The death and demise of Gen. Elly Tumwiine was all created by himself. That people rebuke and spoke ill of him after the fact. This is just a reaction to the life he lived and the purpose of his own achievements. Tumwiine was a reflection and a representation of what the National Resistance Army and what the National Resistance Movement had become.
That President Yoweri Tibuhurwa Kaguta Museveni is trying to rectify or change the narratives are commendable. But what else is his supposed to do? He knows what is coming for him. The eulogies of Museveni will be detrimental and mirrored of the ones written for Mugabe. That’s why he saw what happened to Tumwiine and his worried about his own legacy.
A man of his tribe, cause and belief. Tumwiine is a man who stood Museveni near and was a trusted one. A man who fought, continued to fight and showed loyalty. That’s why the brutality, arrogance and all other things doesn’t matter to the President. Because, Tumwiine served and did so diligently. That’s what matters to him. This is why he wants him to be remembered for his philanthropy, playing music, being a church-goer and whatnot. He don’t want him to be remembered for his relentless contribution to oppressive behaviour and lack of rule of law. No, he wants the positivity and the publicity of a hero.
Alas, he might be a hero in the circle of Museveni. That doesn’t make him heroic in the pubs or in the hinterland. No, they have seen what happens when they cross or happens to be stepped on. They know what has happened to their kin and their children. The vicious and vindictive nature of Tumwiine wasn’t all about peace. He didn’t mind to use violence and use brutal retribution. When that sort of man dies. People won’t mourn, but they will celebrate. Because, they lost one brute and villain. He was a villain that the President needed, but the people? They could have been without him and his actions. There are to many scorned, family members lost and people harmed for life. Which the President seems to neglect.
“We all shall die, eventually. That, therefore, cannot be a matter for celebrating whether you
like the person in question or not. People who do that are deceiving themselves” (Museveni, 05.10.2022).
This here is both true and false at the same time. We all shall die, that’s a fact for everyone living. However, you cannot speak about how folks or people will react about your death. It depends on how you chose to live and how you conducted yourself. If you were friendly or a despicable person. That will be reflected on when you die. People are not deceiving themselves, but everyone shows remorse and mourning differently, also depending on their statute and their legacy as a whole. Just like some people praised the Queen Elizabeth, others was right in questioning her colonial acts and partaking in the usage of the British Empire. Therefore, it’s right that people write ill of the bad past that Tumwiine himself was a part of and acted upon. Not only the glory stories, which your text only reflects. Because, you want the same sort of glorification when your end is near…
Museveni’s arrogance comes really forward here:
“Tumwiine was an early achiever in education, a freedom fighter, an artist, a philanthropist and a wealth-creator (big farmer). If some people do not appreciate such people, it could be that they are either uninformed (ignorant) or they are parasites (want affluence without working). Such people should be guided or condemned if they persist in their negativity. The roads everybody rides on, the schools, the electricity stations that generate electricity for the night-club goers to have transnights and tweet the following day etc., are from the sweat of the wealth creators like Tumwiine, not to forget the peace the tweeters are using to express their malice. Go and send tweets in Mogadishu, if you think peace is not important” (Museveni, 05.10.2022).
He acts like we should cherish people who acted with viciousness and vindictiveness. That’s why President Museveni is honour him after his death. It’s all for the ploy of self-service. Tumwiine served him and was loyal to his causes. That’s why his writing with spite like this. Calling the ones who questions Tumwiine Uninformed (ignorant), which he wants to keep people in really. If people was ignorant, they would have praised and glorified him. Alas, that wasn’t the case. They are informed and know what he did in his time. The actions of Tumwine, the families who has lost members because of him. The families who has been torn-apart or has relatives that was caught in “Safe-Houses”. That was all done on the watch and orders of Tumwiine. These are not eulogies or being referred here. Not in a manner, which represents them.
That’s why Museveni is losing a step here and he does it boldly. It isn’t strange to see either. When you know this will resemble what could happen when it’s his turn. Which he should fear now. If people speak about Tumwiine like this. How will they speak of Museveni? He should be frightful and in disbelief. Because, his propaganda and his control of the narrative will be lost. Just like he has twisted and turned on the stories of the predecessors. After his demise. People will speak any which way about him too.
You see how thinks and considers people thoughts when he ends the paragraph with “go and send tweets in Mogadishu”. That’s his rebuttal. Instead of understanding or seeing the pain or the suffering of the his own people. No, they are just supposed to follow the “Correct Line” and be part of his vision. If you don’t follow him. Your an uninformed person and a parasite. That’s just disgusting rhetoric and shows his character to the world.
Museveni should get the insight and the understanding of the people. Instead he wants to be above and beholden on the premise of his own stature. That’s for the reasons of him being in power for so long. He considers his own reasoning and mind above everyone else. That’s why Museveni cannot see or grasp the resentment of his own population. This has been brewing over the years. The NRM and President Museveni should really study it, but they think every solution is bound by heavy weaponry. That’s why they don’t care or pay it no mind.
For being an old man and a supposed statesman. His certainly not having the ear to the ground or listening to the pleas of his public. He might not like the sentiment or the way it’s communicated. However, he should look into himself and what his done. When they could write this about his ally Tumwiine. What can the same fellas right about him?
Well… you can just imagine and some have the eulogies prepared. They have the material and all the stories in the vault. So, His Excellency should listen, but we know he never does. If he did listen. He might have gotten some insights that could broaden his perspective and give him a sort of a reality check. That could be good for him, but we know he prefer being in a trusted bubble and not go outside of it. This is prevalent and it’s becoming a part of who he is. Peace.
MinBane 