Ugandans must be ready to shed blood for Uganda
By M. Suleman
7th February 2011
After 24 years as President, Museveni is not only physically exhausted but has also exhausted the tricks to help him stay in office. His latest haphazard and unorthodox actions can be traced to his panic and fear of the loss he is faced with on 18th Feb 2011. His actions have not only shocked the country but left it in a real crisis.
Having manipulated Buganda from the time he went in the bush, Museveni has now realized that between 2009 and 2011, Buganda finally appreciated his true colours and was even ready to confront him physically [despite his military might] as the September 2009 riots indeed showed.
So in a desperate bid to intimidate Buganda, Museveni’s government decided to steam-roll the Traditional Leaders Bill through Parliament.
Even though there had been a number of open and quiet confrontations between Buganda and Museveni’s government, I am convinced that the recent passing of this Law was the last straw as that broke the back of the relationship between Buganda and Museveni’s government.
Museveni’s unflinching determination to gag and undermine His Royal Highness the Kabaka of Buganda is also [ironically for Museveni] the last thing that Buganda can accept! There is no doubt in my mind that Museveni’s government has now drawn the battle-line. From now on, the two sides are on a collision course that can only end in tears for either Museveni or Buganda.
There is also no doubt in my mind that Buganda is ready to use the February elections to express her outrage against the Museveni regime that wants it dead. It is also clear to me that should Museveni try to use his old tricks to force himself upon the people of Uganda, then it will only be a matter of time before resistance against his regime is intensified across the country and in all forms.
Again, gripped by fear, Museveni retained the Electoral Commission with the hope that the IPC would boycott the elections. In his miscalculation, he thought that by so doing, he would only be left with the so-called ‘friendly opposition parties’ that would guarantee him obscene elections results like those we saw in Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Unfortunately for him, the IPC decided not to boycott. On the contrary, it has consolidated its support base across the country and given the people of Uganda the much needed hope of change. Thanks to the IPC’s campaign, Ugandans have now become emboldened to overwhelm and if necessary challenge the NRM’s election rigging. The overwhelming desire for change that the people of Uganda have shown has forced Museveni to resort to shameful method of buying votes in the safe knowledge that there is abject poverty in the country.
We all saw and will never forget how Museveni’s government unashamedly looted more than 600billion out of our national coffers. That was my money and your money that was being used for the NRM’s desperate acts of bribery. Apart from the official cumulative total of 30million shillings that has been given to MPs so far, Museveni himself is splashing out cash and districts wherever he goes.
All these moves tell us ordinary Ugandans that Museveni is now a very desperate man. This has left the country facing an imminent crisis because should he try to force his way back into power, I am certain the people of Uganda, young and old, male and female, will stand up and say NO; we can’t take this bull**** anymore.
That aside, there is also an economic side to this senseless action. It is difficult to understand the economic rationale of pumping a lot of money into the economy abruptly. It is also puzzling as to which budgetary vote this large sum of money was picked from and what happens thereafter. Museveni got away with the shs5m bribe to each MP in 2005. Should we really allow him to get away with a Shs30million bribe only five years down the line? Most definitely not!
Lastly, the recruitment and training of vigilantes without consulting the opposition parties does not augur well for the future of Uganda. The country is already inundated with security outfits. Adding more has now made Uganda a fully blown police State. Since the people of Uganda are yearning for change, and Museveni is determined to hang on like a mafia godfather, with a heavy heart, I say brace yourselves for bloodbath.
Ugandans must be ready to shed blood for the future of their children after February 18th 2011. END. Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
