Former Presidential Candidate and President Museveni’s bush war Personal Physician, Col(rtd) Dr. Pizza Besigye Warren Kifefe once hailed his former confidant Museveni’s impressive tactics in strategizing and always achieving goals he sets his mind on. In 2016, a few months after winning his fifth term, the NRM National Chairman gave his word to a jubilant mass of party supporters that he would be done with the opposition in the country by the arrival of the next general election in 2021.
This vague proclamation was widely used by Forum for Democratic Change(FDC) leaders over a year later to demonize one another as one camp in the Mugisha Muntu-Patrick Amuriat internal leadership campaigns, accused one another of being a “Muaeveni stooge”
Muntu, the recipient of most of the accusations, seemed not to have much to say but rather bank all his trust in time by saying “Time will judge us,” and ” We shall see them by their actions.”
Five years later, Muntu, widely christened “Museveni’s spy” left to form a new party- The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) and the “clean guys” of then are the “spies” of now, and surprisingly, the same man- Museveni.
The last few weeks have been critical in the existence of FDC with rumours of a reported fallout between the ” Besigye- Ssemujju- Lukwago and the Nandala- Amuriat factions becoming a mainstay in the media until heal broke loose this week with the impasse coming into the public.
Ssemujju Nganda, the Party Spokesperson and the presumed lead architect of the Anti POA rebellion ave openly alleged that Nandala Mafabi, the SG could have received the money in billions to allegedly sell the Najanankumbi based outfit to President Museveni. Whether that is true or not is a debate for another day. For now, we shall delve into a wider debate on the credibility of opposition without opening the window for dialoguing. Jimmy Akena, the leader of UPC was for years, demonised for choosing dialogue with the ruling side at the expense of chaos and violence. Thank God years of convincing paid off with DP and Nobert Mao following suit. Mao is ultimately a minister and actively involved in the talk of a transition that the entire opposition had previously advanced as cardinal among reasons for their violent activism.
There have also been several voices loudly indicating a secret dealing between our neighbours in Kamwokya and the Kyadondo road-based ruling side. Whether this is right or not is a matter only time can resolve. Incidentally, Najjanankumbi has been loudest at branding Kamwokya as spies planted by Museveni and vice versa.
The added salt to the wound, Amuriat and his team have accused founding father – Besigye of knitting an evil plot to sell the party he helped form to the National Unity Platform. Whatever the case, the interconnection can even be felt by the blind. Museveni cleared Kyagulanyi’s Shs 700m tax burden for the bulletproof car- Muaeveni bankrolled POA’s campaigns in 2021, Nandala tipped for a BoU job- Besigye wants to sell FDC to NUP, which is still said to be ‘Museveni’s project to finish opposition among others.
Over the years, President Museveni’s reconciliation approach to politics has witnessed many of his once-upon-a-time greatest critics join his government with others going on to become ministers. These, among others, include; Former Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah(rip), Current Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Anita Among and Thomas Tayebwa who once belonged to FDC, Beatrice Anywar, Betti Kamya, Betty Amongi, Nobert Mao, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebuggwawo, to mention but a few.
The emergency of the Muhoozi Movement which is widely seen as an extra room of the ruling institution has not helped the opposition’s cause either. The past two years have seen an influx of people, especially the youth demonstrating their newfound loyalty to o the First Son wherever including in areas previously deemed to be opposition strongholds like Busoga and Buganda. With a presence in every village of Uganda, with structures set up by volunteers without a budget! That must be indeed scary.
The after-effect has spilt over to the mainstream leaders. Busiro South MP Dr Twaha Kagabo was the first one to openly swear allegiance to the MK Movement. He said he was impressed with the wide agenda of the movement and unlike NUP – the party on whose endorsement he was elected, which lacks a clear direction.
Kagabo was recently joined by his Njeru Municipality counterpart, Hon. Jimmy Lwanga who described Muhoozi as a friend whose rumoured presidential bid he would support without seeking clearance from anybody.
Other NUP MPs like Abbeid Bwanika, Kazibwe Bashir Mbazira, and Aloysius Matovu, have had their loyalties queried at Kamwokya amid allegations that they work for Museveni.
The big question is; Do we still have opposition in Uganda, or President Museveni’s dream of an opposition-free country has already come to pass?
The Author is the Deputy RCC for Soroti East Division
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