Prime
Besigye, Bobi focus are diversionary
Author: Joseph Ochieno.
What you need to know:
- Like MP Cecilia Ogwal told a conference in which I was in the 1990s that some people behave like dwarfy co-wives who clap when domestic abuse whips are ‘doing wonders’ next door forgetting they would be next. The point is this; while UPC singularly suffered brutality, rape and abuse by NRA and whereas we kept shouting; alerting Ugandans that extreme dictatorship was being fed and perfected, many kept quiet.
Here we go again. That who, or which group is the strongest and best placed to get rid of the NRA dictatorship; Besigye’s new collective, or Kyagulanyi’s musical wave. I suggest none but rather, a general resolve and determination of a critical mass of Ugandans will.
The idea of singly ‘who’ or ‘which group’ is as silly as those who thought that getting rid of UPC and Milton Obote would solve their problems and a new Uganda would emerge. Well, to some it did. Those limited few especially.
They duped DP, some clerics and a certain section of none-suspecting poor citizens and formed an alliance against UPC. By accident, it worked; briefly. When they captured power, they banned UPC, brutalised its leaders, demonised its shines and thought it was done. Sadly for them, UPC is an idea; not an individual or grouping. It did not and nor can it die. Instead, it is the future.
Like MP Cecilia Ogwal told a conference in which I was in the 1990s that some people behave like dwarfy co-wives who clap when domestic abuse whips are ‘doing wonders’ next door forgetting they would be next. The point is this; while UPC singularly suffered brutality, rape and abuse by NRA and whereas we kept shouting; alerting Ugandans that extreme dictatorship was being fed and perfected, many kept quiet.
That is until Paul Ssemogerere and DP somehow woke up and officially broke ranks with the dictatorship in 1996. That was 11 lonely years of UPC leading Opposition to NRA dictatorship and continuing to demand, in public and in court, for the restoration of multiparty politics and the repeal of the then obnoxious Article 269 of the 1995 NRA Constitution.
Then Dr Kizza Besigye somehow broke ranks in 1999. Despite being part of the system that officially banned political parties and tortured UPC members across the country, we welcomed him and his followers into official Opposition. He ran for president in 2001 with Article 269 intact and him not committed on its repeal.
In November 2004, UPC (now supported by DP) won the case against NRA and with it the repeal of Article 269. That victory saw my return/end of exile and UPC’s preparations to reluctantly re-register pending the official return of Obote from exile. Sadly, he died soon after.
Then after, with the formation of FDC, some people quickly forgot that had it not been for UPC’s struggles, FDC would never have been registered. Besigye ran popular and ‘nearly won’ several elections in some cases, applying NRA’s ‘UPC boggy punches’ to claim support and parliamentary seats, especially and ironically in the north and east (areas most affected by the vicious stumping following the arrival of NRA/NRM) – UPC’s traditional strongholds outside Bushenyi, Kigezi, Bunyoro and Tooro.
Gen David Tinyefuza broke off links with NRA and instead of joining Besigye, DP (he is welcome in UPC by the way), he formed his own thing. Then I remembered, okay why did Besigye not join at least DP if UPC was too much for him and his wife Winnie?
Then my brother Gen Mugisha Muntu broke off links, briefly joined Besigye and swiftly formed his own thing. Now enters Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, with NUP that struck Buganda and the new topic is; who between Besigye and Kyagulanyi is the best ‘dancer’ or is it ‘mobiliser’.
Guys, it is ideas, not personalities that will set this country free.
Come on, especially young Ugandans, constructive and long-term change will only be realised with all citizens engaging, including those currently selfishly serving this regime and likewise, the future will be determined by sets of values and visionary ideals that only the likes of UPC can master; not personalities, cliques or self-interests. You decide.
The writer is a pan-Africanist and former columnist with New African Magazine [email protected]
