Author: Musaazi Namiti. PHOTO/COURTESY
Internal Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire has been a prominent beneficiary of the NRM’s long stay in power. He is one of the people with whom President Museveni launched a five-year armed rebellion to overthrow Milton Obote’s government in 1981, and I think he is very pleased with his ‘return on investment’.
Maj Gen Otafiire was a Cabinet minister in 1988, two years after Mr Museveni seized power, and he is still a Cabinet minister. There was a time he was dropped from Cabinet, but he did not stay out for too long.
In a country where thousands of people struggle to find work and some nearing retirement change their age to continue working to earn an income, Gen Otafiire’s seemingly permanent ministerial job is heaven on earth. I guess newcomers to the Cabinet sometimes envy him.
These days Gen Otafiire is grabbing the headlines for urging the youth to rise up against rampant corruption. People are sharing his comments avidly on social media. “We fought not to enrich ourselves,” he said, “but to correct the wrongs in our country. Many died in the war, [but] not for the glorification of the corrupt.”
He made the comments as young Ugandans continue to hold virtual meetings on X Spaces to discuss a planned march on Parliament, which some MPs have called a crime scene given the numerous stories of corruption that have been reported there. The Speaker of Parliament — Anita Among, along with former Cabinet ministers Maria Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu — is already sanctioned by the governments of the UK and the US.
In speaking out, Gen Otafiire is echoing (albeit indirectly) what individuals who have previously worked with Mr Museveni and got disillusioned with the way he and his NRM are running Uganda have said. Some have written books, and the books’ titles tell the whole story. Some good examples: The Struggle for Freedom & Democracy Betrayed (Miria Matembe); The Betrayal (Sam Kelega Njuba); Betrayed by My Leader (John Kazoora).
Gen Otafiire needs cheerleaders and supporters from his Bush War comrades if he is to create real impact. If folks in the army give him thumbs-ups and add their voice to his, they would encourage Ugandans to rise up against corruption. The question is whether the army views the corruption situation in Uganda the same way as Gen Otafiire and other Ugandans.
If security forces are not bothered and are happy with the status quo, then Gen Otafiire and others can say all they want and little or nothing will change for the better. For decades, we have witnessed how words have failed to correct the NRM’s rotten and tired leadership. All politicians who have been outspokenly critical of Mr Museveni and the NRM — think Bobi Wine, Miria Matembe, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Stella Nyanzi, Betty Nambooze — just talk and talk, and that is it.
Mr Museveni knows talk is not effective. He knows Bidandi Ssali made noise, retired and gave up, as did James Rwanyarare. He knows Cecilia Ogwal, Aggrey Awori criticised him right, left and centre, as Ugandans say, but they gave up and are now in their graves.
The youth have commended Gen Otafiire, but until he does the honourable thing and resigns from a government he knows is corrupt and is paying lip service to combating corruption, it is hard to take him seriously.
It is not enough for a senior Cabinet minister to tell the youth to rise up against corruption when the same minister is busy benefiting from and serving the corrupt government. It sends conflicting signals.
Mr Musaazi Namiti is a journalist and former
Al Jazeera digital editor in charge of the Africa desk
[email protected] @kazbuk
