We are coming to the years end. In a little week we will kiss the new-year and touch 2016. What a day that will be! We have seen and felt in 2015 what politics do and does to society in Uganda. This would have sounded differently a few months ago. This is a quick current pre-view and I hope you don’t mind!
The General Election is set for mid-February that means we have over 50 days still of campaigning. The Campaign rallies will feel a déjà vu at this point and would not be different unless the NRM, FDC or Go-Forward does any major stunt. The minor candidates are dwindling in the wind and are gone as quick as they set of at their nomination day.
The Chairman of the Electoral Commission got a heavy pay rise and earns now 35 Million shillings a month. That must be to settle the score for the government and secure the rigging system. We can’t not believe earning all of sudden 29 million more shillings a month comes for free and not with a price. He surely will pay Mzee back.
The IGP Kale Kayihura went into the Ntungamo after the clashes in the town. The reports we’re blaming NRM big-men and Police to taking charge against the Go-Forward Supporters at the venue. Gen. Kayihura has said after “he only went on orders”. We can also see a week or so after there have been arrested many of the leaders and campaign officials for Amama Mbabazi, but none of the NRM men. Later Mzee has promised to pay a sustainable fee to the NRM-Supporters who was hurt, but not the others and it was 1, 5 million shillings each to mend their wounds.
We can also see how the Police get more and more violent on the campaign trail. There been attacks by NRM men towards the FDC convoy when they trailed the north. Deputy Speaker Oulanyah was in charge of the men standing off towards the FDC and their convoy. Nothing has happen ever since that happened. The FDC has had stand-off near Fort Portal and in Gulu with no feedback from Authorities on the matters. The Go-Forward have also had issues in Northern Uganda. The police interfere and also shut down venues as they feel. They are interfering into politics more than the UPDF Members of Parliament do!
On the 29th December a traditional day of rallying the FDC convoy got violent meeting with police while going to Rhino Camp Health Care facility in Madi. The Go-Forward aspirant Bright Muhumuza we’re supposable jailed in Ntungamo for his involvement in the Ntungamo clashes. While this was happen around the NRM who we’re sending men door to door in Kalangala and offering the people 500 meager shillings to shun the rallies of Go-Forward Amama Mbabazi. This is just another day in the democratic nation of Uganda.
An Independent Candidate Elton Joseph Mabirizi was early on the campaign trail taken and kidnaped. He we’re returned after that but his campaign has been silent and not made fuzz since.
We have seen the NRM Primary Elections which have been fraudulent and tragic events, not only for the losers, but for the party in general. Hard to take serious with the magnificent missteps and arrogance not only from Dr. Tanga Odoi and the other men running it. Okay that Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba can be mad and or whatever potion she is on to save face, still the NRM looks weak and foolish. The Unnecessary violence, rigging and bribing makes it looks a picked race from the get-go not a fully-democratic-exercise where the NRM members decided who is their favorite, instead sole candidacy and a few fallen Minsters are the outcome and NRM looks weaker than before, instead of a strong force behind their almighty Mzee.
The Uganda People Congress has had their wrangles before the up-coming general elections. First with the issues within the opposition alliance TDA or The Democratic Alliance! This shows that the TDA-wrangle proved to have split leadership something have been brewing for a while. Ever since Jimmy Akena became the President in the Party in November 2014 there has been issues. This been visible with the former-president Olara A. Otunnu who has led the party for a decade before, the wrangle led to the UPC going out of the TDA alliance as they picked their common presidential candidate and FDC went out of the TDA a little later as well. The UPC went further with their trail in this elections, the new leadership has lost in court and have to give back to Otunnu, even though Akena will reaffirm the party with a new National Council and get his position as president again. This is not the only thing Akena has been doing. They have no Presidential Candidate and pulled out of TDA. Therefore he has gone and done something that would be unheard and should be unheard of since looking at the history of the party, the UPC has gone into alliance and will collaborate with the NRM in the General Election, there been reports of decent pay-off to Akena, and that would surprise me or anybody else for that matter, but the legacy of his father is really vomiting on.
The DP and Norbert Mao have also gone into a strange state. The UPC is two of many parties this time that doesn’t have a presidential candidate. Norbert Mao have been a vital part of the TDA and is as a rare breed, a President of a Party and not officially running for MP in his constituency even if he have been running there since the 90s. There must be somebody grinning in Gulu knowing that UPC and NRM can take the spot. The DP have weaken themselves with the alliance. They need a good result from Go-Forward Presidential Candidate to eat well and see the fruition of the alliance. Neither or they looks stupid with their loss of their main candidate. They have also missed their prime candidate in Kampala Erias Lukwago who have gone independent and is supporting Dr. Kizza Besigye for presidency instead of Mbabazi. Therefore the DP is struggling and will not be seen as a vital part or piece in the election. They will be more a tool in the tool-box for the TDA instead of strong force anywhere.
If we go a bit back in time again, there been steady spread of fear and fear-mongering from Mzee. Something that I have seen all 2015! We can see that with the condition, that he is the only one who can control the UPDF; that is the definition of spreading fear.
There will be more empty promises from the NRM-Regime, be more police interference in the coming elections and after since they have promised much more money since they gotten post-election violence money.
There is too much who is wrong. There might be European Monitoring team of the election period in Uganda, but doesn’t seem to stop the violations from the central government. The only one who let it be peaceful in November was the expected and two-days of papal visit in Kampala and to the martyrs resting place. After that the Police and NRM have gone back to normal. The only one with some peace and only some attention from the Police is the FDC presidential Candidate.
The mayoral candidates of Kampala Erias Lukwago have also met strong opposition from the local community and police in the city. That might happen again. I would not be surprised. It is natural that they support the NRM candidate. I am sure that the EC and KCCA have a plan to upset and cut the grip on the public that Lord Mayor Lukwago have on Kampala.
We will see more foolishness during election time and until February! The NRM-Regime and their forces can’t help themselves! They have a natural talent to throw BS towards the leaders of opposition. Still waiting to see one of the Presidential Candidate in prison or get preventative-arrest. The interesting thing is how little use there been of Public Order Management Act that been used more than toilet-paper by the Ugandan Police in recent times. We will see how it goes and how they will behave. We will also see how the NRM-Regime will continue to accept the FDC progress and the public acceptance of the Go-Forward campaign. We can’t expect it since it’s against the normalcy of the arrogance of Mzee and his loyal paid-off cronies. Peace!
MinBane 