By Ashraf Ssimwogerere
Asalaam alaikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuh.
During the war that brought NRM/NRA into power, my internal exile village from Namuloge was Kasayi Kyagwe in Mukono district. I stayed with my maternal Jjaja Nanfuka Aisha (RIP). Little did I know that I had jumped from saucepan into fire itself. This village in the middle of a forest was surrounded by fighting forces, UNLA in the east and south, FEDEMU in the west and NRA in the north. We used to travel to and from Kampala passing notorious road blocks maned by government soldiers (UNLA).
One day during holidays a group of rebel men requested jjaja to allow me join them in the bush. Jjaja refused and urged me to concentrate on my books.
At the beginning of the term as I was passing a road block at Kiwango, all my tuition and the pocket money was robbed by the government soldiers. I continued to Seeta town and In the evening, I went back home to tell jjaja the bad news. She just kept quite and sadly with tears, walked away to her bedroom. Late in the evening she called me to her bedroom and advised me to join the bush and fight. Though she changed her mind the following day to give me money and went back to college for my books.
Jjaja reached the decision to send me to the bush thru anger. Let me call it “KWEKYAWA”. Many people joined the bush because of “Kwekyaawa”, following the atrocities which were committed by the then governments. Government soldiers used to torture wanainch on road blocks, killed many, stole their property, rapped women and girls, plus several dirty atrocities against them that made them “Kwekyawa”, to pick guns and fight.
When Jjaja Zakaria was kidnapped in 1977, he disappeared completely to date. But soon after his kidnap a friend of my late dad Mukiibi Abdhala approached him and asked for money to give some soldier to release jjaja. Being a good friend, dad trusted him. He was sure jjaja was going to be freed. This man actually knew no any soldier to help release jjaja Zakaria. But he used the situation to con dad. “Omuntu akubbira mubuzibu aba mubi nnyo”.
Dad gave him the money but he kept on lying to him until “musajja watu taata wange” gave up. From that incident dad “Yakyawa omwami oyo”.
Having told those two stories, let me relate them to the current situation of CORONA and the Ugx 10billion given to the parliamentarians for sensitization.
Sincerely speaking the ten billion shillings stealthily given to the parliamentarians is like that friend of my father who used the sad situation to con my dad. “Abantu bajja kwekyaawa nga era jjaja bweyeekyawa” like my jjaja did and accepted that I join the rebels.
Yesterday I heard the Hon madam speaker stopping the rest of the parliamentarians to talk about that money. That she is the only one to explain. This made me remember the Late Paul Muwanga. After rigging the 1980 elections, he (Paul Muwanga) issued an order/decree that nobody was allowed to announce the results except himself as chairman of the military commission. But he wasn’t the chairman of the electoral commission. Later the vice chairman of the military commission Mr Museveni went to the bush. And many Ugandans lost their lives.
Madame chair/speaker you are repeating bad history. I see a Paul Muwanga in you. And I don’t think Madam Speaker you are the right person to explain that money, when just weeks ago you excited the nation with fake news that a certain Professor from your land had invented the drug to cure covid-19. The voters will never trust your word.
You sit in parliament as if you are immune against Covid-19, “nze mbadde mbasaasira nti corona aja kubakwata kumbe” you were busy planing to rob the national coffers. Temuswaala, naye “Abantu bekyaaye”.
What are you going to explain really about that loot. Good people are contributing to save the vulnerable poor, for you, you are busy breaking into Bank of Uganda to loot ten billion. “Temulina kissa naye abantu bekyaaye.”
I last demonstrated during no Lule no work. I hoped to demonstrate when Mulago hospital was renovated using taxpayer’s money, but made private. I would have demonstrated again this time but I fear being disabled. I’m just waiting for the explanation from you madam speaker. When it isn’t certifying which I don’t expect to certify. I will just turn to the Almighty Allah I know Allah answers the prayer of the cheated. “E dua yoyo gwebalyazamanyiza terina jjiji Allah ajja kutwanukula”. “Abantu bekyaaye”.
I don’t have authority to stop you from eating that money. But it will haunt you to your graves.
“LEARN DIGNITY AND TRANQUILLITY”.- Umar Al Khatab.
For GOD AND MY COUNTRY.
Hajj Ashraf Ssimwogerere.
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