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07 October 2024

UGANDA STEADILY DEFIES LOCAL MEDIA AND POLITICAL PROPAGANDA

Two decades ago during Joseph Kony’s atrocious war in Northern Uganda especially in Acholi subregion, local politicians, a few media houses, their Ugandan journalists, editors, and columnists made quite a name upon which many built profiles that hold on to-date. It was fashionable then to fabricate a completely false story and get away with, after all, instant fact-check, using telephone and google like today were not available. But twice, luck ran out when a prominent media house published two salacious stories one being a woman, Candida Lakony who peddled a false photograph showing men in military fatigue shaving off a woman’s public, she claimed was herself as a victim at the hands of UPDF 4th Division Infantry soldiers. The second story claimed that Kony had gunned down a UPDF helicopter gunship in Kitgum whose wreckage the publication failed to show as proof. Recent data in the Background to the 2024/25 Budget indicates that Uganda’s life expectancy has climbed from 63 to 68 years defying local political and media fact-naysayers. The data, adds to other glowing cumulative achievements of the past thirty-eight years under NRM, among them also is the steady decline in infant and maternal mortality, increase in accessibility to clean water and energy, increased literacy, and student enrollments at all levels of education. The rate and rise of gender parity between male and female are impressive, and bearing the overall desired results across sectors. And, Uganda has now entered the status of a Developing country from Least Developed, although yet to be confirmed by the World Bank if we maintain and consolidate the progress. Our investment portfolio for both domestic and Foreign Direct Investors, trade with our regional neighbours, COMESA, AfCFTA and indeed with major world players China, European Union and the Arab world all indicate an upward trajectory. The fifth columnists, NUP leaders and their surrogates, copying Kizza Besigye have in the last many decades decampaigned Uganda by promoting untenable propaganda through direct personal efforts and negative media narratives that Uganda is not a good place for democracy, governance, rule of law, investments, tourism and residency. NUP and Besigye’s FDC faction never leave western capitals where they believe to have built a network of gullible purveyors of their disinformation against Uganda often asking foreigners not to associate with its government under President Yoweri Museveni, prompting some, western Capitals to slap sanctions, but Uganda straddles on. ,. There have been a few particular media houses especially under their columnists now writing for decades, who have never seen anything good and positive, let alone promising under, President Museveni. In fact, one would even be right to say that they make a daily living solely out of hate-mongering President Museveni and those seen to be close to his administration. Yet for three decades between 1966 and 1996, Uganda was a net exporter of its citizens, high and low as refugees, near and yonder, mainly to Zaire now DRC, Sudan, Kenya, apartheid Southern African states, and Western Europe, Canada and US. Today, on account of national security, peace, and stability, not only have Ugandans returned, settled and invested, Uganda is host to over 1.5 million refugees. Majority of the refugees in Uganda are DRC, S. Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia Burundi and Rwanda, and not very long-ago Afghanistan. And Uganda’s national renaissance and steady continuous progress is going regardless the heavy assault by opposition politicians accompanied by negative media especially pseudo analysts writing invective columns day in, day out without any iota of professional embarrassments that much of their bad-mouthing have come to pass. Uganda has conducted the last six presidential, parliamentary and local government elections, built its security services especially the UPDF, Internal Security and External Security Organisations almost from scratch without much direct western donor funding.

By Ofwono Opondo

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21 September 2024

PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AT 80; STILL AN ENIGMA FEW UNDERSTAND WELL

If President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni was a book, this week’s 80th birthday celebration was a well-deserved small part of life journey of a rural herds boy from a nomadic community, rebellious student activist which led him to a violent collision course with history spanning sixty years on active duty. A big Congratulation Mr. President for a journey still well on course. I missed the dinner at Kawumu presidential rural retreat lodge, in Nakaseke district, part of greater Luwero Triangle the theatre of the resistance war. However, I guess it was on purpose as a remembrance of where the NRM revolution publicly began 43 years ago and rekindle a new journey of the last chapter under President Museveni. Most Ugandans wish the president longer blissful life, but certainly five years from now, age would have taken a good toll on his physical energy, and so he and us must prepare. We must also consolidate the many achievements of his life’s time and efforts. For surviving the shootout skirmishes with Idi Amin’s operatives in Kyambogo university, 1972, Atiak, Mbale, Mayuge, the many cat and mouse run-ins around Kampala, and the extended war of liberation from Tanzania to Kampala that ousted Amin, Hajji Kassim deserves bouquets. Then came the internal fights within the UNLA which Museveni didn’t duck, but took them heads-on, and won many battles before taking to the bush for the second time when he was outfoxed by UPC at the 1980 elections. After winning the protracted people’s war 1981-86, there has been a revolution and new promising Uganda in which Museveni has been the central figure, almost having unfettered hands, and some people say derisively that he habours a sinister desire to make an empire. A self-bred soldier of patriotism, Museveni has been ruthless with enemies but also a law giver perhaps the greatest so far in our times whose eyes compare well with that of hawk scotching up adversaries as if by fire. And, he has been on that order of political genius which transcended most rules, maneuvering with several rival camps, mischievous favourites, internal malcontents, and armed adversaries many of whom have capitulated and joined him, abandoned their own lost, and sometimes bad causes, or met natural death. We shall today out of good manners leave those still living to enjoy their quiet peace and perks. The most well-known among the dead undoubtedly include Milton Obote, Amin, John Martin Ogole, Bazillion Okello, Peter Otai, and Aggrey Awori. The Mengo reactionary traditionalists have been a pain, but Museveni is handling them with an even hand. In the 38 years of leadership, Museveni has pulled Uganda from the abyss although today because of the tranquility, social stability, rising prosperity and economic opportunities, some Ugandans seem to take all of it for granted, and as self-evident. Holding and leading the bright banner of NRM, Museveni has six democratic elections under his belt with massive parliamentary and local government seats any leader would wish, for which he deserves another bundle of bright flowers. While there are thousands of 80-year olds who celebrate their birthdays, mainly for just knocking down scores of years, Museveni, has by public policy, law and practice, by the 80th caused the lifting of millions from obscurity, evidence of which are the relative successes in education, health, social, economic and political mobility seen in cabinet, parliament, judiciary, civil service, security services, and an emerging thriving private sector. Clearly, over his 80 years, it is not an over statement to say that President Museveni has been, probably still is, an enigma, few understand well. The naïve political schemers hovering in the horizon better hold back because it might as well be the start of another chapter. AllutaAluta Continua Mzee Wa Kazi.

Ofwono Opondo