By M Suleman

12^th March 2012: There is no doubt that throughout his 26-year reign, Museveni has been the darling of both the international community and the international media. For all these years, the international media has portrayed him as pragmatic leader.

But if one is to go by the recent interview that Museveni had with Stephen Sucker of BBC Hardtalk, then there has been a dramatic change towards Museveni. This seems to be the hardest interview Museveni has ever had. It was short but it was prepared in such a way that Museveni was given no room to give his traditional confusing lectures.

The first question was based on Museveni’s first public pronouncements of 1986 which, because of the sincerity he seemed to have had at the time, won him many supporters both internally and internationally.  Museveni had very harsh words for leaders who overstay in power.

Today, Museveni is one of the longest leaders in Africa – longer than even Obote whom he waged war against.  So Museveni had either to accept that he is now part of Africa’s problem, or concoct a lie. He opted for the latter.  He unashamedly lied not only to himself, but to the whole world when he said he meant leaders who overstay in power without being elected.

The second question was not easy either.  Corruption has become endemic – and it has a long history.  From the valley dams, DRC looting, ghost soldiers, arms/military procurements (helicopters/army uniforms) global Fund, Temangalo, Haba, Bassajjabalaba, to the recent oil concessions.

The gist of the question was:  Is he not abating corruption – given that corruption seems to revolve around State House, the cabinet, and his family and friends.  His brother Salim Saleh for example, was forced to return kickbacks that he received in the junk helicopter deal.  The Global Fund embezzlement on the other hand implicated his family members.

Ministers who are found guilty of corrupt are merely sacked and later rehabilitated.  State House is not only operating like an Estates Agent’s office that specialises in selling government property, it is also doubling as a clearing house for the all government procurement deals!

The government is not only full of a certain tribe or ethnic groups, it is also has Museveni’s wife serving a cabinet Minister.  All this points to the fact that all institutions have collapsed and he is the only institution!  In Museveni’s eyes, the fact that many corruption scandals are being unearthed shows that state institutions are functioning well.  The truth however is that institutions simply can’t conceal the thousands of corruption scandal spilling over.

The other question was on Museveni’s militarism.  It is well known that in addition to the 16 year northern war, the NRA/Ugandan soldiers have been in Rwanda, DRC, Sudan, Central African Republic, Kenya, and now in Somalia. Since 1986, the country has been on a permanent war footing.  How then does Uganda fund Museveni’s adventures and meet her subsistence development demands at the same time.

In his reply, Museveni said like the frontline states during apartheid, it is his obligation to liberate other African states! The salient question in all this is this:  Isn’t Museveni’s overstay in power, his government’s corruption, and his militarism which has brought Uganda to the social and economic meltdown it is experiencing today?

In short, it was indeed Hardtalk.  The interview portrayed Museveni as a man whose word cannot be trusted.  And, since the president of a country is the custodian of its national values and pride, Museveni totally demeaned Uganda.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.