Your Excellency,
It is with a heavy heart and a deep sense of duty that I write to you. Not in hatred, but in painful honesty and hope that the voice of the common Ugandan may still reach your ear. The greatest betrayal, Your Excellency, is not from enemies, but from those you trust the most.
These individuals—entrusted with public offices and bearing your confidence—have misused their positions for personal gain. They have persecuted citizens, acted ultra vires, and compromised the hopes that once made Ugandans believe in a new dawn. The glimmer of hope your leadership once ignited after years of strife and instability has dimmed—lost amidst corruption, impunity, and betrayal.
What Happened to the Dream?
In your inaugural address in 1986, you spoke with clarity and conviction. You described your movement as “clear-headed,” full of purpose and integrity. You promised to uplift the quality of politics, restore democracy, ensure discipline in security forces, unify Uganda, and promote regional cooperation. For many years, Ugandans believed in your vision.
But now, many feel abandoned. The institutions and values you promised to uphold have been dismantled—shockingly, under your own watch. A large segment of Ugandans, particularly the youth, feel disillusioned. They believe the people closest to you have betrayed your legacy and are dragging the nation backwards, using your name as a shield.
Democracy Under Siege
Democracy vests power in the electorate. It calls for representation, accountability, transparency, and citizen participation. But these principles have suffered devastating blows.
From 2006 to 2021, electoral processes were marred by human rights violations, intimidation, and violence. Many citizens, fearing for their safety, chose to boycott elections—effectively silenced in the political arena. The tragedy in Arua involving your motorcade and the violent crackdown that followed raised disturbing questions about justice and accountability.
More recently, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Amendment Bill—which now allows civilians and family members of military personnel to be tried in military courts—has sent shockwaves across the nation. This development starkly contradicts the democratic and constitutional values you championed in 1986. It erodes civil liberties and expands military reach into the lives of ordinary citizens, further suppressing dissent and violating fundamental freedoms.
Ugandans are asking: Do you see what’s happening in your government? Do you still have control, or has power been hijacked by those around you?
A System Crippled by Corruption
Corruption has paralyzed government programs and undermined trust. Billions have been embezzled—from COVID-19 vaccine development funds, where 31 billion shillings disappeared with explanations involving “special mice,” to phantom hospitals like Lubowa that remain incomplete despite repeated promises.
When public outcry demanded investigations, including into these COVID-19 funds, Your Excellency personally intervened to halt accountability processes—raising even more questions.
Land grabbing schemes around the proposed Standard Gauge Railway route, inflated compensations, and insider deals—such as advance cargo space bookings on Uganda Airlines to double-charge exporters—are allegedly orchestrated by those closest to you. These actions cripple national development while the perpetrators operate freely under the comfort of your protection.
Reports and commissions—such as those led by Lady Justice Bamugemereire or the State House Anti-Corruption Unit—often yield no justice. When officials are caught stealing or abusing their power, they are quietly transferred instead of held accountable. This has led many to believe that the rot is protected from the top. Land grabbing, inflated compensation schemes, theft of medical supplies, job racketeering—these are daily headlines. Ugandans are no longer surprised; they are simply tired.
The Youth Have Risen Not in Hate, But in Despair
The youth do not hate you, Your Excellency. They hate the way their country is being governed today. They see their future slipping through their fingers while a small clique enriches itself. They see corruption go unpunished, injustice protected, and dissent violently suppressed. They are standing up not against you personally, but against the system that has betrayed their dreams.
Their call is simple: Peaceful transition. Real accountability. Restoration of justice. Respect for the rule of law. They want leaders who do not sell jobs, steal drugs, suppress speech, or use violence as a tool of silence.
A Final Plea
It is the people you trust who have turned your achievements into torment. They have twisted your vision into a tool of oppression. If there is any legacy left to preserve, let it be this: that you heard your people when they cried out for justice.
Your Excellency, allow Ugandans to express themselves without bullets or batons. Step back from shielding those who destroy what you once built. Give this country a chance at healing.
End not as a man who was overthrown by his own comrades, but as a leader who rose again—one last time—to do what was right.
Respectfully,
John Arthur Kamale
Kajohnarthur@gmail.com
Journalist in Diaspora
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