President Museveni, the greatest president in the history of Uganda, has demonstrated his tactical political acumen, steering the country from grass to grace while withstanding the Western invisible hand which incites people against their patriotic leaders.
Ironically, Africans have murdered their leaders who tried to speak for them against European exploitation. They were murdered by Africans themselves. Many thought President Museveni would be a victim due to his Pan-Africanism, but shame upon them—he has eclipsed them. After his firm stand against the Western imbecility and barbaric act of homosexuality, which is contrary to African norms and values, many of his political foes, like Kyagulanyi, who believe in it, thought it was his last nail to leave the country’s most prestigious seat. Instead, it has consolidated his support from the local people.
It should be noted that the imperialists have assassinated great African leaders who have tried to defend their wealth and values, starting with the Congolese independence leader, Patrice Emery Lumumba of Congo Zaire.
Similarly, Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkina Faso military officer, Marxist revolutionary, and pan-Africanist who served as President of Burkina Faso. A selfless and visionary leader, he was assassinated by Africans at a young age of 37 in response to the wishes of the imperialists. Too sad and barbaric.
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was a Libyan revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. That great and selfless leader from North Africa was violently murdered by Africans through the support and proxy hands of NATO. His only sin was that he was a great advocate for African liberation from imperialist exploitations.
Gen. Museveni is among the few leaders who have tried to pledge what is possible for him to fulfill. Looking at the world from another fellow’s point of view was what this country had sorely needed for a long time—not to tell people what they want to hear but rather the truth that would help the economy grow. For example, the president refused to bow to the pressure of arts teachers to get a salary enhancement. He boldly told them the economy could not sustain it and therefore implored them to be patient.
Some African leaders have lost grip because of doing contrary to what they promised the wananchi after being voted into power. No wonder people have voted them out.
Take, for example, Malawi’s former president Bakili Muluzi, who once promised to give every Malawian who voted for him a pair of shoes. After winning, he said that it was impossible for him to fulfill his promise since he did not know the shoe sizes of all voters. He served from 1994 to 2004.
Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, promised that the commission was going to transmit the results of the 2023 general election electronically in real-time at the polling unit in accordance with the newly signed electoral law, only to backtrack and collate the results manually, especially the presidential election results. When Nigerians protested, he reminded everybody that there is no section of the electoral law that mandated him to collate and transmit election results electronically in real-time. Nigerians have been in total shock months after the election.
In 2015, the All Progressive Party (APC) rose to power on the promise of “Change.” Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for them. After the first term of 4 years into the second term of another 4 years, the change promised Nigerians was not seen anywhere. Nigerians began to ask questions. The APC denied all the promises made, only to turn around and tell Nigerians that “the change they seek begins with them.”
The writer, George Mubiru, is a researcher, political analyst, and Assistant RCC Jinja City.
Tel: 0754877595
Email: georgemubiru93@gmail.com
