Museveni acting in the footsteps of Cromwell

As Yoweri Museveni prepares to handover state house keys to his son and turn Uganda into a Tutsi dynasty, we need to know the extent to which Museveni learned from Oliver Cromwell in his rise to power and creation of conditions for his son’s hereditary succession.

James I and Charles I the Stuart kings of England believed and practiced absolute rule (absolutism) and divine-right of kings. They ignored Parliament, imposed taxes and dismissed it when it suited them. Parliament and the English people resented the Stuart kings first because they were foreigners from Scotland and second they ignored English traditions.

In 1642, while in session, Charles attempted to arrest some leading members of Parliament, touching off the civil war (1642-49). Those who fought for the king were called Cavaliers and for Parliament against the dictator king led by Oliver Cromwell Roundheads. The Roundheads won. Absolutism and the monarchy came to an end.

Under Cromwell leadership, England became a Republic or Commonwealth. Cromwell’s new government worked well with Parliament but tensions soon developed. Cromwell cleansed Parliament of all dissenters, dissolved it twice and after 1654, ruled as a dictator, like the Stuarts before him, with the title of Lord Protector of England. He became Protect for life and the office was made hereditary. Like the Stuarts, Cromwell ruled by divine-right. When he died, Cromwell was succeeded by his weak son, Richard. The English resented the Cromwell rulers and decided through Parliament to restore the monarchy under Charles II with restrictions against absolutism.

Similarly, Museveni came to power through a civil or guerrilla war (1981-86) to end Obote dictatorship and abuse of human rights and restore order and people sovereignty. Initially, he worked collaboratively with Parliament, prepared a constitution with presidential term limits. Museveni then turned Parliament into a rubber stamp institution and ordered it to terminate term limits, implicitly making Museveni president for life and the presidency hereditary. When some NRM Members of Parliament objected to the direction in which the country was headed, Museveni made sure they were not returned to Parliament in 2011 elections, similar to what Cromwell did when he cleared Parliament of dissenters.

As he advances in age, Museveni is quietly preparing for his son’s succession. The majority of Ugandans don’t like Museveni rule and where he is taking the country. Should Uganda through her people and their Parliament restore Uganda to normalcy after Muhoozi has succeeded his father like the English did when Richard succeeded his father or should they act now — preemptively? Earlier on I had warned that Museveni was planning to turn Uganda into a hereditary Tutsi dynasty. So this news should not come to you as a surprise. Those of us who know Batutsi well can predict with a high degree of accuracy what is to happen next.

Eric