By Francis Kamuhanda.
Let me begin by narrating a simple story of a man who lost a coin in his bedroom and searched for the coin by turning upside-down everything in the room but all in vain. He opted to extend the search to the street and called for help from friends, and after a few hours of searching, a friend asked, “Tell us exactly where you lost the coin?”
The man replied, “In my bedroom.”
“Then, why are we searching outside on the street?” The friend asked.
The man replied, “It is dark in my room and there are lights on the street.”
On Friday June 4, 2021, during the State of the Nation’s Address, His Excellency the President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa proposed to recruit the children of his rich clique of colleagues, particularly NRA comrades by forming Descendants’ Resistance Army 1 (DRA) to fight corruption. Indeed, part of the NRA Ten Point program was to fight corruption. The ten-point program: Democracy, Security; Consolidation of National security and elimination of all forms of sectarianism; Defending and consolidating National Independence; Building an independent, integrated and self-sustaining national economy; Restoration and improvement of Social services and the rehabilitation of the war-ravaged areas; Elimination of corruption and misuse of power; Redressing errors that resulted in the dislocation of sections of the population; Co-operation with other African countries in defending human and democratic rights of African people; and, Economic strategy of mixed economy.
When it comes to fighting corruption in Uganda, could it be that Museveni is fighting a war that he is not well conversant with? The President is part of the problem and has been pretending to fight corruption for close to four decades. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare says, “The villainy you teach me I will execute—and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction”. I find it hard to believe that the extension of a corrupt breed of leaders will solve the puzzle. Instead, it will entrench the corrupt system.
Museveni has been pretending to be fighting corruption with such things as walking long distances, establishing commissions of inquiries and anti-corruption units, among others. It is ironic and delusional for Museveni to try to hoodwink Ugandans with the idea that he has a way forward in ending corruption. Museveni is now using the corruption he instituted to justify his bend towards nepotism to serve his selfish interests by creating a political hegemony, contrary to Article 21 of the constitution that Grants all Ugandans equality and freedom from Discrimination.
I am of the view that Museveni and his regime went into political inertia two decades ago. The perpetuation of nepotism is unconstitutional and should be condemned in the strongest terms by all peace and institutional loving citizens. We can only eliminate corruption by instituting a government that focusses on values of democracy, transparency, and accountability to its citizens without discrimination. A government that will base its practices on individual competences and an equal, fair competition aimed at building and harnessing the potential of its people and NOT nepotism. Otherwise, Museveni and his strategy is smartly dressed going nowhere.