Prime
Celebrating 40th year of NRA/NRM lies
Author: Joseph Ochieno.
What you need to know:
- Unlike NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, who swept the polls in Buganda last month or my duped-elder Paul Ssemogerere in December 1980, Mr Museveni on the other hand had been rejected in Ankole and humiliated across the country.
This weekend marks 40 years to the day (February 6, 1981) when Mr Museveni – whom we now know is in fact Tibuhaburwa – with his military outfit NRA, launched an attack on Kabamba Army Barracks. Their first victim was allegedly, a Tanzanian hero, part of the TPDF liberation forces that had together with Uganda National Liberation Forces ended Idi Amin’s Libyan-backed regime 18 months earlier (April 11, 1979).
Unlike NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, who swept the polls in Buganda last month or my duped-elder Paul Ssemogerere in December 1980, Mr Museveni on the other hand had been rejected in Ankole and humiliated across the country.
Regardless, thanks to the sleeping attitude of some citizens when it comes to real issues, the guy got sanctuary in Luweero, enough to accommodate even Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
While Ugandans wait to hear from NRA/NRM historians on which constituency Kagame had stood in and was ‘rigged’, I suggest they consider this too; between Tibuhaburwa (democratically rejected by the people of Mbarara North and around the country in 1980), Ssemogerere (won most seats in Buganda in 1980) and Kyagulanyi (won most seats in Buganda last month), who had/has more grounds on which to seek redress, any redress?
While I am not suggesting that Ssemogerere had sufficient grounds to challenge the national elections (he lost outside Buganda and nationally), he at least had some support – with evidence – in 54 (of 126) parliamentary seats. Meanwhile, Kyagulanyi is contesting in court and at least, he obtained 61 (of 527) parliamentary seats and 35 per cent national votes in direct presidential elections.
Yet it is Museveni, I mean Mr Tibuhaburwa, who had lost to DP’s Sam Kutesa turned-family-kiss-relative and national-control-buddy, obtained only one seat thanks to DP votes for Crispus Kiyonga near Kasese, who decided to go to the bush. Chest thumping this weekend as they have done in the last 35 years, he will tell young Ugandans that he ‘fought’ for them in order to bring democracy.
That’s both a lie and a nonsense. Museveni had no grounds to go to the bush in Luweero and he knows it and so do his supporters. Nor has he ‘brought’ democracy to Uganda. Just think about it, 54 Ugandans died during the ‘blockage’ processes last year alone. No comparison in the history of this country.
And consider this, you saw Western diplomats visit Robert Kyagulanyi at his restricted home the other day. Imagine that in 1980. It never happened. Okay, just because most of those reading this piece are young and were not yet of age that time, ask the British, American or EU Resident Representative or even better, their BBC or William Pike – the man – none will dispute this.
All of them were Museveni’s strategic friends then and most are possibly still are, except ‘strategically shy’. He was their ‘new breed of African leader,’ an imposition; cleansed, fed, flattered, shielded and cheered to rip off Uganda as Nyampala and, in that role he has done an excellent job.
As for little Ugandans under 40, my prayer is that some academic ‘accident’ occurs so that non-cadre political/military history professors are born in this country. Then you will know that the last national liberation of this country was in April 1979 while the last democratic elections were in December 1980. Anything since then have been nothing but quests and conquests.
Yet if you think you are young and busy enjoying Operation Wealth Creation goats, wait until Chinese kids take charge of your road tolls meanwhile, your kids will have no clue how to manufacture a mere mobile phone charger for mobile money and NRA grand kids will be happy counting OTT taxes for their pockets. You decide.
The writer is former UPC spokesperson
[email protected]
