Regime Change; what trend will Uganda take?

By Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

There are always a lot of expectations and apprehension in a new year. Likewise, 2012 has brought with it the million dollar question: When will Africa stop having demagogues for leaders? This is a pertinent issue since it is the cause of the continent’s un-ending woes. Many Ugandans believe it will be the year to witness changes in the leadership of the country, and for the better.

Though beleaguered, the year 2011 brought the continent some good news regarding the values that continue to elude the continent: meaningful constitutionalism, human rights, good governance and development. Disgraced personalities like Hosni Mubarak, Ben Ali, Muammar Gaddafi and Laurent Gbagbo were sent to the political garbage. Gaddafi met his humiliating at the same time befitting death at the hands of his captors; he lived by the sword and died by the sword. He was a typical African demagogue, one may say.

Conditions that led to these fundamental and dramatic changes included robbery of national assets, torture, murders, oppressive and primitive laws, institutional breakdown and unprecedented arrogance. The demagogues had turned their respective countries into their personal property; they dished out national resources to their children, wives, relatives and cronies.

Uganda is no exception. In fact signs are that quest for regime change is irreversible and it is a question of when and how it will be effected.

During the months of April and May, last year, Uganda was rocked with countrywide protests against escalating cost of living and suppression by the very government supposed to offer them unconditional protection. In a typical repressive style, government shot a number of people dead, arrested and tortured scores. This brutish response incensed people the more  and confirmed that regime change is the only means of restoring hope and a sense of direction.

The wave that continues to sweep through the Arab world has reawakened the people’s role in governance as well as the might of their power. Ugandans today, than ever before, appreciate the ability of popular revolt to bring about the desired change.

The April and May rehearsals have made mass demonstrations as the main means that regime change may be effected in Uganda.

Faced with continued loss of trust from the public, government responded by heavily investing in repressive machinery like teargas, armoured vehicles, smoke bombs, torture chambers and torture tactics, guns and bullets among others. There is also massive recruitment of security personnel anticipating crowds taking to the streets.

While corruption is one of the tactics Museveni’s regime has deployed to cling to power, signs are that it will also be the regime’s waterloo. Due to massive recruitments, many educated people have decided to join the security ranks to keep off unemployment other than a desire to serve in the security services. But many go for months without pay on top of working and living under very hostile environment. Ethnically and politically well connected officers draw the salaries and put it to their personal use. Low rank officers are reduced to slaves.

Those who have been very lucky to earn something at the end of the month rarely receive full pay. And many simply don’t know the actual amount due to them as salary. Never mind that they are often promised decent pay when joining.

                                                                                                                                   

By allowing some close allies to rob national funds and use them as they may deem fit, Museveni clearly set his pipers against each other. John Patrick Amama Mbabazi has been named in a number of financial scandals but he is the Prime Minister. President Museveni continues to defend him whenever he is threatened with reprimand. It is an open secret that Museveni’s cabinet and other representatives comprise of stained names.

The speedy arrest, confinement to Luzira prison and the comic withdrawal of charges against former Vice President Baalibaseka Gilbert Bukenya, betrayed Museveni’s vulnerability to the corruption net he helped weave. This particular saga widened the cleavage between those privileged with stealing national resources, albeit with impunity, and those who can be tossed up and down by the state machinery. This explains why Museveni’s Movement spends more time tearing at each other than addressing the pressing issues afflicting the masses. It is jungle law; It is survival for the fittest.

As the newly rich up their accumulation of obscene wealth, Ugandans brave a rotten health system, an extortionist tax regime, and unprecedented breakdown of morals, legalization of crime and many other dehumanizing strategies bordering on the savage.

The greatest blow to Museveni’s repressive plans is nepotism. Security personnel intimated to PNS that ethnicity is given due consideration in salary rankings, promotions and deployment. Museveni, in response, always murmurs something like: it is due to the historical aspect of the regime. Whatever that means!  

But Uganda’s other historical aspects especially of armed struggles, or better civil wars, since 1962 Independence cannot be ruled out either. Museveni’s regime grabbed power after a five-year bloody war that displaced hundreds of thousands, left many dead and destroyed the economic, social and political set up of the once Pearl of Africa.

Many of the fighters of this regime, who were kids then, have grown up in dehumanizing poverty. They are only remembered whenever there are general elections and contentious issues threatening Museveni’s hold to power. The fundamental change that they had been promised, and even put their lives on the wire for, continues to elude them every other day. Scars and the bitter experience of the war is all they have to show. Comparing these to those wallowing in wealth, accumulated over night, completes the state of affairs. It is also during moments like this that the significance, importance and role of Dr. Kayiira and Nkwanga’s “disbanded” rebel groups can be weighed. How about the chakamchaka lessons that were used to demystify the gun?

Many are aware that, with good governance, they too can lead a dignified life although those controlling state resources have deliberately relegated them to a status of destitute. With a population on edge, those who fought with the many rebel forces could decide to bring about the much desired change as the last resort to leading a dignified life.

Other fighters like Dr. Kizza Besigye, have been bold enough to take on the regime and even tell it in the face that it is long past its sale-by date.

Within the ruling regime, there are many members grumbling about disrespect, betrayal, autocracy and suppression. Others only pay allegiance to government during day while at night they are in bed with the Opposition. Many do acknowledge, in privacy, that Museveni’s Movement is rotten to the marrow and a liability to the country. Money seems like the only unifying factor in this former rebel outfit. They want change of leadership to realize a prosperous Uganda. Rhetoric devoid of substance has, for the last 26 years, failed to bring this about.

Museveni’s Movement is so much money-minded that provision of services is accidental. Apart from the few who belong to the inner circle of the Movement, majority are held hostage by the party, but for how long?

The nepotism, selfishness and greed the old man with a hat has exhibited are unprecedented in Uganda’s history. The cases of corruption, synonymous with this criminal regime, can only be comprehended in a post Museveni era.

President Museveni always refers to himself as someone who has been to hell and back, to emphasize his military prowess. But former fighters in the rebel ranks that brought him to power refer to him as a coward in the face of fire. Fighters say that whenever the going got tough, Museveni would flee to Sweden and only came back when the storm had subsided. They however add that the destruction Museveni has left behind his march to state house as well as that going on to hold onto power is typical of cowards; they are often ruthless and destructive when cornered.

Given the price people are paying to make ends meet under Museveni’s regime, many are saying it is the opportune time to start afresh so as to restore sense of direction and shattered hope. It is painful to see billions of shillings being dished out to cronies and fronts in the name of compensation for loss of contract. The contracts they dubiously award to their so called investors are cancelled and the next day billions are awarded! And the president’s hand is very visible in these public robberies. Yet hospitals lack drugs, doctors are paid peanuts as are the public servants, potato gardens are smoother than roads and public utilities are turned into private property by goons in government. 

2012 has begun with traders’ four- day strike over oppressive interests on loans taken from banks. The closing of the shops had at first been meant for three days: from January 11 to 13. But it was extended to the 14^th due to president Museveni’s arrogance and insensitiveness in addressing critical issues.

Even when the traders reopened, they made it clear that they will consider another option in a week’s time. All they are saying is that they are tired of being treated as mere objects. They will do whatever it takes to restore their dignity. The Central Bank Governor, Emmanuel Mutebile who increased the Central Bank Rate and prompted commercial banks to raise their primary lending rates, too failed to rescue the traders. He selfishly told them that he has the powers to raise the rate but cannot lower it.

The governor takes the blame for joining the mafias to wreck havoc in the economy. By sanctioning reckless spending of people’s hard earned money and thus compound the country’s economic woes, he has become a nuisance and disgrace. It is a sign of dangerous times ahead when the so called experts, instead of guiding and advising, become garbage pits when implementing orders from gun-trotters. It seems there are monetary benefits from taking and implementing those weird decisions.  

While Uganda produces own electricity from the Owen Falls Dam and sells some to Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, it is a privilege to have electricity in Uganda. And the charges have been hiked ranging between 36- 69% starting January 15, 2012. Ever since the Electricity Regulatory Authority fell victim to the regime’s greed, Ugandans are paying the highest rates in the region. How and when is this thugery going to stop? Will Parliament prove its relevance to the oppressed Ugandans? Time will tell.

By the time January closes, the teachers and doctors too could have begun their strikes as well. Unfortunately, Africa’s rulers never admit defeat and that is why they always go down with the countries. Decades in power as well as accumulation of obscene wealth not withstanding!

There is a big possibility that Museveni can be forced out without a fight. Despotic leaders have never had anything to their fill but Museveni should do the unthinkable and leave without piling more misery for himself, family and comrades in crime.

This option will become viable as people mount pressure to realize the change they yearn for.

Inspiration from Zimbabwe’s disgraced Robert Mugabe seems to be fanning the commission of crimes against Ugandans. China too is a key player in the arming and instructing of the repressive machinery. These two countries had almost the same ties with the late Gaddafi but they failed to foil the revolution.

Previous regimes, especially that of Obote and Amin, endeavored to empower Ugandans to own their country, the economy and to serve motherland in the different capacities. Museveni’s last 26 years have been characterized by undue favours to foreigners to the extent of reducing Ugandans to second-class citizens. This dehumanizing treatment continues to be wrapped up in the guise of attracting investors to the country.

It is only in Uganda, and under Museveni, that investors receive everything- from money to land- from the host country. Even job seekers come as investors! The Chinese and Indians flocking to Uganda packed like sardines in retail shops are a common sight. They even get tax holidays. After, they flood the market with substandard commodities. They even keep changing their trade identities to further evade taxes. All this is possible because they are fronts for the powers that be.

The notion that economically empowered Ugandans will later demand for political power is responsible for this trend. Museveni used to say, in the late ‘80s when he had just grabbed state power that “rich people are hard to rule.” Every policy being formulated is geared at oppressing people. And majority is wailing!

The late Muammar Ghaddafi thought that he could only fulfill his life presidency dream by having his sons in the army and other security agencies. This looks like the same strategy that Museveni is applying; his son Muhozi Kainerugaba is in charge of his security and commanding Special Forces. Muhozi has been promoted to the rank of Brigadier! Congratulations, the president’s son! A person who cannot give institutions a chance to perform their constitutional duties is not worthy of leading a country that is genuinely pursuing stability, development and prosperity for all.

The tendency to reduce a country to the level of a family, as is wont with Africa’s dictators, is the reason behind this wave of uprisings demanding for transparency, good governance and equal opportunities for all.

That is why regime change in Uganda is long overdue. Not with a decayed health system, stinking corruption, obscene accumulation of wealth by the rulers and their cronies, treatment of Ugandans as “biological substances” and torture of political opponents.

Uganda has never had avaricious rulers like Museveni’s clique; this is a regime that answers all the descriptions of a cult. The rate, and arrogance, at which public funds are being resorted to individual use is one such example. And the displacement of people from their properties including ancestral land is another. Ugandans have been forced to become refugees in their own land!

Parliament would have been instrumental in ushering in the long awaited regime change but it is, even under these appalling conditions, treating symptoms instead of going in for the causes. There is no doubt that Museveni is the cause of the ongoing systematic destruction of this once Pearl of Africa. How come that St. Museveni, as opportunists want us to believe, is always in company of devils? Is it the Opposition misleading him?

Parliament’s failure to effectively check the Executive does not, however, mean that Museveni is safe. Parliament’s failures will precipitate the bringing about of change either through popular uprisings, coups or civil disobedience.

One would expect Parliament to correct the blunder of removing presidential term-limits by conclusively legislating on pertinent issues for the good of the country. The robbing of national assets and the systematic destruction of the country spearheaded by Museveni’s Movement has reached catastrophic levels. It is thus suicidal for Parliamentarians to continue using their heads to wear hats instead of using them to steer the country away from hell.

Worse still, the Judiciary looks like a clique of drunkards, everyone doing whatever pleases! It is only in failed states like Uganda that court clerks are gods in their own right. Files continue to disappear at a rate that makes one believe that soon these clerks are going to sentence people to death. Their interference with the administration of justice is horrible. Some magistrates and judges are preoccupied with running their criminal gangs and subjecting people to a travesty of justice.

By closely analyzing Museveni’s last 26 years, one comes to the conclusion that for one to belong to the Movement you have to be in possession of some weird characteristics, and in abundance. This is where you find the backyard characters, people of no character, mafias, gold diggers, hard core criminals, imposters and lumpens. And the president swears to protect all these as long as they support the Movement. God forbid! Uganda is doomed!

There is nothing like hope in Uganda under Museveni. No sense of direction. The country is suffocating due to the ongoing leadership vacuum. Ugandans who have a stake in the country, and are the majority, are the ones to carry out the rescue operation. Nobody else is going to carry out this transformation.

The Egyptians and Libyans are yet to reap justice, peace, stability, development and human rights as the fruits of their revolutions. But their statement that dictatorship and its agents have no place in the dot com era, and must thus be got rid of, continues to echo across the continent.