By Lawrence Mayanja
Once upon a time in the African Republic of Uganda, lived an elderly leader who had once gone to the jungles in a bid of securing power.
To him, Politics in his country was rogue and so, the need for Political transformation!
Four years in the jungles of Luwero, he successfully attained power earlier in 1986, becoming the country’s long-serving leader after Independence in 1969.
63 years today, he championed his Presidency with a ten-point programme that includes the following: –
1. Promotion of democracy.
2. Promotion of security for all people and their property to eliminate state instigated violence.
3. Consolidation of national unity and elimination of all forms of sectarianism.
4. Defending and consolidating national independence in order to determine the future of our economic policies, culture and diplomacy.
5. Building an independent, integrated and self-sustaining national economy.
6. Restoration and improvement of social services and rehabilitation of the war-ravaged areas.
7. Elimination of corruption and misuse of power.
8. Redressing errors that have resulted into the dislocation of sections of the population and improvement of others through:
Settling people that have been displaced by ill thought development projects or sheer illegal land grabbing.
9. Co-operation with other African countries in defending human and democratic rights of our brothers in other parts of Africa.
10. Following an economic strategy of the mixed economy
To-date, some of these points remain a myth as a result of Corruption, a cancer that has eaten up the entire country right from the Strategic to the Operational level.
The Politics
For decades, NRM has undergone several elections in which it has always printed Gen. YK. Museveni as its front liner.
Even when the Political environment seems dire, NRM cadres strongly believe that it’s only their candidate that can steer the country.
In a bid to strategize his Political move, Uganda’s President has long directed his shots to Opposition opponents by either buying them off or offering them juicy positions into his cabinet.
This exactly answers the statement that he raised a few years ago that in a few years to come, _”Uganda and particularly NRM, will have no single opposition”_
The case for NUP in Mukono
As a bonafide resident, born and bred in Mukono with a rich ancestral background in Kyaggwe, I have been akin to the Politics here.
Many decades ago, the District was in the hands of the ruling Government until two decades back when it slipped off to the opposition parties, Democratic Party and later National Unity Platform.
NUP’s fate in Mukono
While the National Unity Platform has received overwhelming support for a few years since its inception, there’s worry of how long it can sustain its support from the local population.
The party is grappling with maladministration right from the elected party structures, corruption, segregation, tribalism and financial woos that have in the end divided up the party.
Hon. Nambooze who often refers to Gen. Museveni as a dictator, has been in office for now two decades.
Even when the electorates seem dissatisfied with the kind of Politician she is, her luck, eloquence and sense of humor has always sent her back to Parliament.
The case for the WMP card
For now, the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Mukono is divided; with one camp supporting the incumbent, Hon. Hanifah Luswata Nabukeera while the other, Amaniyo Sheila!
Much as I don’t hold anything against Hon. Amaniyo and I want to congratulate her, many NUP members are only surprised at how NUP is handling their affairs.
“If one was NUP from the beginning, and the other NRM, then Independent, the next time you dump your own for a stranger. This is equivalent to a Father who denies his own family good things like food, clothing, education but very kind to strangers or outsiders because he wants to be nice to the community.”, commented one of the Mukono NUP supporters, Ephraim Lupia.
_”Is dumping people who stood with the party through thick & thin, the best Nup could do at this stage?”, Lupia further questions_
Just like Mr. Lupia, there are so many supporters of NUP that remain disgruntled and heartbroken at the way the party has made its choices over party cards.
If this and more anomalies are not sorted, I am scared, things may begin to fall apart for NUP if such issues are taken for granted.
The writer is an investigative journalist and Political Activist and kin to the Law
