Ugandan Opposition Not Fit For Purpose.

By Arthur M. Katabalwa

Hon Mike Mabikke (Monitor Photo)

Last night I sat and watched some discussion on TV about the on going retreat of the ruling governing party in Kyankwanzi. The discussion was on one of the local televisions and it was between the former MP Hon Mike Mabikke and some NRM lady who is a representative of Museveni in Kampala. She is RCC or something like that. You can see my complete lack of interest in Ugandan politics. Yes, I have had my times when I was an ultra NRM supporter but along the way I guess I just sort of got lazy about it and I thought there is something more to life.

But with the emergence of a multiparty system, I was excited about the prospect of a proper political debate. And when I saw that we were having a "new breed" of politicians, I thought things were getting brighter. You see I was about when Amin was in power and the rest of them that followed. And when Museveni stood on those steps and made that famous "fundamental change" speech, we were fired up! Well that was then. Now things are different.

Now we have an opposition which is not fit for purpose and it is a dismal disappointment. I was surprised that Mabikke cannot differentiate between the government of Uganda and NRM. And he is a major politician? That is the problem we have. His argument was that while people were dying in Mulago, the NRM was spending billions in Kyankwanzi. It was almost excruciating. The NRM does not fund Mulago ssebo. Our taxes do so through the government to fund Mulago.

And then he was making completely unsubstantiated allegations that the NRM goes to the Bank Of Uganda, steals money and uses it for its own activities. I am not sure whether that is true or not but you see there are allegations,true or otherwise that are best made in a court of law rather than on TV. It is absolutely preposterous to grandstand on TV and make such statements which can be challenged in a court of law, without a single piece of evidence. It is all conjecture. And while it may make good TV, it does not win new supporters.

On party finance. I was surprised to see that Mabikke was not aware that parties can be funded privately. I am not conversant with party funding law and if they have to declare where that money comes from. But when he heard that businesses gave the NRM money it almost seemed to him like it was a scandal that they do. Well, that is how democracy works. And imagine if Museveni went travelling round the country also looking for "Ettofaali". They would get a lot of money.

My appeal to the opposition: we need to hear what you have planned for this country on roads, education, the economy, regional cooperation, security, health and whole host of other things. What are you going to provide as an alternative to what Museveni and his NRM are providing? All we are hearing is a rag tag army of politicians who are also past there "sell by" dates only fixated with one man; Museveni! Museveni has the power of incumbency and he has dominated politics for so long that he is on that stage alone. Get on that stage as well with your power of persuasion and show us that you are a credible government in waiting.

The electorate and especially some of us who are apathetic about politics find the whole scene unappealing. We are presented with a message that we have heard for ages, of blame of present systemic failures to past regimes (they have been gone 30 years by the way). That is no longer washing. There is a whole generation of Ugandans who have no clue about panda gari. They are not phased by what happened in "those days". The story of the 27 who attacked Kabamba isn't much captivating. I am glad for those who fought in that battle but with due respect they are not the ones who lost an election. DP did. So why fight other peoples' battles? But that is for another day.

Today more and more Ugandans are fixated with the providence of public services, a civil society that observes the law regardless, an aspiration to be successful, to have a nice car, a nice house. A generation that has an increasing disposable income. A generation which is more tuned in. Liberal and aware of social progression. When we here of an opposition fighting with an incumbency that is yet to provide a different narrative from the bush days, we are torn between the two. And that is a failure squarely of the opposition. Style UP!