As Ugandans wait anxiously for the end of the lockdown that was announced by government to guard against the spread of coronavirus, the country’s major opposition politicians, moreso, People Power’s Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, FDC’s Kizza Besigye, ANT’s Gregory Mugisha Muntu, among others, will desperately be grappling for a political breathing space that has been hoarded by the authorities in the past few weeks.
When it started appearing almost certain that the country was heading for the worst just like we had already witnessed in the various other countries where the deadly pandemic had passed before reaching here, there seemed to be an opportunity for the country’s opposition to gain politically from the people who would be in despair over the painful preventative measures that would be announced by the government as a way of keeping the disease under check.
In fact, after the first phase of the measures were declared on the 17th of March, a number of people, majority of whom opposed government, lambasted the president for what they termed as a panic love intended to create fear among the population.
Presidential aspiring candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi acted swiftly to get to the aide of his people of Kyadondo East, where he is the area MP, with relief food items which was definitely most certainly going to distinguish him as someone whose concern for the suffering people warranted consideration in the next general elections.
Former Presidential Candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye of the People’s Government made numerous phone calls through the night, to finally get tens of ambulances that would be used to ferry the sick from around Kampala to emergency Health care. Whereas Besigye had announced that the program was only looking at Kampala and it’s neighbouring surroundings, it was reliably established that the move would later diffuse to other parts of the country which would certainly act as a political mobilisation arena for Besigye, whom many believe will challenge Museveni again for a record fifth consecutive time.
Others like Francis Zaake Butebi, of Mityana Municipality, Betty Nambooze of Mukono Municipality, Nakaseke’s Luttamaguzi Ssemakula, among others seemed to have quickly identified a rare opportunity to prove their usefulness to their already fear gripped electorates as 2021 draws nearer. This would have gone a long way in affecting the relevance of President Museveni’s government, breeding a possible impossibility for his reelection bid.
However, just as it would be expected, one of either Museveni himself, or his ever alert team of handlers, was analytically following events as they unfolded. No wonder, it wasn’t wrong before the President came out to announce a ban on all politicians who were supplying food rations to the people, reasoning that this was bound to expose the population to possible infection. The directive went further to guide on the possible repercussions should one be nabbed violating it, where imprisonment was a certainty without bail, and most importantly on a charge of attempted murder.
Whereas it’s evident that members of the opposition were not happy, the cunning Museveni had placed them in a precarious situation where they had to choose between protesting the ban and be seen as enemies of public safety, or obey the directive and help Museveni to show himself as the leader from whom even his opponents get orders and follow them.
After confirming that he had successfully rolled the stubborn opposition into his arm pits, Museveni then turned to what he understands most – media politics. It ought to be recalled that at the time when the fight against the pandemic had just intensified, it was Healthy Minister, Jane Ruth Aceng who was at the forefront and she managed to win the hearts of many Ugandans, becoming the most popular Ugandan at the time as the country desperately needed a savior to look up to during these hard times.
Just like many Ugandans, Museveni had most likely failed to appreciate this openly rising popularity of Aceng and he exactly knew he badly needed it than his super Minister. As such, he moved to establish himself as the chief crusader in the fight to eject the virus from the country. Accordingly, Museveni started by frequently addressing the nation at at least in an interval of two days, giving updates on the status of disease and pronouncing the measures to be adopted by the now very obedient population some of whose bitter resistance to his government had been eaten up by fear.
This way, Museveni intended to establish himself as the alpha and Omega in the current battle which in deed worked as projected. For instance, for the first time in the Country’s recent past, all the people have obediently followed the President’s recommendations unanimously without regarding political affiliations. On the days when there have been presidential addresses, the country has had all ears and eyes on their radios and TV sets just because he is the only person whom there is hope of redemption.
Should God be with the country and the current encouraging statistics continue, Museveni would be celebrated as a hero for saving the country from the disaster that has ravaged even the strongest economies of the world and it will give him the greatest speaking point for the next year’s elections.
Currently, the country’s opposition is kept in a forced political slumber, where their political invisibility risks diverting their once upon a time loyal followers from the struggle for change to the struggle for life.
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