JUMA MPENDO: With Gen. Muhoozi, Uganda is on Course For Her First Peaceful Power Transfer 

Looking back at Uganda’s troubled passed as per the preamble of the 1995 constitution, the debate on fears for a possible spill of blood at the next change of leadership will understandably be a dominant one.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has severally avered that this beautiful pearl-Uganda had been a bed of turmoil for over 500 years before the rise of NRA in 1986.

The opposition, led by FDC founding Chairman Kizza Besigye, has often expressed fear that there has been a bloodbath each time there has been a transfer of power, right from the pre-colonial era where blood was always the price when chiefs sought to annex their neighbours to their dominions. The same continued as Uganda attained majority rule in 1962, starting with the ugly events of the 1966 ‘coup’ as then Prime Minister, Apollo Milton Obote ousted, exiled Executive President Sir Edward Mutesa Luwangula to England. The same would continue in 1971 as Idk Amin Dada, then the Army Commander deposed President Obote who was on official duties in Singapore.

Amin was overthrown through a bloody and protracted war in 1979 with the help of the Tanzanian government of Mwalim Julius Nyerere. The years months between May 1979 and December 1980 were the longest as a lot of unforgettable occurrences happened that would form a significant part of this country’s bitter history. Four Presidents in just over a year was an incredible feat to write about.

Even when Uganda attained its first democratic forming regime in 1986, it wasn’t attained without spilling blood through the popular Luwero uprising by General Museveni and other gallant men and women.

As things look now, it appears certain that the country is set to have its first democratic evolution that will see an outgoing president welcome his successor at a peaceful handover function for the very first time in the country’s history. It had always looked highly unlikely that General Museveni, who has always been hell-bent on guarding the commendable gains of the 1986 revolution and the stability of this country, would easily hand over power to a group he did not completely trust would steer this country to the right path he had always envisioned since the preparatory stages of his revolution in the mid-1970s.

General Muhoozi doesn’t only fit that viability due to his blood relationship to President Museveni as his son but he is also a top military General who holds similar values to the current leadership. Besides, Muhoozi was born and raised under the revolution, making the tenets of the NRM regime flow in his blood. He has participated in or watched UPDF manoeuvre to the top where it is now, achieving no mean feat of securing the land that had been a den of warriors for centuries in just a matter of years.

There has been a lot of misplaced noise about a possible clash of allegiance between Muhoozi supporters and those of President Museveni. These have been predominantly fuelled by regime enemies supposing that a fight between the camos would create a rupture to weaken the system and allow them to get power. Unfortunately for them, this is not likely to transpire in any case.

Whoever believes Muhoozi will try to challenge his father must be daydreaming. It’s a public secret that President Museveni has throughout his life excelled as a perfectly loving father to his children but also a strict disciplinarian. He has oftentimes confessed his pride in his children, the most recent one coming last year as he willed that General Muhoozi – the Avenger would take vengeance upon whoever would attack him. He also projected a corruption-free regime under his dear son when he said Muhoozi is less tolerant of corruption compared to him(Museveni).

Just like the Bible says no one knows when the son will come again, it may not be today but it will surely come to pass and it’s around the corner. Let’s all be prepared for the second coming of the grandson of Kaguta.

The writer is the Ag National Coordinator for the Team Chairman Diaspora wing.