By Andrew M. Mwenda
May 5, 2004
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Former Director General of External Security Organisation (ESO), David Pulkol, dominated the news early this week when it was announced that he was the “consultant” for the Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) on its strategies to resist the proposed constitutional amendment to remove term limits on the presidency.
It is interesting how politics plays out in the third world because only yesterday, Pulkol and Ofwono stood on different sides of this same fence called the NRM/Movement/Museveni government. In 1998 at the height of the Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) sale-scandal and the censure of Sam Kutesa, I appeared on a Sanyu Television show with Ofwono. In an angry mood at the rot in government, Ofwono said this is a “government of robbers.” In 2000, Ofwono became a blue-eyed son of the NRM/Movement/Museveni. In the 2001 presidential elections, Kiiza Besigye’s campaign team used this television sound bite to hit at both Ofwono and the Movement. However, in 1998, when Ofwono’s anger against this government was high, Pulkol was the chief of ESO, and stood on the opposite side of the fence, at least in the public’s view. In 2002 I hosted Besigye on Andrew Mwenda Live with Col. Noble Mayombo the Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) in one of the greatest broadcast showdowns in Uganda.
Actually Besigye cornered Pulkol accusing him of saying many anti government things in a private conversation to which Pulkol answered, and admirably so, that he stood by what he had said. Now the situation, as it were, has come full circle: Pulkol has declared his intentions to take on President Yoweri Museveni. As it often works, the government will immediately move to link him with some newly created rebel group, and then later the government will announce it has evidence that Pulkol’s rebel group has links with the LRA. I am waiting to host Mayombo or another security chief to give us details of Pulkol’s collusion with Kony rebels. When you are a hammer, so the saying goes, everything you see, you think it is a nail. President Museveni is a militarist, and he sees in every political opponent an armed rebel. That is why I have also been accused by the various military chiefs of being a rebel collaborator; first Brig. Henry Tumukunde when he was Chief of Military Intelligence had accused me of being a collaborator with the Allied Defence Forces (ADF), and now army spokesman, Maj. Shaban Bantariza (after I had exposed his shallowness in military matters in a live television debate) who recently accused me of being a Kony collaborator. This is how Kony’s war has been politically, militarily and commercially functional for this government. Tumukunde is now out of favour and he certainly will become a rebel collaborator the day he openly comes out to challenge the evils of this government (he is now doing it in muted mummers). And now that Pulkol is out of government, let us hope he will help enlighten Ugandans on how the accusation of rebel collaboration is used by the government to suppress free _expression_ and democratic discussion. The Pulkol and Tumukunde story should also be a lesson to the many other people in the movement, Ofwono included, that dictatorships often devour their own children. It does not pay to take fanatical positions in defence of dictators. Like Satanic cults, the demands of loyalty and sacrifice one has to make increase by the day. A friend who recently “got saved” after a long time hobnobbing with Satanic worship told me after indulging in human sacrifice, the demons later asked him to sleep with his mother. He sought protection from God by becoming “born again.” Tumukunde, Pulkol, Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu (he was the first Director of Military Intelligence) etc have managed security in this country, in Muntu’s case when it was still noble. Possibly they were made to commit, or order the commission of grave atrocities in the name of the state. But a time comes when one’s conscience cannot stomach the demands of sustaining the life of a dictatorship, and they throw in the towel. It is a humiliating turn-around when the people you harassed and hounded are the ones from whom you now seek sympathy and support. The exit of people like Pulkol, Muntu, Eriya Kategaya, Mathew Rukikaire, Amanya Mushega (he has no choice but to walk out), Bidandi Ssali (his days in the NRMO are numbered), etc is a sign that the sane and moderate voices of this government have thrown in the towel. The remaining sane minds like Ndugu Ruhakana Rugunda, Apollo Nsibambi, Gerald Sendaula, are too few and far in between to influence the course of events in the NRMO or the government. Left with the new camp followers, President Museveni is in unfamiliar company. During the last elections, Museveni suggested they arrest Besigye. People like the late James Wapakabulo, Kategaya, Miria Matembe, Mushega etc prevailed on him not to. Today, were Museveni to be caught in such a difficult, yet sensitive situation, he only has around him a cabal of young men and women who will only cheer him on as the moderates like Rugunda, afraid of being misunderstood, will hold back from volunteering genuine advice. So, as senior pillars of the movement jump ship, we are left with a Museveni driving a train-full of fuel towards a steel wall, with certain explosion. Yet his navigators on the train are telling the driver that it can break through the steel wall of amending the constitution to remove term limits and even win a third term without the explosion. We are counting down the days.
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© 2004 The Monitor Publications
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