KAMPALA, Uganda: While the old generation continue to stick onto power like glue, the First Son of Uganda, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has declared that the future of the country lies with the new generation.
A senior presidential advisor on special military operations, Lt Gen Muhoozi was expressing his backing for the candidature of Cedric Babu Ndiima who is vying to replace Hajj Mohammed Nsereko as the MP Kampala Central.
Ndiima is the child of businessman Francis Babu who once served as an MP of Kampala as well as a cabinet minister, and businesswoman Olive Kigongo, the president of the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UNCCI).
Cedric serves as the president of the Uganda Tennis Association and head of programs at UBC TV Station. He studied business administration and IT in the US and Netherlands, respectively.
“Me and my brother (Cedric Babu), all those who believe in Uganda that is greater than tribes and political orientation, will support him for Kampala MP,” Muhoozi states on his twitter page.
The senior military officer then declares, “The future of Uganda is in a new generation that knows no tribe or language.” Ndiima comes with the backing of President Yoweri Museveni, among other heavyweights of the ruling NRM party and the regime.
Museveni is desirous of getting rid of Hajji Nsereko. The wealthy lawyer has been a stone in the big man’s shoes through opposing the positions of NRM and policies of the regime on the floor of parliament and off it, in spite of the fact that he professes to be a member of NRM.
Nsereko is thought to be mulling a switch to the youngest country’s National Unity Platform party. Singer turned political sensational, Robert Kyagulanyi is the driver of the party which has been on the receiving end of an exodus of politicians deserting parties that are much older than it.
Back To Muhoozi
Much as his statement to the effect that the future of Uganda lies with the new generation sounds legit. It might come back to burn the youthful military general. Why? His own dad is an old man. Kaguta has been in politics since the 70’s, if not much earlier than that. He was part of the military council that served as the regime after the overthrow of Idi Amin Dada in 1979, by the combined forces of the Ugandan exiles and the Tanzanian army.
He stood in the 1980 elections after which he dashed to the bush accusing the eventual winner Dr. Apollo Milton Obote Opeto of having ‘conspired’ with Paulo Muwanga to steal Dr. Paulo Kawanga Ssemogerere’s victory. He grabbed power in 1986.
He has ruled nonstop since then no matter his proclamation on capturing power that the problem of Africa are leaders who never want to leave power. His regime has through parliament tinkered with the national constitution twice, in order to ‘enlarge’ his stay at the helm.
On the first occasion, parliamentarians scrapped the provision that barred anyone from being president beyond two terms of five years each. The second time, lawmakers did away with another provision that stopped anyone of 75 years to compete for State power in an election.
On both occasions, Kaguta was the one who stood to be barred by the provisions which ended up being scrapped by the parliamentarians – and after allegedly receiving gratification.
If the ceiling on age had not been done away with for instance, the son of Late Mzee Amos Kaguta would not be running in the 2021 general elections since he would by then be beyond the age that was eligible to run for State House under the old constitutional order.
Old Timers
The regime of Kaguta is littered with old men and ladies who have been in power for decades. They are so fatigued that they cannot help slumbering during parliamentary sessions and national events. But they would tell voters during elections that age is only a number!
Moses Ali
Born on 5th April 1939, Ali served under Idi Amin. He has served with Kaguta for almost all the entire time he (Kaguta) has led government except when he (Moses Ali) was in jail for attempting to overthrow his master. He has for all this entire period served as the eternal Deputy Premier on top of being an MP for East Moyo Constituency.
Sam Kuteesa Kahamba
The 71yr old Kahamba started out as an MP for Mbarara North Constituency before switching to Mawogola in Sembabule. He was in DP in the mid 60’s before he migrated to NRM. In point of fact, the dad of Lt Gen Muhoozi’s wife, Charlotte, Kahamba holds the enviable record of being the only man alive who has ever embarrassed his current Master Museveni in an election. The man from Mawogola, beat hands down and legs up, the old man of the hat in the 1980 parliamentary elections.
He served as the learned Attorney General in the infamous junta of Tito Okello Lutwa and, has held several cabinet dockets under the regime of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the current one being that of foreign affairs minister, without mentioning the numerous parliamentary terms he has gotten under his hat.
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga
Kahamba and Ali would have sufficed in the interest of space… for there are too many Jjajjas in government to name them all in one article, but we are adding Alitwala for the sake of gender balance. Setting a record of the first ever woman to be elected Speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, the 64yr old learned lady from Busoga has sat in Parliament since the time it was known as the Constituency Assembly in 1994.
During this time, Alitwala has served as a Cabinet Minister and risen as well to become the country’s number 3, after the President and learned Chief Justice, by virtual of her position as the Speaker of Parliament.
While the above is true, Alitwala does not want to hear of anyone speaking of replacing her as woman MP of Kamuli let alone as Speaker of Parliament! Find out the truth of this from either Salaam Musumba or Jacob Oulanyah.
Opposition: The story would be half told if one were not to cast an eye in the direction of the opposition.
Warren Kiiza Kifeefe Besigye
Kifeefe arrived on the political scene in 1986 as one of the successful rebels of the then 44- year – old Yoweri Museveni Kaguta. When Kaguta rolled out his cabinet list, it had the name of the then 29 – year – old Kifeefe as the enviable deputy internal affairs minister.
He was also named the National Political Commissar on top of being a Cabinet Minister. He served the military in several key positions, one of which was that of an MP and the other was that of the director of logistics and procurement.
He would later fall out with the army and the regime, after he authored a document criticizing Kaguta for allegedly having derailed from the ideals that they had fought for in the jungles of Luweero. From there, the dad of Anselm, declared his intention to unseat his boss with the view to ‘restore’ the ideals that had prompted them to the bush.
Kifeefe would later start the reform agenda platform, which has since morphed into FDC, as vehicles through which he projected to capture state power. He has strived four times in a row to unseat Kaguta with little or no success.
While the above is true, and much as he served in government, in the military and parliament previously, before becoming the defacto leader of the Ugandan opposition in general, as well as FDC in particular, not to mention the fact that he has stood for four times in the presidential election already without success, Kifeefe is not willing to give a chance to any other young man to try his luck, where he himself has consecutively failed!
For avoidance of doubt, before he stood down as FDC president, Kifeefe had the party constitution changed, to allow any other person other than the reigning party president, to run for state power.
The intention was, of course, to enable Kifeefe to continue standing as the flag bearer of FDC in the presidential election, even when he is no longer it’s party president, and regardless of how unappealing he could turn out to be at any given general election!!
I have gone to great length and width to try to show and demonstrate how Muhoozi’s dream of the new generation taking over from the older generation, could turn out to be a far off dream.
I have given the conduct of his dad, and a few of his cadres who have behaved previously, and continue to behave in a manner that points to only one conclusion: that they are unwilling to cede power to anyone let alone to Lt Gen Muhoozi’s so, beloved new generation who are above tribe and political orientation, maybe when that new generation is that of their kith and kin and moreover, at the time of their choosing and pleasure.”
So long.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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