A short memo on the dead.

We the living have one thing we always must do. Not only to remind ourselves of our short time living. We have to remember the ones that lived before us and tell their tales. We got to collectively strive to learn and understand the past. Just so we can know where we are today.

It isn’t easy… reading about the dead and listening stories about the dead. No, it can be stressing, tiring and boring too. However, their sacrifices, lives and legacies needs to remembered. Not only the big-men, but mere civilians and people surrounding us day-to-day.

We need to remember them and what they did. We need to remember the dead. The deceased and the ones whose no longer among us. They are gone, but their stories are not. We can decide to remember them and tell them to others. The forefathers and generations before us cannot talk anymore. That’s why we got to do it on their behalf.

The dead cannot talk, but we the living can. That is the gist of things. Just a friendly reminder as we read about massacres, famine, murder and assassinations. We need to remember to tell tales of our loved ones. The ones who stood before us and was among us. Just so we can’t forget where we came from and the battles they fought for us.

That is something we need to do. As humanity, as people and as civilians who cares. So, that their stories don’t get lost and becomes forgotten tales of old. They deserved better and hopefully one day when I am no longer living. Someone might tell about this weird blogger and how he resided while he wrote his stories. Peace.

Opinion: Kyaligonza, I will joke with you!

“Let me tell you, Kyaligonza is not a person to joke with” (…)“You must not forget that I contributed to the peace you are enjoying in the country, yet you ridicule me?” – Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza (New Vision, 26.02.2019).

Well, Mr. I’m Above the Law, because I went to the Bush in 1980s. What’s up?

How is it hanging? Right, left or straight? Because, your not entitled to force yourself on people, to harass and harm them. Because you took arms and brought down a government in the 1980s. How entitled are you?

When can this stopped being invoiced to the public? Since the public is continuing to pay for the misgivings and hardships, you and your comrades did in the 1980s. The bills never stops, the reality of it all is that it continues to this day.

The so-called liberation has only been for a few, the way you act Kyaligonza and other weapon brothers act. The high-ranking officials of the Bush-War, which has now their entitlement put into stone and the rest, can just vanish. They are just people that can used and let be canned. That is how you act.

You deserved to be mocked, as your act oblivious to the fact, that you act like your superior, above the law and like you’re the esteemed bourgeois, whose only supposed to get served and be high and mighty. The rest are your slaves, they are not supposed to order you around or tell you anything. Your so special, so unique and smell of royalty. That is who you think you are.

That the Bush-War and the legacy of that entitles you to slap woman, grab land, be grandeur and get away with any legal ramification. Since you picked up the guns in the 1980s and because of that, you should be shielded from the law, forever, ever since.

Let me be straight with you Maj. Gen. Kyaligonza, as you have to force yourself on woman, use your armed guards against a traffic officer and surely you would easily repeat this offence. Let me tell you this, your are a coward, the only difference between an ordinary coward and you? Is that you’re a coward with a gun.

You wouldn’t act like this if your were righteous, if it was correct, but because of stature, you have allowed to act this way. It is beneath your station and stature, but you think you can do it. That is who you are, a bonafide coward with titles and a bush-war legacy. Your not great, your weak and your only manhood is proven, when you take others freedom, liberties and even their dignity away.

Your not a man of principal or ethics, your not a man of honesty or of justice, you’re a man of entitlement and scaremongering. You are still a foot soldier for the President. He will not save you, even if you think so.

Kyaligonza… shish, you think your all that, but in reality your not. It is a reason you’re the ambassador to Burundi. You’re a crony and imbecile, who force yourself and your titles on people. Time for you to retire and maybe serve with grace, though it’s a waste saying that. Because, you never will. Your like your master, will linger in the realms of power until your last breath. Peace.

Opinion: Succession when talking about Mzee is nonsense!

“You do not lead by hitting people over the head — that’s assault, not leadership.”

― Dwight D. Eisenhower

There is an ancient saying that you cannot teach old dogs new tricks, neither can you do with President who has been running a republic since 1986. Therefore, with this in mind, the new comic relief from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is hard for me to take serious. Certainly, with the knowledge of all the men and possibly woman who could have become the leader of the party and the Executive of Uganda.

Still, in 2017, we are at the same crossroads, the same junction and nothing has changed. The partners and participants are practically the same, unless some new cronies and sugar-babies of the Movement comes into the mix. Perhaps, the most stunning fact is that old men like Gen. Otafiire steadily sink the world with his endless wisdom.

It is as if Museveni still is the Shepard and the Ugandan people is helpless sheep needing his guidance. The reality is that the belief that he can do something he has not done is pointless. The only card he has left is to destroy more kingdoms with force and kill more his opposition. If he had proved some sort of democratic figments in his in body, it has surely died with age. As his words are now more important than legislation.

The President handpicked elite and cronies, the suiters and the ones trying to eat while can. As they know not what will happen when their master stop breathing. The plans and the succession plans has not been official or even portrayed, there been rumors of Maj. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, those leaks turned into a besieged offices and depleted staff at Daily Monitor, back-in-the-day.

Still, if he is the viable candidate to takeover and the family dynasty that the President tries to create is hard to know. Since none in public can read the mind of the old man with the hat. So that the “news” that NRM Members of Parliament finally planned to talk about the succession seems far-fetched! Should it been done a decade or two ago, if it was a serious attempt?

He is on his unofficially seventh term as President and leader of the NRM. The founder and current leader of it. Not as he has given in without weapons in the past and instead of dialogue, he still sends Special Force Command or the Flying Squad to doze of possible enemies. Not as if it is an open discussion, more like a ruckus of who can get first to the brown envelopes and get the license to blead the state out of more funds.

Therefore, here I am, and not believing one single bit that President Museveni or the NRM NEC or any other parts of the NRM have the slightest care in mind to change him for somebody else. NRM and the NRM elite needs Museveni and his cronies, the crony system is there because of him. No question and no one with a clear mind would not see that. He gives and takes away as he sees fit. When he needs you he pays you and your extended family, but when your aspirations or goals to become bigger than him. Then you securing that you become a fringe candidate.

Museveni and his family, Museveni as his business partners does not need succession. The ones asking for it now will become renegade NRM MPs and could end up independent in the Parliament, as in the past when MPs has taken a stand towards the NRM NEC or the almighty himself. I doubt there will be change of guards, as there have not been for decades upon decades.

What we can be sure of is that President Museveni and President Mugabe are doing the same thing in their nations, holding the power without hesitation of what will happen when they leave and what sort of power vacuum that will be unleashed. What we do know is that the NRM will use all of their tricks and manipulation, all sort of writings and public display to make this sort thing normal. Peace.

Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza, the NRM Historical; Who has interesting thoughts on President Museveni’s succession and retiring plans

Major General Matayo Kyaligonza who is part of the Ugandan Envoy to Burundi has started to speak his mind to the media. He has become critical of the way Museveni lingers in power and trying to get his son-in-law Rwabwogo to succeed him in power in country. At the same time talking about respecting him as the president he still is, but this is totally different from what other loyalist are doing in the country. A breath of fresh air, wonder how Mzee feels about this? Now all of a sudden brigadier Kyaligonza from the bush-war is questioning his methods and continuation of the power in the country.

Maj Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza has been saying recently:

“Let the president call a meeting of NRM top organs of the National Executive Council and Central Executive Committee and we discuss the matter [Sucession]” (…) “Our dear president has also made it very clear. Presidency is not like hereditary club. He should call NEC and CEC and let us discuss. We used to discuss matters in the bush really” (…) “I can defy any other person but Museveni is still the president and I respect him” (…) “the way I see it” (…) “If I meet him (Rwabwogo) somewhere and he says that I know nothing will give him a hot slap” (…) “the one who brought us here? If you want to succeed your father do you kill him in order to get your inheritance?” (…) “Youths shouldn’t think that they will start with wanting to be president. Let them start at the LC-I then we see how they behave. But when you say that the old guard are “bazeeyi”[old] and they don’t know what they are saying then we shall have problems” (…) “[Historicals] don’t want familiarity because when we came [into power] we didn’t disrespect people” (The Insider, 2015).

He has spoken his mind a little bit more:

“Who is that one? Odrek? I don’t know him, I have never even seen him,” he said. “Is he the one who gave me work? He should tell such things [about retiring] to his father in–law [Museveni]. We are the ones that brought his father-in-law in power. Don’t make me talk too much” (…) “As a matter of fact, he was the commander who took down Makindye barracks, attacking Ndeeba from Masaka road. I know that very well,” Rwabwogo said. “I give him the due respect and the honour that you give an elder. However, I stand on the shoulders of the elders in order to do something better because there is always an evening of something and a dawn of another” (…) “When I get annoyed, I really get annoyed and I say the truth. I never sugar-coat in order to make people happy. We [historicals] don’t want familiarity because when we came [into power] we didn’t disrespect people,” (…) ““Look at all those people who are attending [Col Kizza] Besigye’s rallies. They want to support a cause because they are tired” (Kiyonga & Nsubuga, 2015).

Afterthought:

I think his quotes and words speak of volume on their own. That he is asking questions in this manner also from a man who has been that loyal and becoming part of the Historicals of the NRM. He has gotten even a place in the Ugandan Envoy to Burundi as talk of dialogue there. He straightforward talking about discussion of power in the NEC and CEC proves that their questions from the loyalist even in the party. Even if the Police have gotten control over NRM Poor Youth Forum it will be harder to push on the Historicals because of their history and place in the legendary bush-war that brought the NRA which is now the NRM into power. So the President has to listen to keep things in order he can’t ambush the brigadier in the same way as the youth, even if he ask sincere questions about the succession and sole candidacy that President Museveni lives by. And it should be thought about when he is quoted and clear voice: “I never sugar-coat in order to make people happy. We don’t want familiarity because when we came [into power] we didn’t disrespect people”. That should be red light for the president! That is not GREEN! Not a go. That is what he is saying! Though I believe that the Mzee he has served all this year’s, won’t listen now and he hasn’t listened before. Brigadier can have the best intention in the world and speaking his mind about the president, but he at the same time want to show loyalty, that doesn’t mix with the general words he speaking. Though that is something we can expect, he is after all a military man who want to be frank, but also want to keep up with chain-of-command! Peace.

Reference:

The Insider – ‘Kyaligonza demands NRM meet on Museveni exit’ (24.08.2015) link: http://www.theinsider.ug/kyaligonza-demands-nrm-debate-on-museveni-exit/

Kiyonga, Derrick & Nsubuga, Alex – ‘Kyaligonza to Rwabwogo: first tell Museveni about retirement’ (24.08.2015) link: http://www.observer.ug/news-headlines/39452-kyaligonza-to-rwabwogo-first-tell-museveni-about-retirement