda as Lango is for UPC, but a good leader does not increase party support by alienating the traditional base of that party. Probably, Mr. Mao is not as intelligent as we are made to believe by some people, because he has been approaching the internal problems in DP with a lot of confrontation and overrelying on courts rather than mediation. Atleast,UPC’s Dr.Otunu tried his level best to give Obote’s son a post in his administration, as a way of keeping the Langi happy, before the later  selfishly turned it down.

The most important thing for FDC now, as regards to the Buganda vote, is to first of all, work with Mengo and all DP candidates in the region who are IPC friendly. For instance,Honourables:Nambooze and Erias Lukwago, have been working with Besigye for a while, and i see no reason why this relationship wouldn’t continue. Erias,specifically, has been sometimes acting as Besigye’s lawyer in some of the cases brought against him by the government. Nambooze was also supported by Besigye when she needed help most: in her sickness and in the recently concluded Mukono byelections.Surprisingly,DP’s Mao was awol at all times when Nambooze needed help most.

Where is the FDC traditional base?

Sometimes people say that because Besigye cannot beat Museveni in western Uganda, he therefore does not deserve to be given support elsewhere in the country, but this is what the Baganda call ‘OKOTOGERA’( sabotaging in English). President Museveni has already declared himself the ‘king’ of western Uganda.So it becomes difficult for a ”commoner” to fight the king within his territory in  such a short time.In most cases, as history shows, one normally needs help elsewhere outside the kingdom to disloge the king. Therefore, nobody expects FDC to take over western Uganda for the little time they have been in existance as a party since 2004 when FDC was founded.Admitedly, even some in FDC accept that this will not be achieved in their life time or as long as president Museveni is still in power, but they have not given up hope or  trying for future purposes.

Let us also remember that western Uganda used to be traditionally DP and UPC as confirmed by Museveni in his book: ”Sowing the Mustard Seed”. Bahima were traditionally DP supporters before NRM and Museveni changed this. The Bahima supported DP for historical reasons in Ankole. Just before independence the Protestants who were sharing power with the Bahima Protestants wanted to snatch power from the Bahima aristocratic system (Obugabe of Ankole). Therefore, the Bahima allied with the Catholics to foil the Bahiru protestant move. When DP was therefore formed in the 1950s, nearly all of them joined DP. That’s how the Muhiru prime minister, Nganwa, was toppled in 1962 and replaced with a catholic called Kabeirebo John.

On the other hand, Obote’s UPC also used to have a a lot of support in areas such as Bushenyi and among the Bahiru, but this was also changed when NRM came to power. UPM which later came to be called NRM, started with the recruitment of several Banyarwanda and Bakiiga into FRONASA in the 1980s because there were being discriminated by the Obote government- using guys like Chris Rwakasisi who was so powerful at the time.

Will FDC ever come up with a majority in western Uganda?

Yes, they will probably will when Museveni is out of power. Realistically, I cannot see this happening in the next 10 years because human nature dictates that’ if something sweet is in your mouth, you don’t throw up but continue enjoying it’. Most westerners already feel confortable with president Museveni and see no reason to ‘throw up’. But this situation will change in future and FDC will benefit, just like the north is slowly opening its gates to other parties other than the UPC.The  fact is that the future looks bright for FDC unless something happens drastically.Both Old parties and NRM will always watch their backs as long as FDC keeps getting stronger because it is behaving like a cow not locked  in a paddock. When a cow is not locked in a paddock, it feeds on everybody’s plantations in the village, and nobody likes that. This kind of cow tends to produce a lot of milk at the end of the day if the villagers dont kill it. So the question is:’ will other parties ever be able to build paddocks for FDC?’. I guess not.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

Nambooze has Won b’se of Opposition Solidarity!

25 May 2010 25 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, FDC, IPC, Uncategorized

Dear readers,

I congratulate Beti Nambooze for winning the Mukono north by elections but she would not have done so,despite her popularity, without the IPC,Mengo and other opposition groups working together.The Nkobazambogo guys have been everywhere on the ground  to protect the votes and so were the IPC Youths. Besigye, Lukyamuzi, Mayanja and Otuunu have all been in Mukono campaigning for her, and so were some Mengo officials. If CBS was still around then she would have been sold all over the country, but there has been a media blackout throughout this election. The bottom line is that any opposition candidate can have the votes on the ground but you need a lot of eyes to protect the votes, and this is what has helped Nambooze.

Colline Hotel in Mukono

Mukono north elections were a referendum on Buganda’s popularity Vs NRM. Thank God she has won. Therefore, the opposition should fight to increase its numbers in parliament whatever happens with the presidential results. That is why Otunu, Lukyamuzi, Mayanja and Mabike need to stand for parliament in 2011. Mengo also needs to work with the IPC to sort out the Buganda parliamentary candidates for 2011.If the opposition stand together , they will increase their numbers in parliament. The problem is that Mao’s decision to put a fence on his DP faction is causing a lot of problems for the opposition in general.For instance, there were two DP candidates in this race and this tends to confuse voters.

Nambooze was already a very popular candidate in Mukono and I guess that’s why the state machinery found it hard to rig this election but there is a always a next time after 6 months. She did not get the 70% she anticipated because there were a lot of forces at work.

The EC is not illegal because it was appointed according to the constitution of Uganda. What the opposition is challenging is the incompetence of the current EC to hold fair elections. As you can see, reports from the monitor newspaper indicate that the EC cannot do a good job. Anyway, tomorrow the EC will be in court to defend itself after a case which was filed against them by the IPC.

Nambooze’s win is a win for all Ugandans at heart:DPs with Uganda at heart not ‘selfish’ ones; IPC,Mengo and all pro-democracy Ugandans. Yes, Nambooze stood on a ‘team working’ DP ticket not a ‘selfish DP’ (headed by Mao). Nambooze’s victory is a victory for all those who cherish team work and togetherness. For me, I have resorted to one of my best, not favourite, song below:

A Song For World Peace & Togetherness

Thank you

Abbey

Leaders are capable of confusing people.Ask Mr.James Akena and Group

13 Apr 2010 19 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, IPC, Obote and UPC, Politics

James Akena is the son of former uganda president,Milton Obote.

Dear readers,

Leaders are capable of confusing people if, like it is believed, most people don’t have independent minds. When  a group of Honourable Akena James’s supporters go to Lango and tell  people there that the current UPC president,Dr.Olara Otuunu, is so bad to the extent that he participated in the 1985 coup that took the Langis out of power, it is a big statement that gets registered on people’s minds forever. Obote may be dead but his name is still a big influence in the Lango region because this is where he started his politics from before he eventually became the president of Uganda.So any word uttered by his son is taken at heart by the Langi.

Some people have said that the Langis have been confused since the death of Obote but i dont think this is true. The Langi are not confused but It’s the leaders they believe in now that have confused them so much. Mr.Akena and some anti-Otunnu MPs were in the area prior to the UPC delagates conference telling people all sorts of lies against Otunu. Now that Otunu is the UPC president, the population in the north does not know whether to accept him or not. This makes Lango and almost the entire northern Uganda very vulnerable in the presidential elections. Anybody can take this region at this moment in time.So i call upon the opposition to put their swords down and pay these guys a visit or send some opposition cadres in the region to undo the damage that was done by supporters of Obote’s son.

Akena while launching his UPC presidential bid in Lira

President Museveni was in the area during the 2011 elections and received a lukewarm reception from the wananchi but he did some damage too. The speech by Honourable Akena while the president was in Lira is also not good news for Otunnu and the rest of the opposition. Akena’s speech was not different from a beggar  stationed at the entrance of the new taxi park in Kampala city -asking for shs.1000. He asked the president for the benefits given to the families of former presidents, and his body language was like that of a man ready to be welcomed to serve in the Museveni government any time.

Otunnu  should watch Obote’s son like a hawk because he(Akena) is ready to bring him down using all tricks in the book. Mr.Joseph Ochieno, UPC representative in the UK, has been quite since the end of the delegates conference by watching things from the sidelines but  he is a well known supporter of James Akena . Dr.Otunnu needs to keep an eye on both Akena and Joseph Ochieno because  i don’t think they are ready to accept him as their boss. Ochieno was also against UPC joining the Inter Party Cooperation(IPC) way before he stood for UPC presidential candidacy.

If Honourable Akena wants to distance himself from the people linking Dr.Otunnu to the 1985 coup allegations, we request him to publicy come out and tell Ugandans that:

  1. he does not believe that Otunnu was part of the engineers of the 1985 coup that led to the final straw of his father’s leadership;
  2. he wishes Otunnu success despite turning down a position to serve under him, and that he will help UPC progress behind the backdoors;
  3. He will never serve as ‘anything’ in any government led by president Museveni unless if there is a coalition government agreed after a disputed election.

If Mr.Akena can do this for Ugandans then we shall leave him in peace. Short of that, he will be held responsible for what is happening in Lango, conflicst at UPC headwuarters and other parts of the northern Uganda where the opposition is losing the ground. He will be held responsible for any gains NRM may make in the north.

Ugandans should know that  leaders are also capable of creating a system that is intended to confuse people before and during the elections. They can, for instance, create ballot boxes or a voting system that is not familiar to a man in Lango or Kangulumira, and later play it to the their advantage of winning an election. For example, this happened in the 2000 USA elections, where some people argued that  the format of the ballot in Palm Beach County led to confusion and caused people who intended to vote for Al Gore to mistakenly cast votes for Pat Buchanan or punch two holes resulting in a voided ballot.

Similarly, we were remaining with a few months to enter into the 2011 campaigns but why do you think that the Electoral Commission(EC) did not do enough to make sure that the 2011 are free and fair? Who do you think  benefited from this confusion created by the leaders in power?

Let me leave you with a quote from Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II: “Why of course the people don’t want war … But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship….. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.”

So, now you understand why it is easy to get a following to fight any war in Uganda or the rest of the world. If any leader (even the most stupid or unpopular) tells people today that he is recruiting to fight the Museveni government, he will get a following. Trust me on this, because it is in human nature not to ask a lot of questions when faced with a brave person. If any leader stands up today after being chairman of a certain district, and tell people that he wants to stand against Museveni, he will get a following, despite the obvious hurdles in front of him.

It is easy for people to believe in the lies and distortions their leaders tell them. With a straight face, political figures tell the people that black is white, war is peace, lies are truths, joblessness is economic recovery, ignorance is intelligence, FDC is the same as NRM and they get a following. Haven’t you seen how some people continue to say that FDC is the same as NRM and get a following? Even when they are faced with the truth, they will continue spreading the same message because they know that they can always tap the gullible ones. Haven’t you heard president Museveni promising certain things to Ugandans from 1986 and he never implements them but still some people vote for him after 23 years in power? The fact is that Leaders are capable of twisting words and confusing anyone, and therefore i ask all Ugandans to watch out .

Thank you


Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

EC Chairman 1980, MSM Kikira Was UPC, as Badru Kiggundu(2002-2010) is NRM

22 Mar 2010 1 Comment

by semuwemba in 1980 Uganda elections, 2010-2011 elections, history, IPC, Lule and Uganda politics, Moshi conference 1979, Obote and UPC

Mr Kikira, the Chairman of the EC of the 1980s was a card-bearing member of the UPC.  He had nothing to do with UPM.  It was not accidental that the UPC-dominated Military Commission chose him to hold that post.  He was a known veteran gerrymanderer and rigger, having aided the UPC in the 1963 Ankole District Coouncil election.
Recall that on 12th August 1980 AM Obote made some proposals on how to rig the elections and he specifically recommended that the EC should be chaired by a UPC sympathiser, “our old friend Kikira”.
See for yourself AM Obote’s letter.  Look at Proposal one, (c) where Kikira is mentioned.

Documents Submitted by Lance Corporal (Rtd) Patrick Otto(UAH forumist)

The Current chairman of Uganda’s Electoral Commission,Dr.Badru Kiggundu is also a NRM card holder as reported by the Independent newspaper.He has been the Chairman of the Electoral Commission since November 18, 2002. He is in charge of the Northern Region districts. According to Conservative Party (CP) leader and former Rubaga South MP John Ken Lukyamuzi, Kiggundu contested for Member of Parliament for Rubaga South in 1996 on an NRM ticket and lost. According to other reports, Kiggundu was also an LC official while he was Dean Faculty of Technology at Makerere University.

http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/cover-story/cover-story/82-cover-story/2579-are-electoral-commissioners-cadres-of-the-nrm-party

So where does that leave the 2011 elections under the current Electoral Commission? Do we ever learn from history?

Abbey.K.S

Why is Mao getting more media coverage than even the Kabaka of Buganda

07 Mar 2010 18 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, IPC, media in Uganda

Dear readers,

I’ve become more and more upset and discouraged by the blatant, biased journalism surrounding pre 2011 elections. Some parts of the media in Uganda seems hell bent in helping president Museveni win the elections by covering him about anything and also promoting some divisive candidates among the opposition. The media has been promoting Mao ever since he was elected as DP president by one of the DP factions in Mbale. We are now left wondering whether Mao’s popularity started with this election or before, because a good candidate should have been hitting the front pages for a long time even before they are elected party president due their established popularity on the ground. This biased reporting is a fine example of how the media carefully gets it wrong.  The press has indirectly decided to declare president Museveni the winner of the 2011 race before the first vote is cast by creating the opposition candidate of their own and this is very unfair to Ugandans.

President Museveni can fool others with this Mao excitement from Mbale but not some of us. I have even got a feeling that the order to promote Mao in the media came from the above, because what he is getting in the media, is just too much out of nothing. How can the media start giving coverage to a person whose election as the president of a party is still in dispute? Note even the second biggest opponent to Museveni right now, which is Buganda and its Kabaka, can be accorded this kind of media coverage. Let us remember that some resolutions were passed last year by the Broad casting bosses in regards to the coverage of the Kabaka and Buganda affairs. Some journalists sympathetic to the Buganda causes lost their jobs and they aren’t working up to now.

The major debate going on in the media, in political parties and with their friends and allies is necessary. But it is also necessary to move beyond debate and create the clarity, that is, the basis for eliminating some candidates that look too divisive to the opposition. Something does not smell right with the Mao situation but hopefully everything will come out in the open in due course. You can’t hide a bad smell forever in the closet. It always comes out at some stage. Mao may be personally innocent in this but president Museveni knows that by promoting him(Mao), he will confuse the voters in the opposition in terms of choice. They will not be sure whether to elect Mao or Besigye or anybody else, and the strategy seems to be working against the opposition at the moment. How they deal with it will define the 2011 electoral process.

Nevertheless, alliance or no alliance, we all know who NRM is most afraid of in the opposition, and that is Dr.Besigye. NRM and Museveni will do anything to make sure that he is not on the ballot paper in 2011, like they miserably tried and failed in 2006.They have still got the treason charges standing against him and I’m sure this will be raised at some point before the General elections, particularly if the Mao project does not work out for them. Besigye has been blocked from addressing people on various FM stations in the country, but Mao has not encountered the same experience so far, which raises more questions than answers.

I think broadcasters should devote reasonable time to fairly presenting all sides of any controversial issue discussed on the air. Uganda should emulate the Americans in this sense. For instance, between 1928 and 1929, when the republicans were in power, one radio station in NewYork owned by the socialist party was warned to show ‘due regard’ for others opinions and all stations were told to serve the ‘general public’ not themselves. Some Americans are also campaigning for the reinstatement of the ‘fairness Doctrine’ to prevent their nation from being swamped by exactly one point of view, that of corporations and the filthy rich, like it has been for the last 20 years, with everybody else rudely elbowed aside.

I also think it’s time that it’s high time the NRM starts minding its own business and leave the opposition alone. It’s time NRM starts looking after its own saucepan (KASEPEKI) and leave the opposition to organise themselves, as Bebe cool says in his latest song(KASEPEKI)  on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KwfrDSeSW8 . We have had enough of politics of Sponsoring fake political parties and presidential candidates. Let the ground be levelled.

Byebyo ebyange

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

LESS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USA AND UGANDA ELECTIONS

06 Mar 2010 10 Comments

by semuwemba in 2010-2011 elections, international, IPC, Politics

Friends,

It is sometimes frustrating when some people start negatively comparing the US elections to African elections. There isn’t a very big difference between these two countries. It is just that the Americans do things in a more sophisticated way that cannot be seen by a lay man. 

Voters in both countries are not motivated to vote. In Uganda out of a population of 30 millions, not more than 9 million people voted in the 2006 presidential elections. Most of those who voted for Museveni were already placed in terms of structures operated under the NRM system. There are less people in both countries indentifying themselves with political parties and politicians. A half of the United States does not feel motivated to vote. Before the animosity of the 2004 election prompted more Americans back to vote, there had been a steady trend of declining voter participation. The 2000 election highlighted a pervasive and widespread apathy and antipathy towards politics. Voter turnout in presidential elections sank to around 50% during the 1990s, and was even lower during mid-term elections.

Registration is not a big thing in both countries. In Uganda it is the government which does not encourage people to register their votes while in the USA, it is the people who aren’t bothered despite government exposure. At the moment, the Kiggundu Electoral Commision is not putting a lot of energy in voter registration as reported by the Sunday monitor on 7th/03/2010. Similalry,Americans are highly mobile people, who move states frequently, requiring them to re-register as voters.  The unprecedented closeness of the 2000 presidential election between Bush and Gore proved that every vote counts and encouraged the higher participation in 2004. However, the problem runs far deeper than this and will not be easily resolved.

In Uganda and USA, government failures and scandals won’t undermine faith in politicians as is the case in USA. Americans still voted for Bill Clinton despite the raise of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. On the other hand, Museveni has been involved in a lot of scandals of that magnitude and Ugandans would know them but it did not stop them giving him their votes. Museveni tried to trump up charges gainst Besigye before the 2006 elections but it instead made the colonel more popular among the voters.I sometimes wonder how a man who legitimately married an ex-girlfriend of President Museveni would be treated as a villain for this particular action by both the government and some opposition supporters.

USA just like Uganda has got people whose intentions are to undermine democracy and create confusion where it is unnecessary. In Uganda we have got people who intentionally use state money when campaigning especially the incumbent. Up to now, NRMO has not declared to the Electoral Commission its source of funds. There are also groups such Kalangala Action Plan whose goals and objectives undermine democracy in the country. On the other hand, there are associations in the USA which are also there to frustrate things. For example, the National Rifle Association has successfully prevented any reform of the gun control laws, despite the fact that the majority of the population wants them to be more stringent. The issue of campaign and lobbying rumbles on. The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) aimed to curb “soft money”, but candidates soon found loopholes and ways to circumvent the controls. More stringent lobbying reforms were passed by Congress in August 2007 and have tightened up this area of campaign finance significantly.

USA just like Uganda, the guy with a lot of money tends to win the elections. The 2004 election between Bush and Kerry did nothing to dispel the appearance that only individuals and groups able to raise huge sums of money stand a chance of victory. Reforms to campaign finance were nimbly side-stepped by the Democrats and Republicans alike. According to Global Insight, after accepting their parties’ nominations, Bush and Kerry were restricted to US$74.6 million each in government funding, but during the preceding primaries there were no such limits. Both decided to opt out of the programme that would see federal funds match those raised privately, which would have imposed a total cap on spending. In the end it is estimated that Bush managed to raise some US$367 million in total, ahead of John Kerry’s US$326 million (according to www.opensecrets.org). The total for all candidates was a staggering US$881 million, well ahead of the US$529 million raise in 2000 and the US$425.7 million in 1996.That’s why the opposition in Uganda need to match Museveni’s state funding by starting to look for funds in advance before 2011.Politicians who are middle class with no big network behind them are not ideal presidential candidates in the present Uganda. Politicians whose faces have not been exposed to the voters in advance will increase the advertising costs yet the opposition has got no money.

The only big difference I see between Uganda and US elections is mainly the respect and value of manifestos. In Uganda politicians are voted for anything less than their policies. Besigye had a better manifesto in 2001 and actually the government had to implement some of its ingredients after the election, like abolishing graduated tax. However, Ugandans in the rural areas went for a guy who was threatening them with a gun if they don’t vote for him. In the USA, parties who have got better approaches of tackling the country’s most important problems—the budget deficit, income inequality, racial tension, crime and the health and welfare systems, tend to be voted by majority. The USA has also got a better electoral commission and judicial system which can deliver what is expected in case of any disagreement between the opposition and the government.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

United Kingdom

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Semuwemba is a Ugandan residing in the UK

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"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. "~ Martin Luther King Jr. ~

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