Wherever you look – economic equitability, food and nutrition security, quality education and healthcare and biodiversity protection etc – you see deficits. That is why even those at the UN, BWIs (World Bank and IMF) and bilateral partners are quietly distancing themselves from Museveni’s development failure and ruthless dictatorship.
Museveni came to power at a time when Uganda was ready for positive change. Ugandans wanted change that would help all of them put food on the table, send their children to school, find remunerative and decent jobs, move out of subsistence economy, enjoy healthy lives, good neighborly relations and protect their lives and properties earned intellectually (an article posted on the internet for example) or through physical labor etc.
Museveni is not interested in this kind of change – yes, he is not! Museveni has different – totally different – ideas. He wants total transformation of Uganda’s landscape. He wants a new, clean landscape – a landscape that would metaphorically allow Bahororo herdsmen to replace cultivators and roam all over the length and breadth of the entire country. That is why he is urging Ugandans to assemble in towns. That is why his economic policies are urban-biased in order to pull peasants from rural areas. You have to read Museveni’s mind dialectically – not at face value – to understand his long term goal. That is why he has pleaded for more time to complete his ‘hidden’ mission. The destruction of Luwero Triangle is turning out to be more the work of guerrillas than national army – to depopulate the area! This may take a while for some Ugandans to believe. That is why allegations of genocide (deliberate attempt to reduce in part or in whole population of a particular group) in Luwero Triangle are floating around. The international community has yet to react. It will as pressure builds up if Museveni stays in power too long.
As has been said when Museveni pushed Acholi and others into camps in the northern and eastern regions and refused to end the war until forced by the international community (now Museveni is saying he ended the war. He did not, he was forced), Museveni was eyeing the land. That is why Museveni has been keen on land issues. He knows land is the only asset and source of livelihood or final resting place for all Ugandans. That is why he is using all sorts of ways such as pushing rural areas into municipality to dispossess peasants of their land. Museveni knows that once he denies you land, you are finished and he can then do what he wants with you and the land he has taken from you. That is why he likes to use the word metamorphosis – something totally new.
If you look at his body language carefully when he is addressing certain groups and the words he uses quite often, you cannot fail to see that Museveni despises Ugandans – except Bahororo (Bahororo are Batutsi). Do you still remember Bahororo leaders’ meeting at Rwakitura (that was blessed by an Anglican/Protestant bishop) on March 15, 1992 to plan the education, economic, political and military advancement and eventual takeover of Uganda by Bahororo? How do you think he was going to do it? – deny you development or force you into war. He has different strategies which have been unfolding in different ways beginning with near destruction of Luwero Triangle.
That is why during a conversation with John Nagenda shortly before he became president in 1986, he raised the issue of race and language in southwest Uganda noting that while linguistically the same Bantu-speakers are racially different. He was referring to the (discredited and totally rejected) Hamitic Theory that Bahororo are white and Bairu are black, meaning that blacks are inferior and whites are superior. When some Bahororo say that one Muhororo is worth 1000 Bairu they are echoing Museveni’s discreet racial message. They are invoking medieval lord/serf relationship which was emulated in pre-colonial Rwanda between Tutsi and Hutu with disastrous results for the latter although Paul Kagame another possible Muhororo tells a different story of symbiotic relationship. Museveni and those close to him has referred to northerners and easterners as primitive, backward particularly the Chimpanzees called Acholis. And Museveni expects political support from northerners, easterners and Bairu people on February 18, 2011? If we give him then there is something wrong.
During the guerrilla war Museveni “courted allies [like Baganda] whom he knew he would have to discard in the future. He contacted soldiers and politicians [like Ssemogerere] whom he did not totally respect. ‘Gain a broad front first [using disgruntled Baganda and Catholics], and then think of ideological purity’ appears to have been his guidance” (African Concord February 1986). That he used Baganda, Catholics and Bahima to gain a broad front can be deduced from the guerrilla war. And Museveni expects political support on February 18, 2011 from these groups? If they give him then there is something wrong.
Museveni has relied on foreigners since the bush war especially Batutsi refugees who could be Bahororo from Rwanda (many Bahororo left for Rwanda when Mpororo kingdom disintegrated but have clung together wherever they live as Bahororo. This may explain why many Tutsi refugees came to Uganda after the 1959 social revolution in Rwanda. They knew they would be protected by their cousin Bahororo on the Uganda side of Rwanda border) and also white people largely British like William Pike, Linda Chalker and Paul Collier and both conservative and labor governments (Journal of Democracy April 1998).
Do you still remember how many Tutsis whom we all along thought were Ugandans and occupied senior positions in government and security forces that deserted Uganda and went back to their home in Rwanda in 1994? That shows the extent to which Museveni trusts foreigners than indigenous Ugandans. We must accept that Museveni has exploited indigenous Ugandans for his metamorphosis project. And his actions and words keep raising the question of Museveni’s place of birth.
In order to carry out the metamorphosis exercise clandestinely, Museveni chose to work with foreigners (as noted above) and Uganda junior and inexperienced officers led by Bahororo in key and strategic institutions – Keith Muhakanizi being one of them. That is why Museveni expelled experienced Ugandans from government under cover of staff retrenchment supposedly in line with structural adjustment and urged qualified Ugandans in exile to stay there and others to join them. That is why Museveni embraced the shock therapy version of structural adjustment that would make life difficult for primitive northerners and racially inferior southerners. That is why Museveni has no money for school lunch but has enough to cover funeral expenses. That is why Museveni has no money to create public works to ease youth unemployment but parliament can vote money for use in supporting NRM candidates in February 18, 2011 elections (what do you expect when you have a deputy treasury secretary in the ministry of finance serving also as a member of NRM manifesto task force! Where are the electoral observers?). That is why Museveni is not bothered about child malnutrition and Mulago and other children wards turning into hospices. That is why he blames those suffering from jiggers for not being hygienic enough, skillfully skipping poverty he has created through inter alia embezzling development funds. That is why he does not care about the rising number of insane citizens. That is why Museveni is keen to construct more prisons and jail youth criminals who are forced into theft to make ends meet instead of helping them find jobs. Museveni pre-empted discussion of all these social injustices and abuse of Ugandans’ dignity by passing the anti-sectarian law that criminalizes discussions of Museveni’s destructive actions. That is why many Ugandans do not understand these wrong doings of Museveni because they are not discussed. Please visit www.kashambuzi.com the people’s free blog for more information.
So while we pure development oriented analysts see Museveni’s governance record as poor and disturbing, he does not see it that way. It is along his planned trajectory. The only problem for Museveni is that he has not moved the agenda fast enough to make indigenous tribes ‘disappear’. Museveni has found out to his disappointment that Ugandans are more resilient than he expected. If re-elected, you will see how faster he will move his agenda on land grabbing and handing big chunks to foreigners (who in turn will protect and sustain him in power), forcing Uganda into urban areas or camps of some sort and East African economic integration and political federation (that will permit East Africans mostly from land hungry Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda to own land in Uganda and marginalize northern backward and southern inferior people) among others.
The only chance Ugandans have to keep their country intact is to defeat Museveni and deny NRM two-thirds majority in parliament because they have misused it. Museveni despises Ugandans – Baganda, northerners, easterners, westerners – whether we are ready to accept it or not. That is a fact. This can easily be deduced from his words and his body language. He thinks we are primitive and inferior black (Negro) people. He and Bahororo are white and superior people. I am sure Ugandans close to him have (over)heard him utter derogatory words or use abusive body language. He has no time to work or think with us (we are bankrupt, liars and empty tins) and he will not hesitate to embarrass us. He is comfortable with white foreigners because he thinks he is white.
Let me make one thing very clear: I am not lunatic as some have alleged. I have studied Museveni carefully and for a long time and I am telling you the truth. If you do not defeat Museveni on February 18, 2011 you are going to get a shock at what he will do with two-thirds NRM majority in parliament in the next five years. He will turn Uganda upside down including declaring it a kingdom with him as first Muhororo hereditary king! Just watch if Museveni is re-elected. Nobody has denied it.
Apparently Museveni observed in passing that Uganda cannot become Ivory Coast without saying a word about the increasing influx of immigrants into Uganda and increasing birth control of poor indigenous population. If these continue, they will result in foreigners outnumbering indigenous population, hence Ivory Coast situation in Uganda. We appeal to foreigners promoting birth control to give us a breathing space until Ugandans have fully understood the relative forces contributing to so-called population ‘explosion’ in our country. These are serious matters of national security interest we are trying to sort out for our children and grandchildren future.
Museveni wants to metamorphose Uganda – those are his own words – except he never says metamorphose to what (We had thought he was talking about economic structures making Uganda industrially and technologically superior but that is not on the agenda after 25 years in power). Two-thirds NRM majority will help Museveni metamorphose Uganda into an entirely new landscape. If there are legal complications, the Supreme Court that has been on his side before will do the same for him. The international community will not assist if requested because Museveni will argue that he has followed the democratic and legal processes and the game will be up. Museveni will sit in his mansion (state house) or $80 million presidential jet and smile broadly in victory over primitive and inferior people. However, in doing these things Museveni needs to be reminded that in politics no situation is permanent. We had Haile Sellassie and Mobutu Sese Seko. Where are they?
Finally, please heed this advice: forum readers make sure all voters go to the polling stations on February 18, 2011 with two goals in mind – show Museveni the exit out of state house by defeating him in broad daylight and denying NRM two-thirds majority in parliament. Our Creator is on our side because He knows how majority Ugandans have suffered over the last twenty five years but He helps those who help themselves. Amen.