In barely three weeks’ time, Ugandans will have another chance to deliver peaceful change of government for the first time since independence in 1962.
If wananchi squander this golden opportunity, Uganda could easily plunge into yet another round of political instability, economic decline and social decay with untold consequences.
Uganda’s political elite, civil society and people of goodwill everywhere must wake up and make every effort to ensure that Uganda does not descend into a bottomless pit. We must confront this challenge, without fear or favour, because failure to avert the looming disaster will have dire consequences for all Ugandans and for the Great Lakes region!
In 2015, I planned to contest the 2016 parliamentary elections in Terego West constituency and picked the necessary nomination forms towards the end of November 2015. Under normal circumstances, I would have contested as a flag bearer of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), the only political party I have ever belonged to.
At the time of nominations for parliamentary candidates, the duly elected and legitimate leader of my party was locked out of UPC headquarters located at Uganda House by a pretender to the presidency of UPC with full backing and support of well known enemies of the party who are using a handful of fortune hunters to undermine and destroy UPC.
Under such tragic circumstances, it was not possible for me get UPC headquarters to certify and endorse my nomination forms.
Independent candidates menace
There was, however, an option for me to stand as an “independent candidate” and many of my supporters, in fact, encouraged me to stand as an independent candidate. After giving the matter deep and serious thought, I decided against contesting as an independent candidate.
I believe it is dishonest, opportunistic and self-serving for a serious politician who belongs to a national political party to contest as an independent candidate, unless one has jumped on the bandwagon of those who treat politics like a business venture. In any case, independent of whom and independent of what would one stand?
The sooner this typically Ugandan “independent candidate” menace is scrapped the better! The absurd notion of people standing as independent candidates is a legacy of NRM’s “individual merit” trick under which Uganda’s oldest and respected political parties, DP and UPC, were blamed and denigrated by NRM for political problems which have bedevilled our beloved country since 1960s.
It is widely acknowledged that some of the blame lies squarely at the door of those who waged a bloody and unnecessary guerrilla war in the 1980s instead of seeking redress in courts of law.
The time for positive change has come. Nobody should throw a spanner in the works by cheating and rigging. Let the freely expressed will of the wananchi prevail.
I request Parliament to urgently enact a law to abolish the increasingly popular, but highly irregular practice of politicians who genuinely lose in party primary elections turning round to stand as independent candidates.
If Ugandans wish to build a viable democracy, we must insist that all candidates for general elections belong to national political parties.
Countdown to election day – February 18
With effect from today, it is exactly 18 days to what many political commentators believe is the most critical election in the history of Uganda.
For me, it is a normal and routine opportunity for Ugandans, to whom power belongs, to exercise their fundamental right to freely choose their leaders for the next five years, but for some people it is sadly a do or die affair!
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