Vincent Nuwagaba
The Ugandan government is very humorous. Humorous indeed! I am amazed that the A4C members have been charged with treason. It is baffling that the government has deliberately refused or inadvertently failed to deliver social services – what Robert Rotberg calls political goods and has instead chosen to associate dissenters with treason and terrorism. Why on earth do Ugandans part with huge sums of taxes if the government cannot deliver? On Monday 17th October, we met the Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Commissioner Andrew Kawesi demanding the release of Makerere University student Allan Mutagubya who was arrested and detained together with A4C members. Kawesi spoke to us in a patronising and condescending manner; he blackmailed some of us. I told him that his duty was to serve the state and he shouldn’t involve himself in politics. We know the president has told us the IGP is a ruling party cadre which is lamentable but that is no justification for other police officers to follow suit. I think ruling party cadres should get jobs at the NRM secretariat.
Sadly, in today’s Uganda, criticism is construed to mean sabotage and opposition is construed to mean treason and terrorism. Such a practice is unsustainable. Personally, I have often told the Police to use the guns to defend Ugandans including peaceful protesters. I have often told the police that the activists are not their enemies but their allies. Not so long ago, the opposition MPs suggested salary increment for the police, the prison warders, teachers and the military. Sadly, the NRM MPs flatly rejected the proposal by the opposition. So, who is an enemy?
While addressing the press, I saw the IGP referring to the Police as “my police”. This is detestable, deplorable and abhorrent. You can see how state institutions have been personalised. I also heard on Radio that the Uganda Human Rights Commission Chairman Mr Med Kaggwa condemned the Walk to walk campaign and described it as illegal. Mr Med Kaggwa must know that he is no longer a ruling party politician but a head of an institution that has quasi judicial powers. It is prejudicial that he has already convicted people who legally are innocent until proved guilty. Is he going to be relied upon to protect the opposition members’ rights objectively? That some other human rights defenders condemned the walk-to-work campaign arguing that it would disrupt exams baffled me. If I may ask, who of the activists intended to walk to examination halls? And by the way, why can’t we the human rights activists urge the police to refrain from interfering with the protesters? As long as one doesn’t interfere with other people’s rights, they have the rights to protest and/or demonstrate peacefully alone or with others. While it is fair that we, human rights defenders be concerned with students’ right to do exams without any interference, it is the right of all other people to express their disillusionment with the status quo. I don’t think others should have their rights curtailed because of some other interest groups.
The guns in the hands of the police and the military are not meant to brutalise dissenters but to protect them. Logically, the government should know that it is imprudent to keep guns in the hands of people who are malnourished, poorly remunerated, poorly accommodated. Ugandan police and military are hungry, angry and impoverished and they cannot be relied upon not to abuse and misuse the arms in their hands. Dissent cannot be arrested by charging dissenters with treason. The solution is to arrest the socio-economic doldrums Ugandans are mired into. Many Ugandans are tired for some cannot have their children attain university education; university graduates hardly get jobs and many have been pushed into hopelessness, normlessness and frustration. Any attempt to frame their mouthpieces as treasonous will further push them against the wall and the results will be disastrous.
Mr Nuwagaba is a human rights defender
mpvessynuwagaba@gmail.com
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