Professor Apolo Robin Nsibambi 78, the time keeper has kept his time, and in keeping with many African traditions, almost all obituaries so far, have only spoken well about his life. But Nsibambi who died last Friday, peacefully at his home, like all human beings had the other side, and at the risk of enlisting wraths, I modestly venture into shedding some light on parts of what few will dare publicly say today.

The outright victory by the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the just concluded elections in South Africa has debunked the youth political bubble especially when expressed through rancor, greed, indiscipline and self-aggrandizement. As a fraternal and sister liberation political organization to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Uganda, we extend salutations and congratulations to the ANC for proving the naysayers wrong again and again over the years.

The revival of Uganda Airline, under Uganda National Airline, has enlisted mixed reactions of optimistic euphoria from majority of Ugandans, and negativism by a few especially opposition leaning. President Yoweri Museveni, who was all smiles when he received the first two Bombardier planes, expressed optimism that rival of a regional carrier is still possible. While the optimists think it will succeed, pessimists are spreading a narrative of a vanity project for President Museveni’s ego trip.

Events in Algeria and Sudan where long serving presidents have been toppled in quick succession many people have sent many tongues wagging with excitement within the opposition, and suppressed trepidation among some NRM supporters worried that the trend could soon sweep through Uganda. It is important to analyse what appears to be the common threads in Algeria and Sudan, namely ideology, social and economic deprivation, lack of democracy, longevity and age of the presidents, to understand if Uganda is similarly fertile for a popular mass insurrection.