Ssuubi is Kabaka’s invisible hand in 2011 election
By Abbey K. Semuwemba
1st Nov 2010
I would like to react to Afande Chama’s article titled “Forget Besigye, we had only feared Kabaka standing” that appeared in the Sunday Monitor of 31st Oct. First of all, there is no way the Kabaka can abdicate his throne to stand for the presidency.
He can use other groups to champion what he wants. Indeed, I believe Ssuubi 2011 is undoubtedly Kabaka’s invisible hand in the 2011 elections. That said, I think there is a lot in Afande Chama’s article than meets the eye.
Since the beginning of this year, the Katikiro and Mengo officials have been very careful about what they say about the central government. The Katikiro even attempted to distance Mengo from any political party or pressure group and yet we all know that Ssuubi is fighting for what Mengo wants.
The feeling is that something must have been agreed between Mengo and central government despite the mistrust between the two. For instance, Mr. Otafiire and Katikiro J.B. Walusimbi kicked off an SMS fundraising drive for the Kasubi tombs and it’s likely that the government will contribute to the reconstruction of the tombs more than any other group.
Will CBS ever be the same again?
That CBS has been opened before the elections is perfect timing for Museveni’s electoral team. There is no doubt that CBS’s popularity exceeds that of 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 as it did before its closure. The management is going to be cautious about any anti government views. So a guy like me may not stand a chance of ever getting employed by CBS. Seen that way, it looks like Museveni has won his battle against both Buganda and the media.
Reasons for Mengo/government re-engagement
Like many of us, Mengo has been disappointed by divisions within the opposition. There was an assumption by Ugandans that the opposition would unite against the incumbent. But as I write now, the IPC is probably attacked more in the campaigns than Museveni and his NRM.
The leading attackers are opposition presidential candidates like Bidandi Ssali, Nobert Mao, and Beti Kamya. For some reason, it appears UPC’s Olara Otunnu and the IPC have some sort of agreement not to attack each other in public and it is working.
It was also thought that former Katikiro Ssemogerere would help unite political forces in Buganda because of the respect he commands in the region. So far, all signs show that he is failing. Mao’s DP has for some reason been playing hide and seek with both the IPC and the Katikiro.
At one point, we saw Mao emerging from talks with Besigye and Mulwanyamuli but little did we know that Mao merely wanted a photo opportunity. For me, that was enough reason to detest Mao in this and any future election because he puts his selfish personal ambitions ahead of everything else.
Because of all the above developments, there was no way Mengo was going to put all its eggs in one basket. Mengo also realized after the NRM primaries that even if by some miracle Besigye’s IPC overwhelms the NRM’s rigging machinery and wins this election, the current Electoral Commission would never announce his victory. For those reasons, Buganda will never trust NRM and Museveni again.
Why is Besigye involved in this election?
Dr. Besigye is an intelligent man. I think he knows that the elections are going to be rigged again. But he is also hoping that Ugandans will finally decide to defend their votes with or without a partisan Electoral Commission.
There is also a feeling that boycotting elections in Africa doesn’t make any difference to the party in power. In fact, it ends up weakening the opposition. FDC’s involvement in this election also helps it keep in touch with its supporters at the grassroots. With participation, FDC may also win new parliamentary seats and both would be good achievements for the party and Ugandan democracy.
It’s however unfortunate that people keep attacking Besigye as a loser when they know that the elections were rigged and there was therefore no way of determining whether he genuinely lost the past elections or not.
Whatever the case, Dr. Kizza Besigye will remain a legendary and highly appreciated figure in our politics. He could not have done it any better in the circumstances and some of us salute him for this. END. Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
Mr. Abbey Semuwemba is a Ugandan living in the United Kingdom
