Opinion Posts

A CHAOTIC PARLIAMENT AND THE RHYTHM OF HISTORY IN NOTHINGNESS

For those who follow Uganda opposition politics there appears to be a rhythm of history being repeated both in and outside parliament that doesn’t take much intelligence to know how it may all end probably in disarray, disintegration and dreary tears as what’s unfolding in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), split into Najjanankumbi and Katonga factions much like FORD-Kenya-Ford-Asiili many years ago now. What passes for a National Unity Platform (NUP) is walking the steps FDC has walked two decades now.

THE WORLD CONSPIRATORIAL AMBIVALENCE OVER ISRAEL BRUTALITY ON PALESTINIANS

Palestine has been burning for two weeks now under Israel’s brutal and indiscriminate military tanks, artillery, airpower, and ground troops, which if had been done by another country, not US and European staunch ally, would qualify for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, yet the world remains ambivalent. Ostensibly, this latest episode is retaliation to Hamas abhorrent raid on a social festival that left hundreds dead including many taken hostage which left the bravado state awfully terrified, humiliated and angry. 

NABBANJA, LUMUMBA PUBLIC SPAT; UNDERSTANDING THE PECKING ORDER IN NRM

It took fifteen repeat voting and 216 votes for Kevin McCarthy to become Speaker of the United States House of Representatives in March 2023. And also took 216 votes in a stunning single ballot last week as the first Speaker in their history to be ousted, more-over instigated by elements from his Republican Party. In the UK, the fall of three Prime Ministers in a row, Theresa May, Boris Johnson a.k.a. the Convict, and Liz Truss derisively nicknamed ‘Lettuce’ over the last seven years should all be lessons on leadership humility.  

UGANDA AT 61: COUNTING LOSSES AND GAINS BUT NO TURNING BACK

Sixty-one years this week, Uganda appeared in a brief fanfare from British colonial rule under the 1962 federal constitution with an imbalanced power structure between the central government and the so-called federal states, in effect feudal pseudo monarchs. Some historians writing with hindsight, say it was perhaps inevitable that chaos and breakdown ensued almost immediately.

KIZZA BESIGYE PUSHES FDC ONE STEP TO THE EDGE OF GRAVEYARD

We shall continue putting microscopic eyes on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) which last week took itself to the edge of the graveyard. In a rather cavalier and dramatic fashion, elements within FDC opposition party leadership, instigated by its founder president Kizza Besigye staged what many in legal circles consider a futile coup that purports to have toppled Patrick Oboi Amuriat, Secretary General Nathan Nandala Mafabi and Treasurer Geoffrey Ekanya.

NRM RURAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY: THE FORGOTTEN RURAL FARMER’S SCHEME

The ongoing political rancor over alleged neglect of Luwero Triangle, the beacon of NRM revolution compels my recollection into Uganda’s rural transformation journey since 1987 when government in a fanfare launched the now forgotten Rural Farmer’s Scheme, and along with it, the Free Tractor Service funded through the Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) and Cooperative Bank (Co-op Bank) both state owned.

THE NUP POLITICS OF BULLYING AND INSOLENCE MUST BE TACKLED

What passes for the National Unity Platform (NUP) opposition political party is emerging as rogue tribal sectarian outfit whose impudence, bullying, mob mentality and crude arrogance at the national level must be knocked down if Uganda is to maintain stability and social cohesion. Last week’s public rally in Luwero town where its leader Robert Kyagulanyi called for the expulsion of alleged non-Ugandans accusing them of myriads of transgressions against the Baganda went beyond a healthy discourse and bordered incitement to criminal violence.

NRM, MACHIAVELLI AND A VANQUISHED OPPOSITION ON KNEES

The political ground is beginning to shake again in preparation for 2026 general elections as inter and intra party elbowing come to the surface, possibly realignments and NRM needs to keep possible opposition resurgence within check. After 37 years under President Yoweri Museveni, NRM no longer enjoy much of the rose garden considering various internal malaise, impudence and public dissatisfaction over sluggish service delivery.

BOBI WINE’S LYING TONGUE; A LET-DOWN MESSAGE IN LUWEERO

There’s a thriller book titled “The Lying Tongue” by Andrew Wilson, and also a Bible verse; The Deadly Sins; Proverbs 6-16-19: A Lying Tongue, which God detests. Bobi Wine, otherwise called Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu seeks to out-flank both, and is a let-down in his political message, not that the public expected much from a local musician turning into a political maestro.

MILITARY COUPS IN WEST AFRICA AND THE DRUMS OF WAR

The recent chain of military coups in West Africa, mostly former French colonies is an inflection point, a disdain and rebuke to French meddling, dilemma for a lackluster African Union (UA), and exposes the stupidity of its psychology. The AU left putschists intact in Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Sudan where a civil war is raging. This week Gabon’s Omar Bongo Ondimba fell in a surprise turn of events minutes after being declared the winner of a presidential election, and few will ‘make noise’ in his favour.

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