I did not study political science, but I have always heard from those who studied it that political parties are built on ideologies. Any political party that doesn’t have an ideology dies fast. The National Resistance Movement will go down in history as the most tolerant and accommodative political movement to ever happen. Shortly after succeeding in the bush war and liberating Uganda, the NRM faced internal challenges like disagreement on the governance and a number of other things. The people who deviated from core principles and shunned their leader President Museveni openly did so, and they’ve always had a space to air views. Some of those views have been adopted by the Movement to build the country and also improve the service delivery for the people of Uganda. This is also in respect to the ideology of the people who went to the bush. I believe they made a choice to go to the bush after trying all other options, and they failed. The governments then had chosen to do things in accordance with what they want not what Ugandans wanted hence choosing to pick up arms to liberate Ugandans, a struggle that was supported by Ugandans and people from neighboring countries.
I also know and believe that politics is a contest of ideas. It is an art of selling your ideas to the public, and the people choose which idea is the best they choose that idea by supporting it and voting for it. There will always be disagreements in politics because different people have different ideas, and they have different ways of doing things, but the bottom line is service to the people and building the country. In instances where people disagree in politics, it shouldn’t be war but rather disagreeing in principle. I think that’s what democracy is all about. I have seen on international media, developed countries where they say that there’s democracy and that their democracies are old, people disagreeing and reaching to the extent of killing each other. The so-called gun violence is geared by extremism and intolerance. The day President Donald Trump dodged a bullet, it was said that the bullet was coming from the people who disagreed with his political beliefs. Thank God his life was spared, and now he’s the president.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative politician in the US, was assassinated while addressing a rally. He had been a critic of transgender and a number of other behaviors that have turned into a culture in the US. It should be remembered that during the leadership of Joe Biden, several governments and leaders in Africa were sanctioned for their beliefs against transgender. I think up to now, different leaders are restricted to access the US because of that same reason. When President Museveni was asked about the same in his words he said “Let those who want to be gay become so, but they shouldn’t force anyone to become one” This statement meant that president Museveni was willing to accommodate anyone that identified as gay for as long he didn’t forget other people to also be gay.
The opposition in Uganda has failed to pick lessons from President Museveni and the NRM. The most recent victim intolerance in opposition is MP Medard Segona. When he identified himself with Mathias Mpuuga and also openly said that he had interests in taking over NUP leadership, the vetting committee could not see any value in him but rather throwing him under the bus They saw him as someone who was going to sabotage them. The same happened to Mathias Mpuuga, who they accused of getting money from the government, which they said was a bribe from President Museveni. Mathias Mpuuga, as a former leader of the opposition, was entitled to a number of privileges that the NUP party had never stopped him receiving. In fact, even the current opposition leader who replaced Mpuuga still receives those privileges. Interestingly, the NUP party, which doesn’t believe in receiving money from the government, recently applied to join IPOD and shown willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding and subsequently receive cash from the government. How different is the IPOD money from that which Mathias Mpuuga received?
Col. Samson Mande, a known and famous critic of President Museveni, returned home on Independence Day. He spoke publicly that he is ready to make a contribution to the already established development of his country. He is not the first critic of President Museveni to willingly reconcile with him and be recruited into the government. I’m sure Ugandans know a number of them who actually now hold sensitive positions in Government they include among many Nobert Mao, Joyce Ssebugwawo etc. It should be mentioned that the previous day Chris Rwakasisi a former minister in UPC government had given a testimony that was full of President Museveni during the prayer breakfast and recalling what he passed through while in prison but later got pardoned by President Museveni.
The writer is a deputy RDC Sheema District.
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