Monday 11th May evening when I left the Negligence and Strict Liability Law exam, I checked my phone and I saw, I had a missed call from the Democratic Party First Lady and our 2026 Lord Mayor Flag bearer Maama Beatrice Mao, I called her back and she informed me she had left my Invitation Card to the Kololo with our Democratic Party Deputy Treasurer. I was so excited and a feeling of satisfaction swept across my mind; it changed my mood from the exam stress, the truth is this would be my very first time to be at such a highly dignified ceremony in my life.
Early morning, Tuesday, May 12, 2026 I donned on my shirt, ‘’ Norbert Mao is Priceless’’, I had passed by City House DP headquarters the previous day and I informed the Kabaalaza group that I was going for the Swearing In ceremony and I would put on the DP shirt, and this D-day, I jumped on a Boda Boda, with a jacket on and I appeared to Kololo not only to witness the swearing in but also to show off as a proud Democratic Party young Democrat.
Thus, this article is an opinion from a first-person witness narrator of turning of events but with rather a sense of unity and a futuristic eagle eye of Uganda and the power struggles for the betterment of our Country.
The Turning of Events at the Ground.
What tickled my mind is that on reaching the premises, I was guided by the military officer upon presenting my invitation card, to board the shuttle that was parked at the entrance adjacent to the Golf Course, in there I found some MPs and some ministers I was able to recognize and other invitees smartly dressed in suits and yellow custom-made apparels. The shuttles had been used to reduce the traffic jam, but it was as if the entire Uganda was here, I can compare it to the Christian congregation heading for a crusade because as a young Christian man, I saw such crowds at the Crusades. If primafacie, you were new in political civic spaces in Uganda, in that shuttle you could not tell who is an MP or a minister but you could tell that I admire Norbert Mao because of the shirt I was putting on, and if you know him, you could tell I am DP, and the others in yellow are NRM. The MPs and Ministers in the shuttle were all so excited to witness the swearing in ceremony of their Chairman, I thought about my Party but as well the entire opposition if any party took power, was it going to be “ Opposition” eagerly excited in that shuttle to witness their “ opposition” chairman or it would be a particular political party that would not even allow me sit in their shuttle if I wasn’t in their party color?
At the ceremony ground, we sat in the pavilion, I sat in the same column with the NRM top leaders like Tanga Odoi, influential like Frank Gashumba to mention but a few. The ceremony began, excellencies from other countries were coming through and later on the President Elect as well appeared, he was highly protected, he first briefly inspected the parade, and after the swearing in ceremony began, the chairman Electoral Commission declared and presented him to the Chief Judge as the winner in the recently general concluded elections and the CJ guided him to swear in as the new president in a fresh term and the public went ululating thereafter. He now once again inspected the parade as a fresh Chief in Command of UPDF, and after there was matching exhibitions, display by Airforce of the Planes and Parachutes, motorcades and what stood out for me was the high level of patience, discipline and uniformity of the officials at the parade and the ushering. I wondered, are these the individuals that the general public fears despite the camouflage uniforms? I remembered the book, ‘’ Sowing the Mastered Seed’’ and my Constitutional History Law lectures before 1986 where the army was described as a group of bandits who raped women, looted, and did all the nasty things that got netizens affiliate Kiswahili to lobbers, loots, rapists since it was the then army that used it mostly. The lady next to me, told me, “ I admired the army, but my son will join the army by force, I admire their footwork!’’
All that meets the eyes that the lips cannot exhaust uttering was glamorous; decorations, red-carpets, parades, excellencies, clergy to mention but a few. But to a graduand of Literature, mine was a critical comprehension of what I saw, the connotative interpretation versus the deeper, denotative meaning. The power struggle in the opposition for the greater benefit to Ugandans, and a future of Uganda guided by our Country’s motto, ‘’ FOR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY’’.
The Bitter Truth for Uganda.
What if we all came together as one? Bob Marley has a famous song, ‘’ One Love’’ would we feel alright if we all came together as one, those in power and the opposition because we all love our country?
‘’Politics is a dirty game’’, my mother keeps reminding me, ‘’ Be careful my Son!” she warns me. But if an opportunity shows up where we can leave the dirt at the door and we sit on a round table in hall, ‘’ Uganda” and in there, we dialogue to turn diversity into unity through compromise and shared purpose!
What if the planes, guns, armies, motorcades are rather for the protection of interests of netizens rather than having to worry, that one day, when power changes, they may be used by those in power against the elements of opposition in the netizens?
What the standard of appointment, recruitment, trainings, recommendations and appreciations was rather a sieve test of merit like the sitting arrangements we had at the swearing in, for God’s safe a village boy from Sheema, a young democrat and a student of law would keep his dream alive against all odds guided by the speech from Martin Luther King J, ‘’ I HAVE A DREAM!’’
This and more ran in my mind, and here I felt proud, I appreciated Hon Norbert Mao for the courage to champion the spirit of unity amidst diversity. Of all the opposition party leaders in the country, he was available, I believe he has a forest of thoughts of a Uganda he would wish and would die to see, a Uganda he envisions but he was right there at the swearing in, as the same wine changes the bottle but he was disciplined and patient like the army officers at the parade.
On the invitation card, I saw that the Leader of opposition was as well invited, but I did not see him there, I wonder if looked for an opportunity to miss an opportunity to bench mark!
Does it mean that his absence, indicates that he is more ‘’opposition’’ that ‘’Ugandan’’?
Does it mean his mind is more clouded with ‘’opposition’’ than a vision of Ugandans coming together on a round table to seek for a lasting solution in diversity?
I want to say that Joel, this was a misrepresentation and a disservice to Ugandans, now can you advise government on what you did not see!
The Future of our country is more important than opposition, the bitter truth is, unless we are left to believe that opposition is rather a scheme to enrich those in the umbrella ‘’opposition’’ rather than representing the opposing views to seek for alternatives in the policies even where those you’re dealing with are rigid to comprise.
Its high time Opposition to rise and look at Uganda as a whole rather than a political power battle field while the very Opposition MPs are feasting, resting in mansions, and cruising in posh cars on the taxes from the netizens as low-key Ugandans suffering.
Opposition, in the next tenure, this is a clarion call, don’t sleep, wake up to find alternative means but the best and only virgin way available now is dialogue, cooperation and coalitions with the ruling government rather than hoodwinking Ugandans in dummy scare crow politics that no longer even moves a dove, be exemplary and say no to corruption and old fashioned poli-tricks.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY.
By Byayesu Agrippa Musinguzi,
Young Democrat
