President Museveni frequently tells us about how the country expected him and his group of the NRA to revenge against the UPC when they took over power. Most Ugandans and people in the world knew that immediately after taking over power, next on the agenda was to harass and revenge against those who had made their life difficult when they were in the bush struggling for power. But this did not happen because it was not the intention of the National Resistance Army to revenge. Instead, the intention was to bring about national reconciliation so that new efforts of building a country which had crumbled would commence. Those efforts would have been in vein if indeed they started on revenging and harassing those they were fighting against and those they disagreed with. In their wisdom, the NRA group led by President Museveni knew that revenge wasn’t one of the solution to heal the country neither and it wasn’t going to get Uganda out of the ditch that the past governments had thrown it into. People needed to reconcile and unite so that they combine efforts to do everything that was possible for the country to recover from the shocks of the bad leadership that had crumbled the security and the overall governance of the pearl of Africa. This however doesn’t mean that they didn’t have the capacity to pay back the atrocities that were committed against them and also the unnecessary mass shading of blood and disappearance of several freedom fighters.
Reconciliation, coexistence, tolerance, forgiveness and being accommodative have since then been the main pillars of the National Resistance Movement. It has not only helped us to appeal to the opposition but it has also helped us to mobilise Ugandans not only for political support but also development. In fact it’s on record that President Museveni has pardoned former ministers and army officers who served past governments and who were in jail. Most of them have been appointed and they’re serving with him in the government. This now confirms the goal of the National Resistance Movement which was not to cause danger to those who misused power but rather bring them on board and working with them to build their own country.
President Museveni frequently talks about the disunity that had erupted in Uganda and that disunity was based on the tribes and religion. The political parties DP, UPC, Kabaka Yeeka were formed basing on those sectarian lines. Actually, in his address during the liberation day on 26th January, President Museveni said that no body can build a strong army if they base it on the sectarian tendencies. He added on to say that those political parties failed to get the required percentage to win the elections because of sectarianism. The countries in Africa whose armies have been built on the foundations of sectarianism have always found it difficult to keep the country safe. Conflicts usually break out between the military and before nobody knows people lose their lives. Actually even governing those countries has been very difficult with insecurity becoming a serious challenge and also affecting the neighboring countries.
The National Resistance Movement has since then declared zero tolerance to the politics of sectarianism and tribalism. President Museveni during the last liberation day said that the politicians who win elections because of sectarianism should be prosecuted in the courts of law if there’s evidence. The NRM government has allowed professionalism to take precedence both in the army and the civil service. For the first time after a long time, recruitment and promotion in the army is done on merit and every Ugandan who qualify to join the military can always easily do so without asking them about their tribes and religion. Every time when there’s an exercise for recruitment all districts in Uganda are free to send their children to the national service of military without neglecting anyone. I think that is the reason as to why we’ve had a united army for a long time which also has a record of discipline. It is also very easier to punish those who do wrong because after all they know that everyone is supposed to do what is right and they know that they’re equal. Had the past doctrine of tribalism in the army continued it would have been difficult to discipline them because after all you cannot tame someone who knows he exists because of his tribe or faith. Such a person becomes arrogant and unruly hence creating all forms of impunity.
Obviously, Uganda having the bad history of the politics of sectarianism that were fronted by the past governments, Up to now some people are still stuck in that kind of bad politicking. They see leadership and services in the lenses of their tribes and faith and it is the reason as to why they’ve turned into radicals and extremists to the extent of engaging in the acts of crime as away of fighting the sitting government. Unfortunately even the children who are actually innocent and naive about those maters have been recruited, We recently saw a number of children who were recruited to join ADF. Most of those children have been misled and brainwashed by the individuals who are still stuck in the politics of the past. These ones do not know the dangers or the outcome of that kind of politicking if it spreads to the entire population.
For any country to develop it must be united. The combined efforts for a common goal very much crutial to put the country forward in terms of development. Thank God in Uganda we’ve some opposition Members who have openly accepted and declared to work with the current government for the betterment of their communities. These ones set aside their disagreements and put forward the interests of the larger community which they represent. I think the MPs Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya should abandon the bad politics of radicalism and extremism and work with the current government for the development of the Constituencies which they represent as Members of Parliament. They should be reminded that the National Resistance Movement enjoys support from all parts of the country and for anybody to defeat the NRM you must convince all those Ugandans first. When elections are held and leaders are sworn in, they form a government and it becomes their responsibility to make budgets and bring services closer to the people and that’s what democracy is all about. Interestingly, democracy doesn’t favor the minority that much and that’s why the minority must always find means of either getting majority or negotiating with the majority to get what they want.
The days that MPs Ssewanyana and Ssegirinya have spent in prison would have been of great importance to their families and the people they represent if indeed they learnt to do away with the bad politics of extremism and radicalism. Right now, they would have accomplished a few of the things that they promised their voters but because they decided to follow the ancient politics of radicalism they found themselves in trouble. Unfortunately, we even have people who have lost their lives because of this kind of politics, these ones are hyped and fueled to cause chaos and some even attack armed security officers. Surprisingly the people who poison their minds with that dangerous doctrine step back when they sense danger, they remain at home or even go abroad for holidays after sparking fire and putting their colleagues in danger.
The writer is a deputy RDC Sheema District.
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