Comments for What the opposition should read at http://independent.co.ug , comment 1 to 20 out of 20 comments http://independent.co.ug Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:00:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23880 Mwenda, with due respect, u make so many sweeping statements albeit the story is well organised. The Events that were in SA, are far incomparable to Ugandan's situation. S. Africans were fighting a clearer, call them obvious enemies unlike the opposition. U never know one who is true or the wolf in A sheep's skin. Where the Mandelas could tell even by colour who was against them, it is hard for the opposition. On Buganda, Andrew u are one of the protagonist of the land act, which i must add has edged out Baganda. U can therefore not accuse them of appealing to ethnity when they are endangered. Lest i forget, tribalistic slogans can cause regime change. - Dalton Kaweesa Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:30:05 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23775 Mabo,I wish you could tell the readers what you term as "a government committed to serving the citizens" Secondly,have been to Rwanda in the last three years ?? or you're basing your views on assumptions ?? I'll be so glad if you answer me. - Adamz Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:26:32 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23734 this the Mwenda tht eloquently engage & questions,builds conspiracies,pessimistic ,demands/advocates "freedoms" for citizens esp political & media? Or to him,kigali is "land of the political saints"? Any way soon the veil will be off !! As for ugandans,aluta continua to build our country despite some short comings tht need correcting! For God & my country. - MABO Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:39:49 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23733 Thanx Mr Adamz for your comments & observations. Am aware of the progress tht Rwanda is making in terms of infrastracture. Mr Andrew has always positioned him self as an elite & journalist advocating for freedoms & political space. Wht suprises me is tht whn it comes to Rwanda,then these don't apply! Him citing Rwanda & Ethiopia as model regimes/govt worth to be copied by other countries has alot ot say! So to Andrew Mr Kagame & Mr Meles are the "new breeds/mesiahs" of Africa,if Mr Adamz u'r of the same view,you are entittled! Like wise you shld not blame those who said the same for Mr M7 early yr of NRM govt! Where are the investigative journalism skills of Andrew whn it comes to Rwanda? Is - MABO Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:39:08 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23713 Mwenda wrongly assumes that Uganda's politics is static. How about the charismatic new voices of Dr. Olara Otunnu and Norbert Mao that he has failed to mention. 2011 is going to be watershed political year in Uganda. - omuzinyi Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:38:12 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23711 There is only one power hog:Museveni. The rest are powerless piglets fawning, swooning for handouts. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. A few handpicked yes men and women is as politically retrograde as one can get. More than 50% of Uganda's budget is financed from international aid; all ugandans poor or rich are entitled to it. The unable aides of the corrupt regime are trolling retrograde ideas: one Bahati advocating killing homosexuals and imprisoning their relatives. But beware, political peril awaits countries that entertain endless despotic one-man-regimes, who survive by eliminating opposition. So, Uganda needs a political change; it's long over due. If it came in a form of regime change, so be it. W'll take it. It will be far better than the status quo. - Ocheto Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:17:35 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23707 Well I havenot travelled to Rwanda, but it is well known that there is very minimal media freedom in Rwanda, So dont expect to get reports of corruption in the Rwandan press or for that matter any bad PR. Remember in the early days of the NRM regime, despite the gross & well documented attrocities it was commiting in Northern Uganda and Teso (some as horrible as locking up & burning people in train Wagons) It didnot prevent the international community from calling Museveni the new breed of good African leaders thanks to the media. It is very unfortunate that the media (mainly international) let down these innocent Ugandans at a time of great need. So you always have to critically appraise whatever you read my brother. - Don Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:25:32 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23699 Mabo has been amused by Andrew's closing remarks and Don has labelled Andrew as Kagame's spin doctor but I wish Mabo and Don could go fly to Rwanda and see for them selves what Kagame has done for the people,remember Andrew wrote in his closing remarks that "governments committed to serving the public good." Rwanda is clean,orderly,all sectors are efficient,corruption is a taboo and ministers are evaluated to check on their committment. Thats why the Rwanda is termed as the model government. Rwanda has "vision 2020" and there's evidence on ground that the government is working towards fulfilling that vision. Mabo and Don,please get facts before you react to what people with facts write. - Adamz Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:56:20 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23694 Andrew, You mention Mengo's failure. Actually, it is the Diaspora Bagandas that have failed Mengo. Many of them (in the 1000s) are people of very able means. /George - George Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:24:18 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23689 It is easy to mock the idea of 'regime change'. However, in the Ugandan context regime change through the democratic process would be a 'qualitative change' (read 'revolution' if you like) in our political culture, which has known no such change since 1962. If it happened peacefully,then the road to fair competition and non-violent transfer of power would have been paved. We would have gotten rid of the legacy of the rule of dinosaurs, which has bedevilled post-independence Africa. Otherwise we might go back to one party rule as in China or Libya. - Rev Amos Kasibante Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:34:59 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23688 The experience of S. Africa is interesting. During Apartheid, the fault lines were easily drawn. The majority of the 'strugglists' were Black struggling to change an unjust system at the social, legal, political and economic levels. Post-independence Africa or even post-liberationist (e.g Mugabe type or Museveni type) governments are a different ball game. The enemy is not easily identifiable and often the people caught between opposing forces don't quite know who is better than the other. The S. African struggle had credible unionised labour (under COSATU). This kind of organisation has been undermined in the post-independence and post-liberationist governments. Then on "regime change" see next - Rev Amos Kasibante Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:26:47 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23682 "Only in post genocide Rwanda and Ethiopia has sub-Sahara Africa seen the emergence of governments committed to serving the public good" (Mwenda, 2010) Andrew there is no doubt you are Kagame's spin doctor, but until now i didnt know you do the same job for Meles Zenawi. It beats my understanding why you rank Ghana, a country that in the last decade had 2 peaceful change of guards below Rwanda and Ethiopa, by the Ghana has better indicators than both Rwanda &Ethiopia. Lastly Mwenda you should go slow on our opposition, Ask yourself & the media at large what you have done for democracy in Africa. You guyz distort facts to suit your masters and funders the Kagame's of this world. - Don Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:11:37 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23674 Andrew ,the opposition in Uganda is mostly as a result of M7''s failure to cater for the needs of Ugandans and his now proven acts of sabotage againist the the state of Uganda, If you look closer most of the opposition comes from the original NRM or has worked with NRM, There is something unpatriotic and very bad about m7 ,and this what Ugandans are going to fight , Even Buganda believed that m7 was their man only to wake to realise they were dancing with wolves , Thanks God m7 days are coming to an end its sad he chose to end his legacy in violence ,We will defeat him Uganda will live to see a better day ,pray for the boys - Major Adam Kifaliso Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:01:58 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23667 I thank you Andrew for the article, very interesting but at the same time with some flaws, one: how can Buganda emulate the likes of Hamas and Hezbollah without revenue?The central government has consistently and deliberatley refused to pay Buganda money for some of its properties it uses to function as a governement. I agree may be more needs to be done in this area but i suppose all public good should be facilitated with credible sources of revenue. URA colletcs billions in taxes every week, where does Kagina report to? I suppose to the master in thief himself (m7) and what do we get back as Ugandans? lie after lies, brutality-supress public meetings and gatherings. - Moses Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:08:34 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23655 Am really amused by Andrew's closing remarks of the article! Rwanda & Ethiopia are what? OMG lol !!! This world is really interesting to live in. Does the independent really has a resident journalist in rwanda? How I would wish my friend Andrew to practise his journalism in kigali or Addis? Its really a pity how our contemporary high profile elite are. As a media investor & practitioner wht good/ vibrancy media can you report home abt your glorified Rwanda,or it does not matter! The freedoms you demand for uganda are not necessary in rwanda? This is the worst hypocracy. Any way, you could be justifying the Ads they offer you! God knows wht lies behind tht curtain! History will tell it all. For God & my country. - MABO Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:46:19 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23650 The fact tht most vibrant politicians(esp) from the west are pre-ocupied wth regime change rather than a broad national agenda makes stlye of ugandan politiician predictable & un responsive to society needs. To them,its as if riding to state house will automatically change their mind sets to political saints! The ego,arrogance,posturing they show now will definately get worse whn in power lets have no doubt abt that. Some body who incites readers to boycott media paper you expect him to tolorate a ferocious crtiticism by the meida whn in power? Not likely. For God & my country - MABO Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:01:24 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23637 Andrew admitting to watching pirated DVD is that legal or forms part of the dysfunctional society and finds it acceptable - prosie p Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:42:40 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23631 It is also worth noting that the opposition is headed by people who themselves have no clean record. . Most of them are corrupt. Besigye has Junk Choppers on his record, Kaijuka has the Bujagali bribe, Kigundu had Greenland, Ruzindana was a corrupt IGG etc etc.. That is b4 you talk Sabiiti, Mushega and so on. The only clean man is Gen. Muntu but what can he do on his own?. Also note that the opposition leadership also sounds like a who is who among western big shots. So for voters who are fed up with Western Rule, this opposition is no solution is it?. That is why M7 continues to hang on to the "Devil you Know" vote - Politi Fact Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:40:11 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23630 Dont forget that the examples you have cited are those organisations who have/had massive external funding. Uganda's opposition parties do not and can not attract much external funding at the moment. This is partly because M7's regime, despite all its weaknesses can not possibly be compared with the Apartheid regime of SA or the Isreali regime in occupied Palestine!. Therefore the solution you propose seems impracticle. However you are right in your conclusion that the opposition is too preoccupied with "regime change" and are therefore failing to articulate their "societal change" programme. Yes they need to wake up!. - Politi Fact Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:29:17 +0100 http://independent.co.ug/index.php/the-last-word/the-last-word/3-the-last-word/2387-what-the-opposition-should-read#comment-23615 Andrew seems to suggest opposition in Uganda starts a parallel govt offering social services M7 is not providing and inevitably, pple will vote it into power.But what he seems to fail to say is who is going to fund all these activities? The western govts would not offer such help since "it interferes with our sovereignity" and they actually are happy with M7 despite the mess they see, china does not care who runs the place as long as they get the copper, ugandan businesses are too poor to contribute any reasonable cash to opposition and fear being run down by M7s mafia and Ugandans cant even afford party cards. so Andrew where will he cash come from?It may be easier to get power first and use tax payers money better - Jude Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:52:54 +0100