No story about the history of Uganda has been told more passionately, and more nostalgically than the story of the 5-year ‘bush war’ that led to the 1986 liberation from dictatorship.
Ugandans who were not yet born, or who were too young to understand whatever the bush war was all about, could be heard telling that part of our history even better than those who were old enough when the NRM government captured power in 1986.
Sadly, in the last few years, the mesmerizing story has progressively turned into a story of betrayal. More disturbing, is the fact that the accusations of betrayal has been between the ‘comrades’ of the liberation struggle.
The NRM story is passionate because it is about a story of a struggle of great sacrifice. Lives were lost, properties were destroyed and lost, families were separated, some permanently. And those who survived the struggle told of how they hoped to create a better Uganda for all its people, their personal losses notwithstanding. The beginning was promising, and the hope for the future, was thick in the air.
As years passed on, the comrades started questioning the reasons for which they went to the bushes following their unhappiness about the way the country was being governed. Those who were unhappy about the way things were being done were unfortunately forced out of government. Today, the nostalgic accounts of NRM struggle have turned into irreconcilable accusations of Betrayal. Eriya Kategaya (RIP), complained of betrayal, Bidandi Ssali complained of betrayal, Kiiza Besigye complained of betrayal, Amanya Mushega complained of betrayal, General David (Tinyefuza) Sejusa complained and continues to complain of betrayal, Gilbert Bukenya complained of betrayal, Amama Mbabazi has complained of betrayal, and the President, Yoweri Museveni, has complained of betrayal.
All the mentioned among others, were comrades and the pillars of their party. Today, they are enemies. In this week alone, the media published two articles that raise a lot of concern for the future. The one from Tinyefuza, kind of calls on Ugandans to prepare for the use force to remove President Museveni. The one from Mbabazi calls on the president to leave power peacefully.
To ordinary Ugandans, this situation brings back memories of our violent political past, and it scares. It scares because many Ugandans don’t remember when government in this country was ever changed peacefully. It is out of these grave concerns that we would like to appeal to our politicians not to drag us and our country into turmoil again because of greed and selfishness.
This country is for all Ugandans. Politicians must stop treating us like fools or their properties. The sooner they realize that the rural and urban Ugandans of today are wiser and smarter the better and more useful it will be for them and their political struggled that never seem to end.
