
“When you demonstrate in a place like Kampala, people are selling their products on the road side. Are you going to step on people’s products? You are playing. Do not have such ideas in your head. What right do you have to seek to generate chaotic behavior? We are busy producing wealth; you are getting cheap food, people in other parts of the world are starving, and you are here, you want to disturb us. You are playing with fire. While we wealth creators are busy creating wealth for Uganda, some elements, some in the opposition are always working with foreigners to ferment chaos in Uganda: riots, illegal demonstrations, illegal and inconsiderate processions, etc. These people are unfair and inconsiderate. They should check themselves or we will have no option but to check them” – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (20.07.2024).
It is like article 29(d) of the 1995 constitution doesn’t exists or isn’t enacted anymore. It is like the words of the Constitution is useless and just wasted ink. As the Republic and the Authorities isn’t bound by law and isn’t in need of abiding by it. Alas, that’s wherein the problems remain.
The article itself says this:
“freedom to assemble and to demonstrate together with others peacefully and unarmed and to petition” (Article 29(d) of the 1995 Constitution).
This is under Chapter Four of the Constitution and parts of the “positive” rights a citizen has in the Republic. These words was written and put into place for a reason. Therefore, it is rich hearing and reading the words of the President.
The Self-Styled President-for-Life has chosen his path. The narrow road of impunity and collective punishment of the population. As if his the only man whose words matters and who is the embodiment of the law. That’s how the President operates and it shows.
He speaks of generating wealth and such, but his more busy scheming and finding new methods of looting for his elite. That’s what is his key enterprise and this is why people are tired of his system. A system and a state that is vicious against the dissidents and who makes an unholy elite richer than God. That’s why the elites favours the President and they hope his reign never ends. Because his the reason why they are eating and living so lavish in the first place. However, they are only a small minority and not the huge part of the population.
Citizens should demonstrate and revolt. They should do so peacefully and assemble in the streets. We know the President and the authorities won’t allow it. It is going against the nature of the National Resistance Movement and Museveni himself. His supposed to be the one with the final say and his word is the law after all.
President Museveni acts like he is the sole beneficiary and the overlord who ensures everyone, which he doesn’t and cannot do. He doesn’t have the ability or the skill-set to facilitate such a state. That’s why it’s all a mirage and empty pledges, which he never intends to fulfil. We have seen that for years. He can create more offices and cronies can be appointed to duplicated government entities, but they won’t amount to anything. Except for getting another one on the hook and being on the payroll of the state.
Meanwhile, the grievances and the losses of the citizens are falling behind. They are seeing the lacklustre attempts of governance. The numbers games and the jinxing of promises, which are never ever finished. Government schemes are collapsing or if not defaulting. Ghosts are appearing and lack of government oversight is rampant, because if there was someone being proper. That one would find a scandal, would find a heist and the whistleblower would be gone in a minute. Therefore, the President Museveni rather wants to silence his critics and have less talk.
Only his voice of reason matters anyway. The rest is just noise. His words and opinions can make a change. The voices of the people are just scattering and incoherent bickering, which won’t resolve any bottleneck. That’s why he rather dismiss them completely and threaten anyone for speaking up. That’s the liberation and the freedom that the President has to offer in 2024. A man who fought for freedom and liberation, but only freed himself and his fellow cronies. Peace.