On January 29, 2024, Museveni, and his gang of the corrupt shall have ruled Uganda for 38 years, having unilaterally assumed the office of the President of Uganda on that day in 1986. To put Museveni’s dictatorship in context, in 1986 Ronald Regan was President of the United States. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Michael Gorbachev was the leader pf the defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and Olof Palmer was Prime Minister of Sweden, to mention but a few leaders.
In Africa, De Klerk was Prime Minister of South Africa, Daniel Arap Moi was President of Kenya and Mobutu was President of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). To suggest that Museveni is a dinosaur, a relic of the past, is to understate his relevance. Not surprising, dictator Museveni wants to continue to rule Uganda after 2026. During the last 38 years what has Museveni done for Uganda?
Museveni shall be remembered for three things: First, Museveni killed democracy by ruling Uganda as a dictatorship alongside corrupt NRM functionaries. The NRM organises elections which they cheat, rigg, arrest, torture and often, murder political opponents or force them into exile. Second, Museveni chose to murder his real or perceived political opponents in Acholi, Lango, Teso, Kaseses, and Buganda, especially members and supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP). Murder is the NRM policy for elimination of political opponents. Third, the deliberate destruction of the economy. Under the cover of ‘Privatization’ President Museveni cannibalized state and government properties, gave them as hand-outs to members of his family, friends and NRM functionaries.
Having destroyed the country, why do some Ugandans still support or tolerate Museveni? There are many possible explanations. Here I focus on the most obvious reasons but often ignored. That is, most members of the political class are compromised by Museveni and his intelligence operatives. The political leaders owe their wealth and existence to the person of Museveni. The military class are united by their crimes, having murdered and continue to murder Ugandans individually and collectively through a policy of exclusion, discrimination, and physical elimination. Many NRM functionaries and the political class are so deeply entrenched in criminality that they cannot afford to ditch Museveni for the fear of retaliations, possible disappearance or death.
Even some senior members of the opposition political parties, pay lip service in condemning Museveni because they are hooked by their criminality. Perhaps the best-known critic of Museveni is Dr Col (Rtd) Kizza Besigye. His hands are very dirty. During the massacres and the depopulation of Acholi, Besigye was the Minister for State of Internal Affairs and Political Commissar of the murderous NRA. Besigye wielded immense political and military powers then.Together with Museveni, Besigye and other senior NRA commanders camped in Gulu, Northern Uganda supervising the mass killing of Acholi. Of the NRA senior officers camped in Gulu was Gen Mugisha Muntu, the Army Commander. Gen David Tinyefunza and Col Mande were NRA field commanders. Acholi quislings who supported Museveni included Ministers Betty Bigombe responsible for Acholi pacification, Hilary Onek, and Oryem Okello the son of Gen Tito Okello who Museveni frequently refer to as ‘swine’. These individuals and many more like them are fully compromised and are incapable of imagining a world without Museveni.
Of the few politicians whose records are clean, and are fit to govern Uganda, are Robert Kyaluganyi also known as Bobi Wine. President of NUP. Ugandans who seek change without the use of violence are advised to support Bobi Wine and the NUP leadership. Museveni the dinosaur and his murderous NRA commanders and NRM functionaries shall eventually account for their crimes. Change is going to come
Dr Obote Odora, Author, Africa’s Decolonisation (2023) (Freedom World Publishers, Sweden). Printed by GML Printers, Stockholm, Sweden.
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