No! Iam neither an FDC member, nor have I ever been its sympathizer, but the recent wave of abhorrent tribalist insinuations from President Museveni --- specifically that strategic jobs in Bunyoro be “ring-fenced” for the indigenous Banyoro endears me quite nostalgically, to FDC’s 2006 campaign slogan: “one-Uganda-one people!
It is inconceivable how a sitting President, who swore to defend, preserve and protect the constitution of the republic that he leads – can recklessly recommend that relevant constitutional provisions guaranteeing all Ugandans to live wherever they wish live in Uganda; or vie for any public office of their choice – be abrogated. Of course seeking a public office has a caveat attached – i.e. – being of the right character, state of mind, age, etc. But nowhere, either in the constitution or other electoral laws, is it mentioned that the right ethnicity is a requirement for a particular public office. It therefore does not require somebody to be a constitutional lawyer to tell that Museveni’s proposal to quarantine jobs in Bunyoro for Banyoro has a treasonable stint for which he should be held personally accountable.
In 2006, FDC run a vibrant presidential campaign geared towards national reconciliation, social-economic, and political integration. They argued that Museveni’s government had created two Ugandas---the north and the south; the haves and have-nots; the wealthy and the impoverished; the politically privileged and the suppressed; the Bahima and other ethnicities; name it. Uganda, FDC further argued, was on the verge of an implosion and therefore needed a detour in political leadership – oriented towards “one-Uganda-one-people.” Unfortunately, Ugandans then either chose not to, or were denied the opportunity, to freely decide whether indeed they had to politically detour.
Iam certain that even the most fervent FDC activists at the time, perhaps including their President Colonel Kiiza Besigye, could not envision how much more the country would be polarised further under Museveni’s regime. Indeed it can be said that the wanton dissolution of the nation into ethnic districts is only a spice to tribal profiling. My guess is that the Bunyoro saga will not be the last. In fact, Ugandans should brace for more state-inspired tribal malaise.
What is interesting is that Museveni’s tribalist stance has fully aligned him with other notable tribalists, some of which are his foes. An example is Hon. Betty Olive Kamya and her federo clique that is calling for a “Buganda for Baganda.” In essence, Museveni no longer has the moral spinal cord to deny Baganda federalists what they have been agitating for! No wonder Hon. Kamya remarked of Museveni that: “he has finally walked the Uganda Federal Alliance talk,” before shamelessly adding that “leaders should be regional to fight for regional equity.” How absurd!
While I loathe Betty’s ultra tribalist orientation, I will be the first to challenge President Museveni to yield to demands for a Federal Buganda in whatever form Betty and her federo clique want it. This is because it will not be fair to “ring-fence” Bunyoro jobs for Banyoro, yet persistently refuse to “ring-fence” Buganda jobs for Baganda as demanded by the federolists. My only consolation would be that while I head back to Kabale to grow tomatoes, potatoes and cabbages in my ancestral home, Museveni will also have no option but to recoil to Rwakitura because his own tribalist policies will have rendered him an alien species in Buganda. That would be the classical way of “walking the talk!”
If Museveni is not ready for the Buganda infernal, he should not trigger the Bunyoro blaze for this will be followed by similar unstoppable after-shocks in Busoga, Bugisu, Acholi, Lango, and elsewhere – for non-indigenous residents living or working there!
President Museveni ought to be ashamed that while he is seen to be advocating for East-African Federation characterized by among other elements – free movement of labour, capital, and other means of production across the five member-countries, he is presiding over a vicious campaign to dismember the Ugandan community along ethnic lines!
As FDC president chanted during the 2006 presidential campaign, the only way to go is “One-Uganda-one-people!”
Published in the Daily Monotor on 10th August 2009 on: http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/opinions/Museveni_s_tribal_letter_endears_me_to_FDC_slogan_89418.shtml
