Vincent Nuwagaba
I have been impelled to write in defence of Professor G.W Kanyeihamba’s view that President Museveni is exhausted and that he should give way for others. David Mafabi in his hard notes column in the Sunday Monitor of 7th June 2009 and the New Vision of Wednesday 10th June 2009 castigates Professor Kanyeihamba over his views. Mr. David Mafabi is infuriated by Justice Kanyeihamba’s views and rightly so. I say rightly so because David Mafabi knows pretty well where his bread is buttered. Surprisingly, Comrade Mafabi acknowledges that each person grows older each day that passes. Does he discount the fact that age and exhaustion are concomitant? President Museveni started fighting in the early 1970s to date. Does he remain the same? Luckily, the president acknowledges that the seat he is occupying is a hot one and that explains why recently he said he doesn’t see anybody in the NRM capable of handling the katala (hard task) of leading this country.
David Mafabi accentuates the importance of Museveni’s vision and feels that his age is neither here nor there. I would entirely agree with him on this issue if the President had not been in power for twenty four years now. His vision of transforming Uganda from a peasantry society to an industrial society has not been realised in the past twenty four years, will it be realised in the additional five or ten years? I was told by a friend who is in the “thick of things” and was working with the NRM secretariat about a consultative meeting the president had with former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela on whether Museveni should run for another term in office during the heat of constitutional change. Mandela reportedly told Museveni, “Yoweri, what you have not done in twenty years, you cannot do in five years”.
Emphasizing the importance of vision rather than age, Mr Mafabi asks the following questions to which we feel impelled to answer. Are the ideas accurate; do they reflect the needs, the demands of the times? In other words is the “vision” a living “vision”? First, a vision that is not shared is not a vision worth its salt. Second, Mr. Museveni has been given ample time to translate his vision into genuine national development long enough and to some of us the result is stark disappointment. A vision that doesn’t translate into jobs; doesn’t fight corruption; doesn’t equip our hospitals with drugs; doesn’t improve the quality of education; doesn’t work on our roads, etc is no vision worth touting.
In the neighbouring Rwanda, political corruption has been contained, education from primary level to university is free; non-tarmac roads all have murram; all citizens have health insurance cards and have unlimited access to drugs; virtually all people have shoes; it is now a policy for primary school children to own a laptop; meritocracy reigns when it comes to hiring bureaucrats and the list is endless. Contrary to lies propagated by some people here that Kagame is not a democrat, virtually all the socio-economic rights are observed. I am sure if the people’s welfare was improved very few would even make noise about political rights and civil liberties. People make noise because they are discontented with their socio-economic state of affairs. Surely, given Mr. Kagame and Mr Museveni, many Ugandans would choose the former for all they want is services and not this hollow talk of civil liberties and political rights.
Mr Mafabi argues that many young people have been inspired by Museveni’s vision, why then doesn’t the President give those young people an opportunity to practice what they have learnt from him? Why can’t the president rest and become a chief advisor to those that have been inspired by his vision? Mr. Mafabi says that the debate about Museveni leaving power is sterile and futile as he assures us that come 2011 Museveni must run again. What surprises me is that the NRM has not elected a flag bearer, is Mafabi sure that the NRM will vote Museveni as a flag bearer? I think it is now clear that Museveni either wins or his opponents lose in which case the result is the same. Professor G.W Kanyeihamba is a seasoned judge, academic and human rights activist whose wise counsel we can shun at our peril. I am sure he means well for Uganda and Museveni as a person. He is a patriot whom we should not cast aspersions at. The Banyankole say “nohinga ahoroobi ayinuka” meaning even the one tilling a soft ground retires. Accordingly, the president should do the most patriotic thing and retire. Mr. President those who flatter and sing praises for you are bent on tarnishing your otherwise good name and your legacy. It is never too late to do the right thing.
Vincent Nuwagaba is a Human Rights Defender
vnuwagaba@gmail.com
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