Some people think this world belongs to them only. With so much show of power and indispensability, they even threaten to and do get rid of people. They think they have more right to belong to the world than others.
Throughout human history there have been such people in every corner of the earth. At one time, the King of the most powerful Kingdom on Earth then, biblical Nebuchadnezzar, thought it was him to whom all life belonged because he had power and means of destruction. It took him seven years to live like a grazing animal with a non-human mind to realize thar there was a greater power above him who gives and takes away power and life – God.
Because of human stupidity and foolishness, so many Nebuchadnezzar-like rulers have risen on Earth with same mind: They want all wealth, all power, all authority and all domination of others, and don’t want to share anything of those with anyone. Frequently they reduce national wealth to individual wealth and believe they own the country and people they rule. Tey use the national budget to extend their power even to neighboring nations without any thought of using the budget to improve incomes, health, education or nutrition of those they rule. They take special pride in ruling people who are poor, silent and fearful even at the sight of them. They can be quite wasteful of resources and life in pursuit of power, glory, wealth and domination of others. In their pursuits, the old of them don’t want to remember that they have lived far more than they will ever do from now on. Many in advanced age don’t think of the truism that they are living on borrowed time.
God would prefer them to use their power to improve the living conditions of his people, but greed and selfishness pushes them to think that they themselves are God. They live as dictators. They dictate war and peace. They can be big or small dictators. However, in modern times the often mentioned worst dictators on the global scale are: Ivan The Terrible (The Grand Prince of Moscow) and the first Tsar of all Russia; Vlan The Impaler or Vlan Dracula, the Voivode of Wallachia; Idi Amin Dada (former President of Uganda), Saddam Hussein (former President of Iraq), Pot Pot (a Cambodian revolutionary), Leopold II (former King of the Belgians), Adolf Hitler (former ruler of Germany), Joseph Stalin (former Soviet Union Empire ruler), Genghis Khan (former ruler of the Mongol Empire), and Mao Zedong (former revolutionary leader of China). Usually when they leave their countries are in shambles and their subjects breathe a sigh of relief.
In all cases, time comes when they cannot resist leaving the world stage because they are, like all human beings, integral to the life-death cycle, which they can never conquer despite all the power they accumulate to themselves. They too go under the Earth within a depth of 6 feet of soil profile without anything and within an area of 6 feet by 3 feet if they are lucky to be buried. However, with power, glory, authority and wealth they all have the same mind: perennialism, indispensability and continuity. They all want to be succeeded by one of their children, even if they were elected by the people to the highest office in the land. They want their legacy to be preserved, however bad it was Unfortunately, many of them come to an end before they achieve their wish of being succeeded by their children in the fashion of “hereditary politics or reign”.
Frequently things change so fast when they leave and go down the dustbin of history. Their greatest collective role in society is wastage of time, energy, money, human life and natural resources, stagnation of renewability of leadership and retardation of development, transformation and progress of human society in many respects and in the long-term. However, in their minds, they all tend to think, believe and be convinced that they are the greatest thing that ever happened to their countries or the world.
One thing is true. All life and power belong to God as he repeatedly tells us. Therefore, dictators are wrong to believe that they are free to terminate life, which they never created and can never recreate. They are wrong to put human rights violations at the centre of their rule. The ultimate terminator of life is God, the one who gives it to whoever he pleases. As Jim Reeves sang, this world is not our home, and as Shakespeare wrote, the world is a stage where we come, play our different roles and then go. It is God who has the plans for each of us – when to come into the world, what to do in the world, how to do it, and when to leave the world.
Therefore, my appeal to rulers, especially in Africa, is: “Do not use laws and policies, which are anti-God and anti-people to free yourselves from God and the people in an attempt to become more sovereign than God and his people. Do not plot to terminate human lives, or abuse human rights, as if you are immune to breathing your last as all human beings have done in the past, are doing today and will do in future”. Death is an equalizer. You will never conquer life and you will never conquer the Life-Death Cycle for power, wealth, glory and domination”. Ultimately greed and selfishness can destroy your genealogy all together, and it will be as if you never existed on Earth”.
I have concluded that however much we glorify others or ourselves, the only one to be glorified is really God – the one who owns all the Gold and Silver and power and gives them to whoever he chooses to and gives them to whoever he chooses to; the one who gives life and who is the ultimate exterminator of life.
Look! I have been thinking of all those dictators I have mentioned above but who are remembered or not remembered for the evils they reigned on humanity. They came and went. Until I mentioned them you were not even thinking about them. They no longer mater although they were and are still matter in their current state of lifelessness.
I have also been thinking about people who interacted with me at close range and who played important roles in society but are no longer with us. God made me interact with them and learn a lot from them. In fact, some of the knowledge, wisdom, understanding and insights I have gained during my stay on the world stage, for now 73 years, I acquired through interactions with these people.
I interacted a lot with my father, Charles Afunaduula Ovuma, my mother Stephanie Wabiseatyo Kyabwe and my step mother, Miriyonsi Mbeiza Kweryowa, in whose hands I grew up and developed during my early life. They are no more on Earth. What I learnt from them is priceless. I interacted a lot with grandfather Isaac Afunaduula Muganwa, far more than any of his other grandchildren did, and what I learnt from him will stay in mind until God says, “Enough is enough. Now join your ancestors.” May their souls rest in peace!
In my linear family and extended family people who are no more and whom I interacted with personally in my long life included many others: Luusi Nandhugu, Naume Bagonzaku, Michael Kyangwa, Martin Namansa, Getu Namansa, Ivule Wekiya, Constantine Wekiya, Crispus Wekiya, Wilberforce Namuboneyo, Silver Namansa, George Ntalo, John Mbaga, Steven Baboola, Lozio Kanaalo, Zerubael Mwavu, Charles Muganywa, Kabitanyhia, Kasutamu, Mutavawo Oweyegha, Yokoniya Wekiya Awulaomukazi, James Namansa, Perepetwa Bagonza, Dan Mwavu, Rachel Mwoyo, Eseza Kagoya, Manueri Wekiya, George Namansa Besi Mwoyo, Yonasani Nfuko, Silas Wekiya, Faisi Nakitandwe, Felix Nkutiire, Egulansi Nakisige, Girada Kampi, Yowabu Wekiya, Moses Wasedde-Mwavu, Emirina Bagonzaku, Tapenensi Maato, Alexandria Namulinda, Patrick Gwaira, George Namansa, Bugonzi Lakeri, Kikaziki Mutunda, Kampi Kimpiya, Kifuko, Mukyala Nabirye, Nkonoka Ngezi, Nambi, Kasiri, Kamwami, Alimughatya, Mpaghamwiza, Maliamu Namulinda, Nangobi, Ngunyha Mwoyo, Kasani Gumula, Kubaza, Nabirye, Ambrose Kyangwa, , Maria Kaboga, Ronald Ovuma, Keru, Luwangula, More than anybody living in my village today I interacted with all these people when they were still on Earth. I represent past interactions that are no more. I connect the past interactions to present interactions to future interactions of all the genealogies of the Mulawa Clan at Nawaka Village, Bunafu, Gwembuzi, Butende, Iganga, and Misita. At 73 I am a depository of knowledge about who was and his or her connections to the present and future the huge extended family. One thing is true: these people were far more connected, united and caring than they are today, when individualism is replacing community. May their souls rest in peace!
Beyond the local-level stage so many people who are no more prepared me to be who I am as God wished me to be: courageous, patient, consistent, persistent, enduring, etc. They were my teachers at Ikumbya Primary School, in the 1950s and very early 1960s -people like Owagage, Ikoote, Mrs Mwanga, Mrs Namansa, Mukembo, Waidhuba, Kasibule, Lukumi, Kalererembe, Kisiki. They were my teachers at Junior Secondary level at Mwiri Primary School such as Bamuzibire, Balyejusa, Cheriyan, Mwondha, Odhiambo, Isabirye and Tilutya. They are no more. They were my teachers at Busoga College, Mwiri such as Binaka, Mugalu, Rev. Kitwood Plumtree, Okunga and Y.Y. Okot. All of them are no more. May their souls rest in peace!
In the academia I want to remember many who are no more: Professor Akivaga of Kenya, Professor Msangi of Tanzania and Professor Simesi of Tanzania, Prof. Asavia Wandera, Prof. Gingyera-Pincwa, Prof Ssenteza-Kajubi, Professor Boniface Makanga, Dr. Francis Kidubuka, Professor Dan Mudoola, Professor Gabriel Kiwuwa, Professor Basalirwa Professor Oonyu, Prof. Jethro Opolot, Professor Balyejusa, Dr G. W. Wairama, Professor Akiiki Mujaju, Professor Foster Byarugaba, Professor Mugerwa, Dr Kibalama, Professor Christine Dranzoa and Professor Adonia Tiberondwa-all inspired me a great deal but all are no more. May their souls rest in peace!
In the public space people, I interacted with, however briefly or however long, who are no more Paulo Ssemogerere, Jacob Oulanyah, Apollo Milton Obote, Nobel Mayombo, Badru Wegulo, Osinde Wangwor, Peter Nyombi, Omony Ojok, Tumusiime-Mutebile, Muwayire, Kintu, Otema Allimadi, Paul Muwanga, Kabaka Muteesa, Sir William Wilberforce Kadhumbula Nadiope, John Lwanga, Kirunda Kivejinja, Luwuliza Kirunda, Patrick Mwondha, John Magezi, Daudi Magezi, Ssebana Kizito, Dr Mugenyi. May their souls rest in peace!
Interactions, not isolations, make us as we grow up and develop into adults and even age like I have. Tour personalities are shaped by these interactions. Depending on how wide and extensive, or how narrow your interactions were during your life’s trajectory, you will be a certain personality. I am who I am because of so may interactions and inputs from those interactions. So it matters who you interact with and how and when in your life’s trajectory. If you are caring, unselfish. Considerate, democratic, innovative and empathic, it reflects your interactions, mainly those that are no more. This is one reason why we should value history. It can reveal who you are and why you are that kind of person
I have now reached 73 years. Of my generation I am the oldest person in my clan at Nawaka. I used to think I would not be the last one to leave the world stage. As more and more people leave me behind, I feel that my own time to leave is drawing nearer and nearer. However, God has refused to tell me when and I am not hurrying him because he told us never to hurry him. He has the time table for me. He will never let one go unless his plan he conceived for one long before one was formed in the womb of one’s mother’s womb is realized. And his plans never fail while human plans fail. So, I will go on normally as if the ultimate day he wants me to breathe my last is still a bit far off. However far off it draws nearer every day. That is why I have surrendered myself fully to God. I no longer care about the world. I far more than ever before ask him for strength, knowledge, wisdom, understanding and insights so that I can pass them on to others, even leaders, without fear or favour. This way I have peace in a sea of turmoil. I suggest you too surrender to God. Life is meaningless without God, I have discovered. When God is at the centre of your life you will not worry or fear anything – I tell you. God will be your rock, your salvation, your helper. I have become a scientist with a difference, one who puts God first. -not riches or glory.
For God and My Country.
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