In 2008, I met President Museveni at State Lodge, Nakasero, and told him what I thought about the situation in the country, and what is likely to happen if he clings onto power. I told him in these or similar words:
“Your Excellency, you remember what you promised Ugandans in 2000-2001. You categorically stated that come 2006 you, would not seek another term. But unfortunately, in 2006, you reneged on your promise.
I am sure what made you change your mind was the lifting of the presidential term limits by selfish and self-seeking MPs of the 7th Parliament. Your Excellency, if you still love Uganda, your party and yourself, do not stand again in 2011. What you have done for Uganda is a lot.
Leave power when Ugandans still love you. Ugandans want to have you as their political grandfather like Nelson Mandela of South Africa. Don’t listen to those self-centred ministers, advisors and others who lack valour and heroism to stand and defend what is right. They prefer to keep quiet and watch things fall apart. The more you stay in power, the more problems you create for Uganda, your party and yourself.
Your Excellency, dictators are not born; they are made. I pray that you don’t reach a level of being autocratic and monocratic because once you qualify to it, you will create many enemies, both real and imaginary.
You will develop an attitude of mistrust and this will result in wanting to do everything by yourself, thus killing the constitutional institutions by making them redundant and ineffective. You will see yourself as the alpha and omega of everybody and everything in Uganda, thus taking Uganda as your personal property.
Your Excellency, any regime that tries to perpetuate itself in power, it has, with time, to lose its popularity. And, as a result, it has to deploy undemocratic and unethical measures, as some have already surfaced, to keep and sustain itself in power.
These measures include corruption, patronage, nepotism, sectarianism, cronyism, intrigue, cliques (divide and rule), militarism, balkanization of the country into small and tribal districts for political gain, intimidation, arrogance, impunity, lies, etc.
The longer you stay in power, you will substitute professionalism, competence and integrity for loyalty. Your Excellency, I am being honest with you because I love Uganda and I cherish you for what you have done for Uganda.”
Suppose Museveni, instead of going to the bush, opted to run to State House Entebbe for hand-outs and engaging in the blackmail enterprise – as some of you are selfishly, shamelessly doing – would he have liberated Uganda? Surely not.
It is his sacrifice and determination that liberated Uganda. It is his refusal to be manipulated and lied to that liberated us.
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