Challenges Museveni will face in new term

President Museveni casting his ballot on voting day. He was announced winner on February 20. FILE PHOTO 

President-elect Yoweri Museveni enters a new five-year term with a plateful of challenges, a cocktail of hurdles he has jumped over the last 30 years and an unresolved transition puzzle.

With a new lease of life from at least 60 per cent of the voters on February 18, which is being contested, Museveni, who faced one of the stiffest contests since he first stood for president in 1980, has more sceptics than positive energy.

His former prime minister Amama Mbabazi hinged his change campaign gospel on the question, “do you want change or more of the same?”

A sizeable fraction of the country feels Museveni comes with a dose of ‘more of the same’ to address growing socio-economic challenges ranging from youth unemployment, sky rocketing foreign debt and limping social service delivery.

Local government elections this week registered a dismal turnout with polling stations such as Bazar Market Street polling station in Kumi District having 50 voters of the registered 657 casting their ballots.

Museveni’s critics linked the low interest in the local government poll to what emerged as the most controversial election since 1980, with local and international observers asserting the vote fell short of “international benchmarks for any democratic process”.

The election is now a matter for the Supreme Court to annul or uphold. But whatever decision the court makes, Museveni enters office in May – when he is expected to swear in – with his credibility and legitimacy dented.

Confidence and will of populace
In his book, From Third World to First World Lee Kwan Yew, the father figure of Singapore’s transformation, lays more emphasis on “confidence and will of the populace”.

Where that lacks, mistrust and mutual suspicion between state and citizen reign.

For Mr Museveni, analysts opine, the use of coercive force – with military and police manning every potential boiling pot of civic unrest – will be the symbol of public order management in the new term.

Already Kololo Independence Grounds has turned into a military and police ‘barracks’ with increased deployment of security operatives in all major towns. Pundits fear security spending is likely to shoot up.

The 2014/2015 Budget estimates read out to Parliament by then Finance minister Maria Kiwanuka allocated more than Shs1 trillion up from Shs838 billion in the 2013/14 financial year to security.

That was 7.1% of the Shs15 trillion Budget. In the Defence committee’s report to Parliament, it was noted that the entire security expenditure on classified budgets had risen from Shs122 billion to Shs300 billion in the 2013/14 financial year.

The Ministry of Defence, Security, Internal Affairs, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Services and the Directorate of Immigration fall under the security docket.

Last year legislators on the Defence and Internal Affairs committee grilled police leadership over the “exorbitant expenditure on public order management”.