John Kwitonda
But who does Museveni do that business with? Non Ugandans? That is why you see
that Northerners are so quite when we raise the issue of the millions pumped
into Acholi land when their fellow Acholi Langi were dying, who ate it? You
think it was Museveni alone? No he ate it with Acholi and Langi. They all
agreed with Museveni to sacrifice these people to death. We need a commission
on why Acholi and Langi died in camps on sheer hunger, why children died that
much mostly of hunger when millions were being pumped into the region when men
like Norbert Mao got rich to a point of building mansions they today rent to
The Movement.
Like I said the path is going to be bumpy we might as well embrace ourselves
for we have to walk it.
EM
On the 49th Parallel
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika
machafuko"
From: ugandans-at-he...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:ugandans-at-he...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of john kwitonda
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 2:42 AM
To: ugandans-at-he...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: {UAH} Opposition turncoats: First it was Rubaramira, now Ocula -
People & Power - monitor.co.ug
poverty, the dictator has turned national affairs into a business making
project.
On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 5:16 AM, <ocennek...@gmail.com
<mailto:ocennek...@gmail.com> > wrote:
http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Opposition-turncoats--First-it-was-Rubaramira--now-Ocula/-/689844/2676116/-/3i1juc/-/index.html
Opposition turncoats: First it was Rubaramira, now Ocula - People & Power
Former Kilak MP Michael Nyeko Ocula. Photo by CISSY MAKUMBI
In Summary
Unpredictable. In the past I would have sworn by Maj Rubaramira’s grey
moustache that his likes (and particularly those who have been calling others
“NRM moles”) would never abandon the fight to topple the NRM, especially at
this time when the party has degenerated into a one man show, writes Norbert Mao
In the recent Amuru by-election for the seat of Woman MP, I stood shoulder to
shoulder with former Kilak MP Michael Nyeko Ocula as we pulverised the Museveni
machine. Our campaign resulted in victory for the joint Opposition candidate
Lucy Akello. Then I learnt that Ocula had crossed over to Museveni and the NRM.
Picture this. You are having a hot shower and then a jet of cold water hits
you. You have run out of hot water. That is how the news of Ocula’s defection
hit me. That is also how I felt when I learnt of Maj Rubaramira Ruranga’s
defection from the FDC to the NRM.
Naturally, shrieks of condemnation followed from Opposition ranks. Not to be
left out and for lack of words, I kept quiet hoping my silence would speak
louder than words. Keeping quiet itself was a torment. Crosstitute? I opined as
I groped for words of lament.
In the past I would have sworn by Maj Rubaramira’s grey moustache that his
likes (and particularly those who have been calling others “NRM moles”) would
never abandon the fight to topple the NRM, especially at this time when the
party has degenerated into a one man show. Tanzanians would call it a BMW Party
(Chama Cha Baba, Mama na Watoto).
Meeting South African president
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s take a backward glance. The date is
December 12, 2005. Two days after we had celebrated the International Human
Rights Day. Maj Rubaramira led hundreds of FDC supporters in a demonstration to
waylay South African president Thabo Mbeki as he headed to Kampala from Entebbe
airport. They were protesting intimidation of Opposition supporters in the run
up to the 2006 elections.
The police was overwhelmed. No surprise. The army stepped in. In fact, the no
nonsense Military Police stepped in. Col Dick Bugingo was in command. The
colonel, now retired, made a beeline towards Maj Rubaramira and slapped him
hard across the face.
The powerful slap shattered Rubaramira’s glasses and injured his eye.
Rubaramira reportedly spent about Shs800,000 in medical bills. The slap echoed
around the country.
It was relayed over and over by TV stations. It was yet another testimony to
the brutality and impunity of the NRM regime. To onlookers the slap had burnt
all bridges between Rubaramira and his old comrades in the NRM. It was clear
that the agents of the regime would act with impunity to suppress voices of
dissent. Later, Bugingo was to boast that the slap was necessary to show who
was boss or words to that effect. Bugingo was anything but apologetic.
The UPDF responded in standard format. They appointed a probe committee chaired
by the then Col Leo Kyanda. The case became a farce when two members of the
Military Police also reported that FDC supporters had assaulted them.
Clearly, the UPDF probe was a red herring. A dead end. Rubaramira filed a civil
case against Bugingo. The evidence against Bugingo was overwhelming. Court
ordered Col Bugingo to pay Shs10.7 million to Rubaramira “for causing injury to
his feelings and dignity”.
I don’t know whether he managed to collect this sum eventually. What I know is
that each time court bailiffs went to Bugingo’s house, they met armed soldiers
who chased them away with death threats in utter contempt of court. No senior
army officer intervened to ensure that the court order was implemented.
At that time, Rubaramira wondered why a retired Colonel was having dozens of
armed bodyguards, a privilege denied to Col Besigye who at that time was jailed
in Luzira!
Rubaramira is not the first to cross (or for that matter criss-cross) and he
will not be the last. When I asked a friend who is a leader in the FDC, he was
emphatic in his denunciation: “That man was on a mission for the NRM from the
time he joined FDC. We knew it.” Sure? Then why was he not exposed. Of course
we are all wise in hindsight. Another one even suggested that even Rubaramira’s
leadership of Nandala Mafabi’s campaign for the FDC top job was an NRM grand
plan to fail Mugisha Muntu’s bid. Conspiracy theories abound.
Someone once told me that party politics is characterised by three Ds -
disloyalty, defiance and defection. Any party has to contend with those three
hazards. The party I lead is no exception. Even developed countries have to
deal with these hazards.
In 2008 Joe Lieberman, a former US vice presidential candidate for the
Democrats, snubbed Barack Obama and campaigned for the Republican candidate,
John McCain. Even the iconic former British prime minister Winston Churchill
was a seasoned switcheroo. In 1904, Churchill who was a Conservative crossed to
the Liberals then crossed back after 20 years. In his defence, he said only
fools don’t change their minds!
Opposition turncoats: First it was Rubaramira, now Ocula - People & Power -
monitor.co.ug <http://monitor.co.ug>
http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Opposition-turncoats--First-it-was-Rubaramira--now-Ocula/-/689844/2676116/-/3i1juc/-/index.html
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
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