By Dr. Nathan Karema
In a spell of three months, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has restored hope to many who had given up on the persevering icy relationship between Uganda and Rwanda.
The borders are fully opened and the two country’s armies seem to have put their guard down. What we have is confidence, free movement of people, trade and restored cultural ties between the two countries.
As ordinary people who have witnessed a lot between these countries, the latest diplomatic moves by Muhoozi can only be saluted for having come at the right time. It is hoped that these moves by himself and the President of Rwanda will save lives.
These peace building efforts have also placed Muhoozi beyond a mere First Son to a level of an ordinary Ugandan who wants peace and security for socio-economic development of the two peoples.
To understand where I am coming from, let us visit some history.
Uganda’s Colonial history indicates that it was easy for imperialists to take charge of Political Affairs of Uganda and indeed the whole of Africa. The factors that eased the acquisition, establishment and maintenance of the Ugandan colony included among others; slave trade which had depleted the continent of energetic men and cowed the rest, and the fact that Uganda was made up of small and disorganized political units that were predominantly led by ignorant and greedy chiefs and kings. It is this Lack of a strong army, weak leadership and disorganized political units that fanned the evil intentions of the colonialists who masqueraded as explorers, missionaries and traders. It is common knowledge for instance that when the King Kabalega of Bunyoro resisted the colonial policies, the colonialists mobilized his neighbors and ganged up against him and defeated him. It took Uganda over 70 years to awaken and demand for independence from its colonial masters.
Our history further indicates that merely three years after the independence of 1962, things began to fall apart. What had started as celebration for an independent state soon became fragile and deteriorated into a reign of terror that led to revenge killings by leaders, coups and counter coups, arbitrary arrests of prominent persons, indiscriminate assassinations and murders, fraudulent elections, to mention but a few. It is this state of affairs that birthed the protracted people’s revolution led by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) which ascended to leadership in 1986.
The ascendance of the NRM into the Leadership and Management of our Country has created immense developments over the 35-year period in which it has been in Charge. We have seen tremendous developments such as infrastructure expansion in roads and energy, enormous human capital development through universal education and health, promotion of private sector led growth that has promoted industrialization and Foreign Direct Investments, etc. The single most important question that has been sorted by the NRM is the political question. From promotion of the rule of Law, to the doctrine of separation of Powers, to opening of political space to multiparty politics, to returning power to the people through constant selection of Leaders through adult suffrage, our democracy has slowly but surely taken root.
With all the above mentioned achievements occasioned by Gen. Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni at the helm of the NRM for over 35 years, a section of the Ugandan Population seems anxious about who the next President of Uganda will be. The succession question is becoming prominent day by day. As expected, a section of the media both conventional and social media is awash with talk of the First Son; Lieutenant General. Muhoozi Keinerugaba being a contender to the presidency.
Deciphering the possibility of the First Son being a Presidential contender requires us to apply objective reality. Objective reality means the situation as it exists at any moment in time. For instance, Gen. Muhoozi Keinerugaba is currently a serving Army General with the mantle of commanding the Land Forces of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF). It is therefore improper for the media or political pundits to consciously assume the matter of the good general contending for the Presidency. This view is a mere subjective reflection of objective reality and could be intended to further a debate journalists and political commentators have coined for reasons they know best.
It is however true that every present or current situation is a replacement of a past situation that preceded it and the present will, in turn, be replaced by a future situation. The contradiction of who will take over the mantle of the Presidency from His Excellency Gen. Yoweri Museveni will at a time or another emerge. Resolving this contradiction requires us Ugandans to approach it objectively and without an iota of bias. It requires us to critically examine where we have come from, where we are and the far we want to go. It is important to understand the major players in our Country’s existence and how they have affected our historical trajectory. It is equally critical for us to understand how we want to propel our Country forward. Our forefathers suffered slave trade and diseases, some suffered the harsh colonial policies while others suffered under the ruthlessness of post-independence administrations prior to 1986.
Throughout my long life, it has occurred to me that Uganda is a Country with constant urge to be better, to improve, to upgrade and to evolve. Ugandans are a people that want to know more, get better skills, and lead better and successful livelihoods. Our aspirations and receptiveness have in the past made us gullible to situations that we later wished they had never occurred in our motherland.
Resolving the question of who will take over from His Excellency General Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni ought to be guided by our history and our aspirations as a people. We ought to handover this mantle to a Visionary, a Patriot, a Nationalist, a Pan-Africanist that will hold our act together and spur increased social economic transformation of our motherland. If Lieutenant General Muhoozi Keinerugaba demonstrates that he is that kind of a leader, the reality of his being a Ugandan Citizen should never be shrouded in his being a First Son.
The writer is a senior Citizen
This is a well thought article