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--- Begin Message ---Stop divide-and-rule on federo issue
Beti Kamya Turwomwe
In much of African and English folklore, the presence of Mr. Hare brought an anticipation of a battle of wits, heavily seasoned with lies, deception, scheming and motives that were less than honourable. Mr. Hare usually took the day but never won any prizes for honour in the Animal Kingdom.
Over a period of 18 years, President Yoweri Museveni has distinguished himself as Mr. Hare incarnate. Indeed, a popular joke these days goes that after a handshake with the President of Uganda, it is advisable to immediately check one�s hand, lest some of the fingers have gone missing.
No one knows anymore whether or when Museveni is genuine in speech or action, but everyone seems to agree that he is a dedicated, fulltime schemer, from the day he introduced his Movement politics as �all-inclusive�, through his political indoctrination courses, the Constitution- making exercise, installation of the Kabaka and other traditional leaders, opening up of political space under the auspices of the Political Parties and Organisations Act and now the federo talks.
The President has been scheming, scheming and more scheming but as they say, you cannot fool all the people all the time, and finally, federo seems to be his undoing.
Surely, for all his political acumen and grasp of the politics of Uganda, does President Museveni really believe his words when he described the Katikkiro of Buganda and his team as �people without constituencies wishing to confuse people� or was it one of his schemes intended to pit elected leaders in Buganda against the Katikkiro and the Mengo establishment? Which politician in Uganda can mobilise people, the way the Katikkiro does, to support his/her programmes without any personal expectations? Did the President not see how people, including non-Baganda, turned out to support the Kabaka�s coronation, wedding and subsequent anniversary celebrations. Does Museveni remember the mass turnout that went to escort the Katikkiro to submit Buganda�s memorandum to Ssempebwa�s Constitutional Review Commission, or the recent call to attend a federo workshop in Lubiri? The Katikkiro mobilises Baganda to support his positions without spending a penny.
In contrast, if the President wants to be welcomed from his trip abroad, he has to find sh300m. When he went to visit Gulu, where they do not grow matooke, he had to carry essanja and feed ssanja wearers to welcome him.
The Katikkiro and the Lukiiko were not elected because of lack of resources, but like it or not, they have a bigger and more loyal constituency than any politician in Uganda. And they do not nurture their constituency with material goods or promises. The �elected� leaders of Buganda, whom President Museveni is trying to pit against the Katikkiro can only hold their constituencies with sweat and blood, attending all constituency functions, paying school fees and medical bills for supporters, families plus living with insults and abuses from an ungrateful lot.
The Katikkiro on the other hand does not buy his constituency with material goods, he is the Kabaka�s appointee and that is enough for the people. The President should therefore, stop deceiving himself that he can pit elected leaders of Buganda against the Katikkiro and they know it.
Everybody saw what happened to the �elected� Ian Kyeyune during the federo workshop in Lubiri, recently.
The President should be advised that all elected leaders in Buganda, their political divide notwithstanding, have to clearly pronounce themselves on federo before delving into other issues.
If the President wants to get his supporters in Buganda re-elected, he would do well not to pit them against the Kabaka and the Katikkiro with his divide-and-rule ways. The Kabaka has a very big constituency, make no mistake about it.
Having said all that, if the Baganda have presented federo as good for the entire country, why does the President keep isolating it as a Buganda issue and not give it a national perspective? But of course, we all now know that faced with a conflict between him and Uganda, President Museveni will easily condemn Uganda to hell and choose what is good for Museveni.
EndsNew Vision: Sunday, 29th August, 2004
--- End Message ---
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