The behavior of so-called Uganda leaders and potential leaders is unprecedented, to say the least. We have become overly obsessed with being MPs, ministers, ambassadors, councilors, mayors and bishops that we have virtually forgotten everything else. To get and retain these positions we have surrendered ourselves to one man – the appointing authority who is Museveni. Some have even described Museveni as godsend because they were given or promised gifts including cows and others cannot question what he says lest they annoy him and lose their comfortable jobs or miss a promotion.
Those who had principles and expressed opinions different from those of the appointing authority were silenced by offers of jobs with high-sounding titles and nothing else. After a while they would be blasted for incompetence and humiliated with dismissal or marginalization. Many others have succumbed to brown envelopes. When Museveni travels in Uganda or abroad Ugandans follow him hoping they will get a chance to shower superficial praises on him for an excellent job he is doing for the country and hope to get noticed in case a vacancy becomes available. Museveni has unleashed hecklers against the few that have stuck to their principles hoping to break their backs some day. The effort could be counter-productive.
By and large Ugandans have become obsessed with today and forgotten about tomorrow as though they have never heard about the Protestant ethic which inter alia calls for today’s sacrifice for a better tomorrow. We have even forgotten that we have children that will need a home tomorrow.
I am asking present and future leaders in government, politics, religions and security forces to reflect on the contents in the paragraphs below and draw your own conclusions regarding the future of your children.
Since 1986, Museveni has methodically prepared the handover of Uganda to foreigners through the following illustrative methods.
1. To avoid bold criticism, Museveni instructed well educated and experienced Ugandans to stay abroad and earn foreign currency which is badly needed at home for reconstruction and development, insisting it was their patriotic duty to do so. He encouraged those at home to join those already abroad to earn more dollars and send them home. Meanwhile those in the diaspora that he needed at home were quietly invited and given key and strategic positions.
2. Museveni hired foreigners and poorly educated (mostly from Makerere evening classes) or inexperienced Ugandans who would not oppose him. Ugandans who volunteered advice were ignored with contempt, or accused of sabotage or trying to get jobs through the back door.
3. Museveni hoodwinked Ugandans by arranging consultations as a basis for drafting a new constitution when he knew he was not going to use that information. Those who know will tell you anonymously that the constitution was virtually dictated by Museveni from state house. He made sure the constituent assembly was packed with his staunch supporters some of them entered politics for that purpose and dropped out as soon as the constitution was completed.
4. The constitution includes one element that will haunt us if we do not act quickly. The constitution says that Ugandans have a right to move, settle and own land anywhere. Settlers can speak their own languages. What Museveni had in mind were Batutsi and Bahororo. They have since been bused into Uganda from Burundi, DRC, Rwanda and Tanzania, resettled in various parts of Uganda where they speak Kinyarwanda. They have presented themselves as Bafumbira who speak Kifumbira similar to Kinyarwanda language. Since 1959 it is Batutsi and Bahororo that have come to Uganda. Many Bahororo returned to Rwanda when Mpororo kingdom disintegrated but clung together and kept in touch with their kin and kith in Uganda. These are the mercenaries who directed the guerrilla war with Museveni. Many of them left for Rwanda in 1994 but some have returned.
5. Museveni has consistently preached that Uganda has plenty of fertile land that is unoccupied and unutilized, implying that others can come to Uganda and use it. He has also consistently talked about the importance of a liberal immigration policy to help Uganda develop fast by attracting foreign skills and funds.
6. Museveni’s refuge policy has also been very flexible, allowing very many to come in from the great lakes and horn of Africa regions and are given land to settle and are believed to have registered as NRM members.
7. Under cover of structural adjustment Museveni liberalized Uganda’s economy, privatized public enterprises en masse and offered opportunities for direct foreign investment and foreign experts.
8. In order to implement these policies unchallenged, Museveni has packed parliament and cabinet with yes men and women. They cannot raise a figure in protest against Museveni for fear of losing their comfortable jobs, allowances and vehicles.
So what are the outcomes?
1. Uganda’s modern sector of the economy is in foreign hands. It is not surprising that 80 percent of Uganda’s GDP is generated in Kampala and its vicinity dominated by foreign enterprises. The purpose of Greater Kampala is to give foreigners from Africa and beyond more space for expansion. Expect Ugandans in those areas to be squeezed out as this area will be developed under Museveni’s instructions. The Lord Mayor may be a spectator unless he wisely uses the mandate of his supporters to fight. The birth of Greater Kampala has marked the demise of Mengo region as we have known it. It is not clear whether Baganda who invited Museveni in 1981 are aware of that (no offense please).
2. Museveni is going to adopt a Singapore development model to develop Uganda based on Greater Kampala. Singapore is a city state that has no agricultural land. Areas outside of Greater Kampala are going to be virtually ignored, to serve as a reservoir of impoverished voters that will be bribed to return Museveni and NRM to parliament with larger majorities. Or the land will be sold or leased to foreigners and force landless peasants into urban slums where communicable diseases will take care of them and reduce population explosion. Those who will survive will be forced to adopt birth control to reduce family size, creating more room for foreigners.
3. Should Uganda be forced into the East African economic integration and political federation, the gates into Uganda will be wide open for settlers from land-starved Kenyans, Burundians, Rwandese and Banyamulenge in DRC who will take advantage and filter in through Kanungu district. Kenyans with more and better skilled labor force will outcompete Ugandans for limited jobs in Uganda and Kenyan cheaper and better manufactured products will outcompete Uganda’s, forcing closure of industries and laying off workers. Illegal migrants and refugees will also enter Uganda in large numbers.
4. Apart from squeezing Ugandans from their land, their jobs and their industries, most foreigners will register under NRM which allowed them in. By next elections whether in five or ten year’s time, foreigners particularly Tutsi and Bahororo will be so many and contest elections that the next parliament and cabinet will be dominated by them. And the game will be over.
5. Fellow Ugandans, this is not lunacy or fantasy. Ugandans will have no home and no job in their former country! I do not think Museveni will even give us a reserve as apartheid South Africa did for indigenous Black people. That is what our so-called leaders have led us to. Once Museveni gets his majority Batutsi/Bahororo in parliament and cabinet, he will turn around, thank indigenous Ugandan leaders for a job well done and retire them with contempt. Remember that!
6. It is not too late if we act quickly. The civilian population is ready. We need religious leaders, security forces and politicians to support us civilians. The Pope helped his polish people to get rid of communism. Where are our religious leaders? The soldiers helped to get rid of oppressive regimes in Ethiopia, Iran and Romania etc. Where are our security forces? You have to support your fellow Ugandans and prevent Uganda from being taken over by foreigners. Where is Besigye? Where is Mao? I am mentioning your names for the first time. We hope you will not be compromised with cabinet posts. Museveni has a habit of humiliating those he has defeated by giving them some jobs. We need your support. The election was stolen and you should not accept the results. You made a wise move by not going to the Supreme Court which has lost credibility. You therefore cannot join an illegitimate government. Remember, you never conceded defeat. Your decision has given us impetus to demonstrate but you have abandoned us.
7. If we pull together – politicians in the opposition, religious leaders from all faiths, security forces and civilians Museveni will not hand over our country to foreigners.
8. Those MPs and ministers that will support Museveni in selling Uganda to foreigners will be held accountable as appropriate. We are going to follow all the discussions in parliament and cabinet and register those that support Museveni. So when time comes do not plead that you did not know. You have been warned and take this warning very seriously because losing a country is not a joking matter.
9. For God and my Country.