When ministers in uncoordinated media statements disclosed that Uganda had been asked by the US government (White House) to host Afghan evacuees, it sent the tongues of local political useful idiots to start wagging. One former presidential candidate, in ignorance, in innocent stupidity even disputed Uganda’s historical humanitarian efforts reasoning that the evacuees should travel directly to US which he said was nearer Afghanistan.

With the Taliban on the roll, and back in power ruling Afghanistan, it’s evidently settled that the U.S. has lost the longest war after Vietnam in humiliation being reflected in the crescendo of domestic blame-game, and among allies who hanged on US wings and praying. From a strategic view, Joe Biden can now shift focus on Covid19, China and Climate Change.

At parliament all seems not be on well as reports emerge from the corridors that the journalists posted there have built a very bad, unethical and unprofessional reputation of demanding, in fact, extorting money and other favours from members of parliament (MPs) in return for favorable coverage.

State House described this week’s meeting between President Yoweri Museveni and Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi as a “courtesy call” in which they shared “pleasantries and matters of mutual interest for the development of Buganda and Uganda”. Unfortunately, the meeting came against the subdued and angry tone by Mutebi and his sidekick, Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga over the proposed amendment to the extortionist feudal Mailo land system. It’s sad though not strange, that Mengo leaders are opposing the proposals even before reading the contents.

It’s sixteen months and counting since Covid19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and for African countries especially Uganda, we seem to be whistling in the dark concerning our levels of preparedness, capacity to test and treat, and to wholly accept the hard measures as meant for our collective good and safety. With social life, education and economy devastated the anguish, anxiety and rising resistance among the public are understandable. 

Jamil Alibaki, Nnyanzi Yafeesi Philip, Lwanga Thomas Musisi, Kityo Denis Musoke, Jjunju Abdalla-a Kenyan driver, Kalamire Patanguli- a British citizen, Julius Elius Mashairi a Tanzanian Citizen, Lumu Nicholas are different people in one. Elsewhere, he went by David Amon Musenge. This was the world of Jamil Mukulu, leader of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who was a fugitive on the run for two decades until his capture in Tanzania and extradition to Uganda in 2015. 

After two decades war of invasion, occupation, exploitation, and subjugation codenamed “War on Terror” with two separate operations, “Operation Enduring Freedom” fighting to defeat the Taliban, and “Operation Freedom’s Sentinel” launched in 2014 to train the new Afghan national army, the ‘mighty’ US army on July 4, 2021, America’s 245th Independence anniversary unceremoniously abandoned its main Bagram military base outside Kabul, in defeat and humiliation. 

Aggrey Siryoyi Awori, 82, who died this week by his own account, lived a full life as a flamboyant maverick across social, business, professional and political spheres both here and abroad starting from student days in King’s college Budo up to Harvard in the United States where he later returned in 1981 as Uganda’s Ambassador in Washington.

This week the Communist Party of China (CPC) marked Centenary of its founding in 1921, and doing so with immense pride in the all-round successes it has achieved especially lifting over five million of its citizens out of extreme poverty into prosperity, and overtaking Western nations that colonized, subjugated, and exploited the rest of the world including China.

The recent political shifts against the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Yoweri Museveni particularly in Buganda and Busoga, hitherto known strongholds, are grim pointers to what the future portends. The loss came against the backdrop when NRM first lost Kampala in 2001, and later Jinja, Masaka, Mbale, Wakiso, Kabale, and Tororo, and the conventional wisdom then was to dismiss it as an urban phenomenon mostly driven by the ungrateful elites.