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KAMPALA First Lady Janet Museveni's response to former US
Ambassador Johnnie Carson's criticism of the President's democratic
credentials has drawn strong criticism and support from different
political players.
Mr Carson recently wrote an article in The Boston Globe, an
American newspaper, praising President Museveni's achievements in
turning around the economy and successfully fighting HIV/Aids but
also lambasted him for attempting to cling on to power.
Carson, who served as ambassador to Uganda from 1991-1994, said
Mr Museveni's bid to overstay in power is intended to protect his
family from prosecution for "alleged involvement in illegal
activities". The former ambassador, whose article was reprinted in
The Monitor on May 4, cited Museveni's son Maj. Muhoozi Kainerugaba
and brother Lt. Gen. Salim Saleh as the key beneficiaries of the
kisanja.
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| LOYAL TO FAMILY: First Lady Janet
Museveni. |
The article provoked an impassioned response from the first lady.
Her letter, peppered with biblical quotes, was published in The New
Vision on Thursday.
In the letter, Ms Museveni said that when people see her husband
leading the country they think he is dong it for personal gain. She
said nothing could be farther from the reality. "...serving Uganda
is no bed of roses, and believe me, my family has paid a big price
for our homeland that we all love so much."
She added: "Museveni does not need a job. It is Uganda that needs
liberation, and he and other Ugandan patriots are willing to give
all the sacrifice it will take to eradicate fascism and bring about
economic liberation..."
Several opposition politicians regard the first lady's response
as a direct commitment by the first family to stay at the top.
Mr Chapaa Karuhanga, the co-ordinator of the major six political
parties (G6), said if Museveni is a true liberator as his wife
claims, his supporters or his office should have written in response
to Carson.
UPC's Henry Mayega said it was a shame for the first lady to
claim that Museveni liberated Uganda yet about two million people
are living in internally displaced peoples' camps in the war-ravaged
northern Uganda.
However, Mr John Nagenda, the President's senior advisor on the
media and public relations, said that Ms Museveni wrote the letter
because she probably felt hurt as a member of the first family.
He accused Carson of personalising his comments.
"That seemed
to be not a good idea," Nagenda said. "I didn't see the sense of
personalising it to one family. I don't think it was worthy of
somebody as bright as Mr Carson."
The former ambassador is now the senior vice president at the
National Defence University in Washington.
Mr Sam Njuba, FDC's executive co-ordinator, said Janet Museveni
should be cautious when talking about Uganda's liberation. "We are
under the yoke of Museveni. We are trying to liberate ourselves from
him. We initially thought he was a liberator but we eventually
discovered otherwise," said Njuba, who once served as Museveni's
minister of constitutional affairs.
Dr John Barya of the Free Movement accused the first lady of
insulting Ugandans by implying that her husband was the only person
who can lead Uganda.
"These people have been in power for so long that they have lost
a sense of modesty and proportion," said Barya, who also teaches law
at Makerere University. "They have started to think like Mobutu Sese
Seko and Kamuzu Banda. Retaining the job [of President] is what
Museveni is fighting for."
Karuhanga, who also is a senior FDC member, said the first lady
insulted Ugandans when she claimed that Museveni is a God-given
liberator.
She wrote: "The truth is that humanity has triumphed over evil
for centuries because, every once in a while, there comes about a
man or woman who is willing to walk an extra mile to serve humanity.
God uses such a man or woman to empower good to triumph over evil.
Without such people in life, everything is doomed...
"God is always looking out for such people that He may use them
for the benefit of their countries."
"What she said was
unfortunate of her," Karuhanga said. "What the man was saying is the
truth. Her hostile response should have come from the President's
Office if she believes Museveni is working for the people."
"I don't know which miracle Museveni has done to qualify him as a
God-sent messiah," said lawyer Erias Lukwago. "The message I get
from Janet's letter is that the first family is determined to push
for life presidency, not only a third term."
MP Mary Okurut,
Museveni's former pres secretary, said that as a member of the first
family, Janet was right to respond to Ambassador Carson.
Said Okurut: "Carson made a direct attack on the first family.
Muhoozi has never been accused of any crime. What Carson said was
all hogwash. These people are exercising neo-colonialism on us."
She said Museveni is a liberator who is always insulted but
chooses to stay in leadership at the request of the people. She said
it is not true that Museveni is protecting any member of his family
from being prosecuted because Saleh has been investigated when his
brother is still in power.
Saleh has been variously suspected of wrongdoing in activities
such as the botched sale of the Uganda Commercial Bank to a
Malaysian investor, purchase of junk helicopters and plundering of
the DR Congo resources. He has been cleared of some of the
allegations.
Mr Moses Byaruhanga, the President's political assistant, also
weighed in for Janet Museveni. He said he believes in Museveni as a
liberator because he has done what other leaders failed to do
improve the lot of Ugandans.
He criticised Carson saying that his comments "were a
misrepresentation of what is happening in Uganda". | 
