Last Sunday marked exactly 60 years since the British loosened their grip on Uganda after a full 70 years. In it’s seven decades of Independence, the country has seen as many as nine governments, with the current National Resistance Movement under President Museveni Yoweri occupying power the longest. Having ruled since 1986, it became certain that Museveni will have presided over this naturally endowed East African Pearl for a record 40 years by the time the country gets to the polls to elect the next President come 2026.
Museveni, who turned 77 last month, will be older and more experienced when the next general elections are held. This has birthed an anxious debate in the public on whether it could be time for one of the African continent’s most refined and experienced Heads of State to give way for someone else to lead in his stead. Other than reason and rationale, bearers of this school of thought have advanced age as the cardinal factor they think Museveni shouldn’t ask for more come 2026. This have, however, adamantly seemed to forget the recent case of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest serving monarch in recorded history who died last month ager 94 and still at the prime of his administrative compentence for United Kingdom. In the US, President Joe Baiden, 80 is serving his first term as President, with six more ahead should he get elected for a second term. Other is the same league include Paul Biya of Cameroon and President Micheal Aoun of Lebanon, both at 89. Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine and Salman Abdulaziz , the King of Saudi Arabia are both 87 Francis of the Vatican is 86, among others. This will help a great deal to demistify advanced age as an inability to ably lead.
In his polite address at the Independence event at Kololo on Sunday, President Dr William Ruto made an exciting submission on Museveni whom he constantly refers to as “my mentor” and I will beg to concurr in full for purposes of this submission.
Forany years now, I have heard Ugandans anxiously asking for President Museveni to name a successor. Whereas their insistance is logically understable, given the ugly history of this country with regard to changing power, in this particular case, it’s been proved to have been a worthless concern. This is so because God, who has strongly backed Kaguta to continue leading for an extended time has still granted him with long life. Had he bulged to do what has has always been asked to do, he would have paharps had to name more than five by now.
I still, along with many other longsighted analysts, believe this country still needs Museveni a lot now than ever. The period from 2021 has since set Uganda aside as a center of gravity on the continent with various continental and global leaders frequenting State House, certainly to drink from his overflowing cup of knowledge. We have seen Delegations from the Chinese regime, Washington, the United Nations, France, Germany, England, Russia, among others.
In Africa, the past one year alone has seen Presidents of Egypt, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, DR Congo, among others, all calling on Museveni for debates on continental and global affairs. This all certify what a great leader we have and that allowing him to retire at a time when he continuing to sweeten like old wine would be catastrophic to our country. Besides, Museveni has over the years committed nlhimself to the torchbearimg role for the African integration. His consistent calls for a United Africa as a solution to all the problems of this continent has logically proved to be the way to go. For instance, Uganda’s efforts in fighting insurgencies in Somalia, DR Congo, South Sudan, Central African Republic, among others indicate why it’s collectivity that will restore this continent to the path of development and modernization.
In East Africa, Museveni clearly has more work to do before he can give way. Efforts to revamp the defunct East African Community in the 1990s were spearheaded by Museveni and his counterparts from Kenya and Tanzania. It has since resulted to closer coordination among member states, also expanding to include Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and most recently, Democratic Republic of Congo. Others like Samalia are also reportedly charging to join. Just as President Ruto said on Sunday, the community needs the wise leadership of the experienced Museveni for others to charge forward. This explains why it is only logical that he is around for a little longer to give stability to the federation before it’s passed on to another generation to carry it’s goals forward.
Lastly, locally, the President needs to prepare a bloodless, smooth transition from his 40 decades rule to the next one. By this, I don’t mean to say that the country is short of human resource with capacity to steer the country in the current President’s absence but rather that there is need to ensure an harmonious continuity which can only be attained by ensuring whoever takes over should be one with the regime’s strategic interests at heart and with the capacity to excute. I have no doubt many would fit that billing but 2026 may be too close to embark on that process of introducing a chosen one to the public. Better if it is now, but in preparation for 2031.
Also worth mentioning here is that a lot at play in the country indicate that NRM could be here to stay for longer. This is because it’s ideology of Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Democracy and Social Economic Transformation makes it the most ideologically entrenched political group in the country. There is this nothing to panic about. Whenever the President chooses to retire, Uganda will always be here for another leader to step forward from within the ruling ranks.
The Writer is the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Soroti East Division.
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