Why can’t we celebrate Museveni’s great record?
By Adam Kazoora
21st Nov 2011: Let’s us, just for a moment, forget our political affiliations and look and President Museveni’s record objectively. I for one have been a life-long admirer of President Museveni and staunch supporter of the NRM. That has not however blinded me to the extent that I don’t see any weaknesses in Museveni’s leadership.
I acknowledge, for example, that he failed to keep his 2001 manifesto promise not to run again for office in 2006. I accept that with 26 years of uninterrupted stay in power, he could have done much better in the fight against poverty, he could done much better to improve our roads and hospitals, and he could have done better to entrench a culture on institutionalism in our country.
I also fully agree with all those who question President Museveni’ will to clamp down hard on corruption in the top echelons of his government. Finally, I also accept that our security forces have on a few occasions violated fundamental human rights and used brutal force to deal with political dissent. Indeed, I could list a few more things that I think he could have done better but hasn’t.
That said, it is also true, or at least fair to say that Ugandans by and large, are a very ungrateful and forgetful bunch of people. They have forgotten how bad things were during Idi Amin’s brutal rule that Museveni helped to overthrow. They have forgotten how bad things were during the Obote and Okello juntas that Museveni helped to overthrow.
During Obote’s regime for example, there were roadblocks everywhere. I was personally robbed of my watch at one of these roadblocks. Panda Gari was rampant in our towns. Innocent people were being killed by the brutal northern UNLA soldiers and dumped in swamps almost every night. The economy had collapsed to the extent that we needed a Ministry of Supplies to provide essential commodities for our people.
Today, under Museveni’s wise leadership, our people are free. Political parties are free to operate, and free and fair multi-party elections are held every five years. Ugandans now have a right to protest peacefully, except for those who want to cause trouble and reverse the gains of our revolution. There is total media freedom in Uganda today, with several radios and newspapers offering a platform to people to criticise the government.
On the economic side of things, Ugandans have become more prosperous under Museveni’s great leadership. Nearly all of us own our own houses today. Nearly all of us drive our own cars today. Only the lazy ones who spend their time buried in political gossip are still in poverty. Nearly all of us, in nearly every town in Uganda have mobile phones, access to the internet, and watch television today. There is free education for every child in Uganda today.
So I really don’t understand why some people want Museveni to leave power. Why can’t we celebrate Museveni’s great record a bit more and criticise him less? As far as I am concerned, “better the devil you know”. Long Live Yoweri Kaguta Museveni! END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
