At 81, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni went in for another election which he won. To many watchers, the Ugandan election outcome was just the same as the previous ones but a little hope that the opposition could bring a surprise.
To be a president of a country is very assuring. The perks and security and access to the resources of the country and the control of the vast human and material resources can turn an ideological activist who became Uganda’s president powered by guerrilla warfare, to unleash violence towards the opposition and people of Uganda, while seemingly grooming his son as successor in a likely monarchical future.
The Ugandans may have been beaten for as many as the youthful population only know Museveni and his old people accomplices who seized power and have remained in power even in their frailty.
Currently, the 43 year old Robert Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine who ran against Museveni is hiding, afraid of being arrested as his family is under house arrest as BBC reported. Wine said the election result is fake with ballot stuffing.
“I know they are looking for me, but even if they succeed and get me, and do whatever, I want to say this to you fellow Ugandans,” he said on video, “We reject whatever is being declared by Mr Simon Byabakama [the chair of the Electoral Commission] because those so-called results that they are declaring are fake and they don’t in any way reflect what happened at the polling stations.” Al Jazeera reports.
Robert Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine
The President’s son and army General Muhoozi Kainerugaba issued threats on X; “We have killed 22 NUP terrorists since last week…I’m praying the 23rd is Kabobi,,” he wrote, referring to the opposition National Unity Platform and its leader, Wine, who got 25% of votes.
After seizing power in 1986 Yoweri Museveni said, “the problem of Africa in general and Uganda in particular is not the people but leaders who want to overstay in power.” At his swearing-in, he said, “this is a fundamental change in the politics of our government.”
“It is, however, our deliberate policy to ensure that we uplift the quality of politics in our country. We are quite different from the previous people in power who encouraged evil instead of trying to fight it.”
It is amazing that the president has turned his back on the driving ideology that fuelled his fight to the office as he has become a problem to Africa and Uganda by overstaying. He is accused of corruption and utilising violence against his critics.
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Equally, the president uplifted the quality of Uganda’s politics by intimidating his opponents violently even as his son boasted of killing some of the opposition leaders.
That Ugandans continued to vote for him as touted by an overwhelming 72% as announced, if not by coercion, ballot rigging, violence and other forms of electoral manipulation, was it love for the old man who desires to live and die a president in office while holding the country hostage?
The President seems to see himself and his accomplices as the only ones capable of leading Uganda. As it is, there are no more new ideas coming from him but an old man guided by his insatiate urge and corruption to keep enjoying the appurtenances of presidency.
That is an entitled ideology and borrowing his words, he has overstayed and he is a problem for Africa.