
“The demagogues must be stopped” (OO, 05.01.2021).
It is that time to clean the legacy and prove the value of all the years of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. That is the job of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC Uganda) and Uganda Media Centre. Where Government Spokesperson and Executive Director of Uganda Media Centre Ofwono Opondo (OO) works. So, this man has all the reasons to defend Museveni. His pay-check depends on it and his whole career is a defence of the man.
OO has always done this and that he also publish an opinion piece in the New Vision isn’t surprising. Where he has gotten the publication to publish the puff piece: “Why Museveni and NRM deserve your vote on January 14”. Just the title itself is vomiting and shows that a man who has earned your ballot after 35 years in power. The man “deserves it” and that says everything about what to come from OO.
OO even have the nerve to say this: “That said, however, it is crucial that while we keep the momentum to the finishing line, we should all maintain the dignity that democracy deserves. We extend appreciation to all who have supported the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during these campaigns amidst the Covid-19, and fake news by mendacious groups” (OO, 05.01.2021).
It is very rich speaking of democracy and dignity. When the same government are able to arrest, detain and abduct citizens for their political association during the Election Road Map. The OO also doesn’t prove the value of it, when your supposed to appreciate Musveni for his means. When the authorities are targeting the opposition and charging them without doing the same with the members of ruling regime doing the same. Maybe, that is the dignified way the NRM and the President values “democracy”?
OO continues: “NRM implores its members and the general public to turn up on polling day to cast their votes without any fears, and to remain peaceful afterward. NRM government with broad support from majority of Ugandans has over the years built a strong foundation and formidable pillars of state to guarantee freedom, peace, and stability to all who live in Uganda” (OO, 05.01.2021).
This is the same NRM that pre-emptive arrests, detains opposition and kills demonstrators. The same government that is making the opposition campaigns looking like war-zones. Also, outright blocking them from campaigns in plenty of districts. However, we are supposed to celebrate the fake peace and liberty, which is very selective. The ones supporting or eating on the plate of the state is free and got coins. Nevertheless, the ones who is associated with opposition will not be liberated.
The state will also use the soldiers, crime preventers and LDUs on election day. There will be fear and intimidation, which the NRM has issued through the whole campaign. If the NRM trusted the public and their rights. Why are they arresting and killing civilians who are supposed to be free? Or is that freedom only for the ones wearing yellow?
OO states: “Some of these failures have indeed been systemic, while others are results of negligence and deliberate calculation by the shenanigans in the government bureaucracy. It is only NRM and Museveni that have had the courage and honesty to publicly admit failure, and deserve acknowledgment” (OO, 05.01.2021).
What is striking here … is that the government spokesperson is blaming bureaucracy and the bureaucrats, which have been employed and is working for the state. Bureaucrats are usually following procedures, policies and doing the bidding of the state. These folks aren’t working in vacuum and they are only following the leadership of the ones governing. So, to blame them is blatantly not taking credit for the lack of governance, which the NRM haven’t delivered. Therefore, blaming them is futile, as it only shows how lacking the NRM is.
Museveni isn’t naming failure, but blaming others. Just like you did OO. Never taking real credit for the system, which has been made in the image of Museveni himself. That is the reality… and doesn’t deserve to acknowledge, as that is just verifying the suddenly professed failure of the state that is supposed to “secure the future” after 35 years in office.
OO also says: “While one or two presidential candidates have been boastful that they can win, it’s unlikely because they have not been able to table visible viable policy alternatives against that of NRM nor do they have the necessary political infrastructure to generate an election victory” (OO, 05.01.2021).
We know the two his subjecting here is Bobi Wine and Patrick Oboi Amuriat. These are now blamed for not having a political machinery behind them. Something that is nearly impossible to build, as the NRM and authorities are blocking their inner-working operations and party organizations in itself. It is not like they have had a free and fair election. That is the dignity they deserve I suppose. Also, when he says they don’t have political infrastructure. That is done deliberately by the state and the NRM is using the state to win. It is impossible to compete when you have state institutions, authorities and state organizations behind you. While the others are trying to build a party and campaigns at gun-point. I am sure, the NRM wouldn’t do so great if they had the same obstacles as NUP and FDC. Just like UPM didn’t do great compared to UPC and DP in the 1980 Elections.
In his continued rant: “Only the NRM has fielded candidates in every MP and District Chairperson elective seat and already has twelve MPs and four district chairpersons respectively un-opposed. FDC, the main opposition party has 281 and 55 candidates for parliament and district chairpersons which are below the majority mark. Apart from being loud mostly with calculated lies in the media, FDC and Amuriat victory isn’t possible” (OO, 05.01.2021).
This again is systemic default. As the Electoral Commission and the spells the state have put on the opposition parties. If there was a fair field and was allowed to really organize their parties. These numbers would have differed. It is only proves how the NRM is using the state advantage and that they are running the institutions. They are the ones who are preparing it to be this way by default. It is part of the “democracy” and the “dignity” of the same state.
Well, enough nonsense for one day. Peace.