By Peter Magomu Mashate
The current state of affairs in opposition NUP reminds me of the chaos that occured in post-Amin UNLF governments. We had Yusuf Lule who led for 68 days, Godfrey Binaisa (eleven months) and then Paulo Muwanga of the Military Commission who organized the sham elections in 1980.
The similarities and indeed differences of the ascendency of Muwanga/chairman Military Commission to power by coup against Binaisa lie in the generational gap and composition of the coup pushers.
This is clearly reflected in the current Kyagulanyi-Mpuuga feud which is all about power by whatever name called.
In 1980 when the military Commission took over power, the country waited for their announcement which came by way of press conference and as the coup pushers came in one by one, the country also anxiously waited to see the Vice chairman of the military Commission who took a while to come. This vice chairman was none other than Yoweri Museveni!
At the time, Museveni was the youngest of all leaders and therefore represented the young generation who were the majority in the country as it is today.
As it turned out, the young generation didn’t agree with the direction the country was moving in and therefore when Museveni formed UPM, he had a fully constituted group of young people committed to rectifying the situation.
As it stands today, the battle between Robert Kyagulanyi and Mathias Mpuuga is a generational one with Mpuuga representing the old guard which seems to have a lot of explanation to give to the country especially to the growing army of the youths.
One of the major issues the old guards are grappling with and for that matter has affected Mpuuga is corruption with impunity which is reminiscent of the 1980 Military Commission of Paulo Muwanga and in general, the UNLF governments of the time. As a matter of fact, one of the old guards; Binaisa’s turbulent presidency is remembered on one hand by his own admission that ‘Entebe Ewooma’ or State House is sweet.
This is exactly what my learned friend and former LoP Mathias Mpuuga is saying when he says he cannot quit as Commissioner of Parliament neither can he refund the controversial Half a billion Kyagulanyi accuses him of having obtained corruptly.
This notion of ‘Entebe Ewooma’ to me, is what Kyagulanyi/Bobi Wine and his generation have not yet grasped and therefore, him and Mpuuga’s generation of ‘Entebe Ewooma’ can never agree.
To begin with, Kyagulanyi came to parliament and served for only three years and quit while his nemesis Mpuuga is now eyeing a fourth term. Clearly, this shows a very big ideological and generational gap.
The Kyagulanyis say they come to serve not to own positions while the Mpuugas say they come to serve, occupy and own positions because the Binaisa doctrine of ‘Entebe Ewooma’ prevails.
My party NRM should therefore learn from the history right from 1980 to the present day. Because the issue of generation continues to determine Uganda’s course of political direction just like we’re seeing in other African countries where the youth have propelled their colleagues to positions of authority.
In the countryside, the youths seem not to be bothered by comments made by elites and the old guards instead, they view them as agents of their untold suffering, corruption and impunity. This is what my party ought to interrogate such that people can continue to trust us.
The results of 2021 elections are still vivid in our minds where hitherto strongholds of NRM were easily swayed by NUP riding on generational sentiments. Worse still, those who were 13 years in 2021, are now eligible voters by 2026 and these appear in millions! While we may look at Kyagulanyi-Mpuuga feud as a merely NUP affair, we should ask ourselves, who between the two benefits from this saga in light of the sentiments of the new eligible voters? Do we have an answer as a party in power to appeal to these millions which Kyagulanyi seems to be rallying by blowing the trumpet of corruption which is at the center of his feud with Mpuuga?
In Bugisu for example, we lost our full cabinet position due to alleged corruption. No youth has come out to criticize H.E the president for this decision meaning, he touched on the real issue which concerns them-corruption. This is the same issue Kyagulanyi accuses Mpuuga of doing and he seems to be fully backed by his group of youth.
Of course as a subregion which has always supported, preserved and sustained NRM in power, we (Bugisu) feel we deserved more than what we got in the reshuffle. If the cabinet positions are over, there are other areas where Bugisu sons and daughters can be deployed in the interest of equitable distribution of the national cake. The alleged behavior of Dr. Maria Gorreti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu are personal weaknesses which should not be used as a yardstick to disenfranchise us of our positions in government.
The writer is a London-based Constitutional and Human Rights Barrister
