By: ralph geeplay
A woman bleeds to death in Kampala after being hit by rubber bullets
The recent chaos in Kampala Uganda which saw the hideous beating of opposition leader Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was unfortunate. Anybody would think Africa have stepped into the 21lst century and that such viciousness as persecuting the political opposition for no reasons other then bare political convenience as was recently demonstrated by the Yoweri Museveni regime were things of the past. But no, it just happened in the Ivory Coast (the brutal assault on peaceful citizens including children and women).
These are the stories that put Africa in the news: One man readying himself to hold a whole country hostage, just so he leads at all cost. The opposition is paying the prize for challenging Mr. Museveni.
Early last week, the opposition leader Besigye was barred yet again from leaving his house in a fresh effort by the government to restrict his movements as it seeks to clamp down on the protests.
The administration has placed Besigye under virtual house arrest and practically faults the Freedom for Democratic Change leader as the main culprit for these peaceful demonstrations which are growing in strength daily despite the hard handiness of the Museveni regime.
Pundits say, Museveni can not be taken seriously as a prominent African leader and statesman, because he’s usurping his powers and denying his own people their right to free assembly. A man staying that long in power certainly must harbor dictatorial tendencies, observers say.
Uganda is coming to terms with a democratic fervor running amok across the globe, especially in places where dissent were always never thought of to happen, or welcomed.
Citizens are emotionally charged now more than ever to challenge their national governments as they seek answers in a novel attempt the world over, as far as governance is concern.
The people voices are getting louder and louder as they demand accountability from their leaders. The Arab Spring which rattles the Middle East originating from Tunisia is an example.
Governments can no longer lead at the disadvantage of the people without hearing their protests or pretending to ignore their concerns as the Museveni pattern shows.
But in this regard though, Sub-Saharan Africa has a long way to go and it is refreshing that ordinary Ugandans and its political opposition are showing the way on the continent, that this can be done!
It is uplifting, that the Uganda opposition has stood firm against this African authoritarian. In an attempt to seek answers to Uganda’s myriad problems the main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye just return from a Kenyan hospital to nurse wounds from the army which unmercifully flogged him weeks ago. Soldiers taking order from Museveni attacked his car with hammers and batons, and pepper sprayed the man. The international community’s voice has not been loud enough in condemning these brutish acts which currently become obvious in Kampala. Even dubious, is the quiet voice of African leaders.
Musivene is ruling arbitrarily
It is not surprising, that the Ugandan president have won another five year term to lead that East African country once again. It was expected. The latest presidential election verdict coming from the international observers, including the African Union asserted that the polls were unsatisfactory; add that to the high cost of living especially ordinary commodities and fuel prices and the casual observer will discern, what give rise to “the walk to work protest.”
The Kampala regime is crippled. Just before the election, Mr. Museveni spent 700 million dollars largesse on military hardware which mostly included military jets; hurting the treasury immensely. The reason for the spending is insane and unexplainable! One probable explanation however is perhaps the regime fears that no military power would invade its airspace in the wake of any electoral dispute. There have been murmurs in the country also.
These grievances are coming mainly from the opposition and protesters in Kampala. The Museveni led administration has seen this as a threat to its authority. It is hard to believe Mr. Museveni, when he claims all he is trying to do is make the country safe by violently quelling the dissent.
With these developments it is hard to see how Museveni claim any valid democratic credentials when his conduct and condescension for the very citizenry he wants to lead are been beaten in the streets and barred from expressing their displeasure with way their country is being run? He is going the mile and introducing new laws to satisfy his whims and interests.
He wants to abolish the right to bail for “demonstrators and economic saboteurs”. The move, says Ugandan academics is intended grab powers from the courts, as this would allow the president to further hassle his critics and get away with impunity. This unwarranted viciousness and iron claws against the citizens of Uganda is deplorable. The blood letting of Museveni and his regime whose term runs up to 2016 will see the Ugandan president at the helm of power for 30 years. This would also make him one of the longest serving African heads of state.
Condemnations against Museveni’s actions must come in a united front from the international community.
The East African community of states must speak stridently against this autocrat, because a worsening situation there awaits the region if the violence continues unabated, and that could disrupt the relative peace the bloc has seen in recent years since the Kenyan uprising in 2007 which also resulted from elections fraud.
No wonder, Museveni staunchly supported Laurent Gbagbo few months ago, and demanded the African union back off its attempt that would have seen the former Ivorian leader ceding authority to his rival, who was declared the rightful winner of the elections.
Thank God the Gbagbo episode is history. Yoweri Museveni knows he harbors the same tyrannical cufflinks and disdain for the opposition and his own people, if only they will leave him alone to lead carelessly with political excess, never minding if the people are fed or clothed, then he will be all the happier. An international united voice must say no to this ruffian!
