
Uganda: Chapter Four – A Victory for free speech, digital freedoms and media rights (10.01.2023)




This will be the first By-Election in this calendar year in the 11th Parliament, as the Serere County By-Election comes after a fatal traffic accident. The late MP Patrick Okabe won in the 2021 General Election on an Independent Ticket. Now, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) will return with vengeance.
So, the one that lost to late MP will return on the ballot now in February 2022. A year after the General Election in January 2021. Certainly, Philip Oucur feels it’s his time. Though, there are already pressure like in other constituencies to inherit or let the family hold on to the seat. That’s why the most unique candidate against Oucur this time around is the son of the late MP, Omoding Emmanuel Okabe.
There are other candidates in the race. The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and National Unity Platform (NUP) have fielded candidates here, but to no avail. Neither has the voters or the candidates gotten any traction. The last election was abysmal for these parties. The Justice Forum (JEEMA) has issued a release for possible candidates, but I don’t think they will go anywhere.
Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) flagbearer is Alice Alaso Asianut, but she isn’t favoured either. Unless, she has a massive campaign. Therefore, I have little to no faith in the opposition candidates. The only that matters now is the NRM candidate and the son of the late MP.
The son of the late MP has the attachment and could easily use the sway of the father. It is striking that the NRM didn’t chose to do this, as they did in a previous By-Election. When they let the son of the late speaker Jacob Oulanyah become the flag-bearer. This time around the NRM Electoral Commission didn’t allow it and ensured that Oucur could stand again.
Therefore it’s interesting, because the NRM has become a party of nepotism and favouritism. The NRM flag-bearer is a rumoured wealthy fish-farmer. If so… maybe, he has sway and fortunes to bound himself to the candidacy. He has actively campaigned and put himself in the spotlight after the accident occurred. So, it seemed planned to usher him in again.
While the UPC has already been endorsing the son of the late MP. That’s why you know the Okabe might be a force to be reckon with. His just that by association and by the merits of his father. Not because Okabe is unique or special. No, it’s all in the name and in the fact of what his father did.
I personally don’t look forward to the By-Elections. By-Elections under the NRM is a warzone, a battlefield and in the end… NRM get the MP and it’s game-over. Mass-arrests, electoral violence and voter tourism is an occurring theme. Therefore, I don’t expect anything else in 2022. The NRM and the EC has shown this to be the case. Nothing will be different here. While the NRM will come with SACCO’s, empty promises and use massive amount of funds to get Oucur finally elected. Peace.






“Colleagues, whether you are who or who, no one will be allowed to blackmail this House because I have seen now where we are going. You have started a very dangerous game” (…) “Not any single day will a member come, undress here, try even to commit suicide here. If you are doing it for your constituency and you want to appease your constituency to show you are the one who has worked, do it, but it will never influence any decision I make here” (…) “Started that issue without honourable Zaake being here. Honourable Zaake has not been in this House for over 10 sittings and without my permission, but I have never spoken about him because he is a brother. You leave a colleague, maybe he is in a constituency, but I want to caution you…” (…) “If you ( Zaake) want to do drama, go and do it in your constituency, you can’t do it on this floor. If you want pictures of people holding you up and how you were arrested to use during campaigns, we can organise for you, we are near national theatre” – Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa (29.11.2022).
The Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa is more into protocol and plenary rules, than into the plights of the people. That is obvious after the recent actions. His acting high and mighty, but he will fall like the rest of them.
Right now Tayebwa is useful. His a loyal subject and one of them who is eating. Nevertheless, when you fall out of favour or do one big miss. You will fall and never return to good graces. It is easy to be boastful and entitled when you have everything.
Zaake might have been out of order. He might have broken a rule or too. However, who would have believed or given him any time of day. Zaake MP has already lost privileges and been scorned in Parliament. It isn’t like his a big-man or a person of vast influence. No, his a renegade MP who fights for his causes. Maybe not doing it by the book.
What he did though, was to infuriate the Deputy Speaker and many others in such a fashion. That the people have to speak out about the kidnapping, abductions, the political prisoners and the “drones” which are used by the authorities. That’s what Zaake did and it’s clever that way.
Maybe Zaake will be punished or get violated in the Parliament. That will not be anywhere near as damaging as the torture he has felt or the injustice the authorities has served him in the past. Zaake MP knows the pain of the opposition leaders, activists and anyone who dares to question the government of the day. He knows the cost and that’s why his vocal about it. No one should blame him for that. He knows better than most how painful and what sort of suffering people are going through.
That’s why the Deputy Speaker can ridicule and mock him. Nevertheless, it doesn’t make the case less important. We know the Government and the Authorities has no interest in investigating or showing the real numbers of the ones suffering injustice. No, they rather act like it doesn’t really happen or is just an anomaly.
We know now that the Deputy Speaker will defend rules, but not have anyone speak out on the injustice done by the state. That is the message. The Parliament isn’t the place for grievances and it will only be Ministerial Statements from the likes of Muhwezi, which will not bring the truth to the table. Because, the authorities would never give a full picture and only small fragments of what is going on.
The kidnappings, the abductions, the keeping people incommunicado and without trial continues. The torturing and the extra judicial killings. That is all done on behalf of the government and the Deputy Speaker honourably represents that… he honours that and he will not have anyone crying out loud. No, he prefers silence and once in a while condoning it. Peace.


“1
a: an object esteemed and venerated because of association with a saint or martyr
b: SOUVENIR, MEMENTO
2 relics plural : REMAINS, CORPSE
3: a survivor or remnant left after decay, disintegration, or disappearance
4: a trace of some past or outmoded practice, custom, or belief” (Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Relic. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relic).
The ones that are busy semi-campaigning and making endorsements ahead of 2026 is only doing it, because they are hungry and wants to be seen. They are showing their support and using their time to vouch for an election, which is far from happening and years in advance. It is really just a pity, but that’s what they are doing.
In 2022, a year after the General Elections of 2021. The National Resistance Movement and the Government at large is having scheduled meetings or rallies across the Republic. Just to show the support and supporters of the President. That there are people still believing in him and want him to continue to be in office. Which is very rare… and unique in 2022. Especially, considering that his been in office since January 1986.
At this point and time… President Museveni has done everything he can achieve. The President have nothing to prove and doesn’t care. His just going through the motions and excelling at status quo. There is nothing that is triggering him or making him better at governing. No, his just enjoying the spoils, enlarging his entourage and creating more government entities. That’s what his doing while his often scheming, finding tricks and ways to siphoned funds from various government projects or whatnot.
That’s why it’s really blatant and out of touch to vouch for the man in 2022. His a the epitome of the past, neither the present or the future belongs to Museveni. He is the past and that’s why he always encircles it. It is for a reason why 1986 is so important and why he mentions all the predecessors too. That’s because it’s all he got and he has little to show for it. The rising debt, the lack of democratic credentials and the tumbling civil society. In combination of the deficit and lack of tolerance. It is giving him a jaded-vision and not helping the nation forward.
This is why it’s striking seeing supposed youths or other officials throwing weight behind Museveni. That’s because they need to be seen and show loyalty. Since everyone knows that Museveni isn’t serving the public anymore. No, his not a man of the people and the ones defying him is in danger. The ones that opposes him or leaves him… they can easily be accessed and be silenced. That’s happening on the regular and this is why they got to show him love.
Even when Museveni is a relic. He is an item of the past. Even if his living in the present. The bush-war legends aren’t that relevant. Neither is the 1990s wonder-kid and new-breed leadership the saviour of the era. No, the NRM and Museveni are a proof that some things aren’t for 2022. If it was… these sorts of events wouldn’t be necessary so many years ahead of the Election Road Map. The Electoral Commission is usually issuing that and the NRM or the Government is far to early to do this now. Because, there is no way the NUP, UPC or anyone else could pull of these sorts of stunts in 2022. We just know it and it’s clear what the message is…
The message is that Museveni is the one to come, the one that has been and will not change. He will come with “No Change” which he promised the public back in 1990s. That’s all his giving them and no one should expect anything else. Peace.