The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Helen Epstein, an American researcher and author says that claims by President Yoweri Museveni that National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi is funded by foreigners are ridiculous.
President Museveni has more than once stated that Kyagulanyi is backed by foreigners. For instance, when addressing his supporters in Kotido district last month, Museveni said Bobi Wine has the support of homosexual groups in foreign countries.
Early this month as Museveni campaigned in Hoima, he vowed to demolish Bobi Wine and his associates. “I know Kyagulanyi and the ‘fools’ supporting him don’t know Uganda very well. These include foreigners and others who are here…. but I know all of them,” he said.
But Epstein told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that President Museveni’s long stay in power has equally been supported by western governments who extended financial aid to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, a portion of which is looted.
The misuse of financial aid she argues is well known by institutions such as the World Bank.
In her book, Another Fine Mess: America, Uganda and the War on Terror, Epstein refers to a 2004 incident when, “Joel Barkan, a World Bank consultant had drafted an explosive report accusing Uganda’s donors of creating a brutal autocracy responsible for grand corruption involving Museveni’s family.”
The report also noted that Museveni had diverted 23 percent of all discretionary ministry budgets-Health, Education, Transport, and so on to a classified military fund which was therefore used for managing dissent and election expenditures,” Epstein further says.
The World Bank sat on this report for two years and a watered-down version of Barkan’s report that was eventually released did not mention the involvement of Museveni’s family in corruption.
About the calls for sanctioning of army officers by the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Eliot L. Engel over the worsening human rights situation Uganda, Epstein says that more strong statements and action is needed since these army officers are controlled by Museveni.
Epstein recounts in Another Fine Mess an attempt by the US and UK ambassadors to convince Museveni to leave power in 2004. After 9/11 al-Qaeda terrorist attack, George Walker Bush started a program called “Freedom Agenda” that aimed to get rid of dictators across the world and promote democratization.
Optimistic that they had Washington’s backing and sanctions would be imposed if Museveni refused to leave, the then US ambassador in Uganda Jimmy Kolker and UK High Commissioner Adam Wood, “visited Museveni at the president’s rural retreat in western Uganda and offered him a deal: Retire from office in 2006, and we’ll help you find you lucrative work as a UN negotiator. The ambassadors also offered to help arrange a deal so that Museveni would not be prosecuted for acts committed while in office.”
Museveni utterly rejected this offer. “He just dismissed us like flies,” Epstein quotes Kolker. She argues that Museveni had been encouraged to dismiss this proposal because he had been “working behind the scenes with a Washington lobbyist” offering to send troops in Somalia, backing America’s war on al-Shabaab.
Museveni has over years been viewed as America’s ally in fighting terrorism. And America most often prioritizes security instead of democracy.
Epstein says that the futility of the attempt to persuade Museveni to leave power and his failure to show any sign that he will leave is indicative that “he will not go willingly.”
“I don’t know what pressures could be brought to bear on him. I think many of us will be watching with great interest in the weeks and months to come to see what happens.”
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Thanks editor. I have read Helen’s book- it’s a well researched piece of work which prompts further investigation in the leadership and the abuse of office.
The leadership falls short of a responsible government where accountability is lacking. The government after 35 years in power still depends on donor support for its budget- c.45% direct support and much higher if program funding such as the annual c. $1 bn US aid for AIDs antivirals to 1million Ugandans.
The assertion that Bobi Wine is funded by foreigners is misguided and irresponsible for a government dependant on economic aid /donations and remittances to balance its budget. NGOs are key component of job creation and poverty alleviation as well as promoting justice and fairness. Curbing and arresting its leaders like Bwana Opiyo -the award winning human rights lawyer casts doubt on the government legitimacy and motives.
One can only think of a legacy of excessive use of power on civilians, killer cops/ deaths, state violence, poverty and suppression of alternative opinion/opposition for the next generation historians.
m7 our votes
All this… according to yet another supposedly agenda-less yet over-interested muzungu expert on Africa… we are told.
There were many such experts publishing their unbiased research and expert opinions before, during, and after the scramble for Africa, including those who discovered Africa.
If those claims were indeed ridiculous then why would they need to be refuted at all… and why by an American… why at this particular point in time… never mind the trail of evidence splashed all over the internet going back many years… and the documented instances of public bragging about western support by the person they are now attempting to rescue from such an amateur political faux pas?
It’s too late for damage control. Attempts at damage control will only confirm what we know.
We are familiar with the patterns surrounding the creation and installation of puppet rulers in post colonial Africa and other continents, so it’s ridiculous to write in the hope that we will read and imagine that such things do not happen, have not happened or will never happen.
We must continue to pray hard for Uganda and for Africa, and we must continue paying close attention to all candidates and their preparedness to move Uganda forward so that on election day we vote wisely.
m7 our votes
“Epstein says that the futility of the attempt to persuade Museveni to leave power and his failure to show any sign that he will leave is indicative that “he will not go willingly.””
The American researcher a.k.a The Imperialist researcher should first tell us if she has done the same research in her country where the president “will not go willingly.”
The imperialist researcher should also tell us why white people established their rule over Uganda for more than 70 years without being invited. We are aware that they did not go willingly. And since they supposedly left, why are they still back telling us how we should rule ourselves or why we should follow the two-term presidential tenure. Neo-colonialism that the former Europeans are practicing right now in Africa should not mean Africans cannot practice their own will on how they govern themselves.
The imperialists and colonialists attempted to wire Black people of Africa into what they want us to be. In fact, even the concept of Africa is of someone less than human according to their racial perception of people from the Black Continent. Ugandans would not have gone to Somalia to bring some sanity there if not for the mess the imperialists left there. Why not send your own people there instead of Ugandans dying there for doing your dirty job? What is World Bank money compared to the lives lost there. When Ugandan soldiers die in Somalia doing your dirty work, their families are only paid $50,000. Is this worth dying for? Who impoverished Africa and made it awash with arms? Are they not the same people?
In Uganda, we have a constitution made by the people. The people can decide to amend it. You cannot impose the American constitution on Uganda. Ours is homemade and we can amend where necessary. Leave
Africans to practice their own type of governance.
Some colonized people are thanking this American “expert” on Uganda. But she doesn’t have an idea that she can do nothing to sway our thinking and rejection of western domination. You people with colonized minds, wake up, and reject racial domination. Why did this American “expert” decide to do her research on Uganda and not her country, for example, on racial oppression there or dissent there? You “expert” please do some research on Black Lives Matter and white supremacy in your country.
Ugandans should resist regime change propagated by the enemies of Uganda. They want regime change because Museveni and Ugandans have refused to accept their kind of sexuality, or bluntly put, homosexuality as “human rights.” Let me assure the imperialist researcher that we have our own rights, philosophy, ideology, laws, cultures and lens through which we decide our humanity. Please refer to how George Floyd was killed by a white police officer. They did not even think he was a human being and snuffed out his life without mercy. Leave us to think for ourselves out of our experiences.
Victor, thank you for candidly telling them. The so called researcher is one of the many fronts that only look at a countries in Africa and turn a blind eye on others including their own US backyard that has caused blood rivers in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Vietnam, Japan, etc. The extermination of Red Indians, the use of black Americans as research guinea pigs, etc are all facts that this wonderful American researcher chooses to ignore thinking the world does not know. Sometimes I wonder why this researcher chooses to ignore grand mayhem happening in for example Rwanda where citizens cries over murders, torture, kidnap, etc of political opponents have been ignored, and only choose to nose in Uganda. Is it because of the oil??? Kyagulanyi’s support by enemies of Uganda is well known and documented. This researcher’s assertion that Museveni is supported to the west in diversionary because it does not dispute western support to Kyagulanyi. The attempts to cause chaos in Uganda will be defeated. The homosexual plans will equally fail bcz these have been rejected as they’re evil and against our culture as Africans.
“This researcher’s assertion that Museveni is supported to the west in diversionary because it does not dispute western support to Kyagulanyi.”
Well put.
I noticed the same.
Also… supporting a head of state who also happens to be a knowledgeable General with decades of experience in diplomacy, sought after expertise in international relations, achievements in Pan African movement building, while following official protocol… that is very different to supporting a new ungrounded demagogue who has been stirring instability and threatening violence.
The diversion speaks volumes.
I think we helpless citizens like Ugandans , we help from such communities infact one of the most lucrative reason as to why Africans and we Ugandans failed to live a happy Life dictatorship . Like here in Uganda museveni has crews ( security finance governing bodies etc) that museveni uses to mistreat us they sweeten everything for like embezzling national funds killings of innocent Ugandans fake imprisonment and allegations but when this man knows everything and leave his agents untouched
See now what is happening in the country killing innocent Ugandans misuse of power stealing national money without the backing at by the boss
A lot has been done since those years of 2000 upto now
We poor Ugandans and helpless do decry for international communities to help and save us
Am happy for that
Anyone one in support of this regime is insane. Regardless of who has come up with the research or analysis, is there any wrong information presented by the researcher? Defending undefendables is a bit tricky. The whole report talks about repression by regime, corruption, lawlessness and embezzlement. Who doesn’t see all those vices in Uganda. Some times we need to speak the truth.If you are complaining about imperialism, do u only see it when they ask abt accountability? Why don’t you refuse the donations?
Many of us are eagerly waiting for the downfall of this infamous autocratic regime. President Museveni has robbed our past, present and future. How can one lead a country for three decades and come out to parade provincial paths in the name of roads as big projects with even cutting ribbons!
We should learn to love our country. Because the elites and educated Ugandans have been compromised by Museveni regime, that is why we rely on people like Epstein. I don’t know why Africans are forced to love their own countries.
Many of us appreciate the works of people like Epstein.
14th January 2021. Let all of us go for elections.
David, you perceive President Museveni’s voters to be insane (seriously mentally ill).
That’s your opinion, but in a free society people are free to choose and believe whatever
they want. You believe in Epstein, that’s your choice but do not insult other Ugandans.
Those elites and educated Ugandans you denigrate, are very well informed patriots.
During 2016 US election campaigns, Clinton called Trump’s supporters “bigots” and
a “basket of deplorables”! Who won the election? Let us agree to disagree with civility!
As for the donations, nobody puts a gun on their heads. And one need not account
for a donation (a donation is like a gift and you can do whatever you want with it).
Have you ever asked yourself why they have been “donating” to this country of
insane people for all these many years?
The truth is that nearly 90% of all Africa’s so called leaders go begging from especially their former colonial masters. Should Africa feel that it’s not proper to be asked about issues to with accountability of donor monies from the donors such as GAVI & GLOBAL funds let them stop going there.
The day Africa will stop begging from the western world you will never ever see a white man poking his nose into the internal matters of Africa.
Someone asked a very ridiculous question of whether these African autocratics beg at gun point?
Why do they go begging in the first place?
If I may ask bwana Victor, was M7 at gunpoint when he selfishly sent Ugandan soldiers to go and fight a proxy war in Somalia?
He’s America’s puppet with a selfish interest so that America may look the other side when he commits domestic atrocities like he is doing right now!
Do you know why couldn’t America find say Tanzania or Kenya (with better economies and superior armies) to send their troops to Somalia?
It’s because those countries are more democratic and are not ruled by puppets with self-preservation
“Why do they go begging in the first place?”
Ask yourself why the imperialists are begging to remain in a “begging” country like Uganda?
Right now there are long food lines at the food bank in USA. So far I have seen none in Uganda.
Ask Trump if he believes in democracy which you are trying to tell us Americans are experts of.
Even the idea of democracy the white people’s way is alien to Uganda or Africa. The so-called idea
of democracy was brought after Africans fought to expel the white colonial masters. The colonial
rule all over Africa consisted of military regimes. They ruled by the gun. In a lot of countries of
Africa the white colonial rulers had to be expelled after armed resistance. Give us a break with your
worship of your white imperialist masters. Ugandans will decide how they rule themselves. Some
of the millionaires in the Western world acquired their wealth by venturing into Africa. I could
give you tons of examples. Yes, you can say that they did not beg from Africa but actually looted the
continent to build their wealth. African leaders are only going for the ill-gotten wealth that the West looted from Africa. Do a bit of more research and you will change your thinking and stop worshipping white colonialists, imperialists and racists and overcome your inferiority complex.
I can assure you that they cannot tell us how we should govern ourselves. Some of us are beyond
that kind of mediocre thinking you are preoccupied with. Wake up and fight Western hegemony.
This article makes for painful reading. But I thank Ms Epstein for showing us what goes on inside the ambassadorial mission walls and in the hearts of the honoured diplomats who therein dwell.
First, Epstein calls the claims of foreign support for Kyagulanyi “ridiculous” but does not deny them and in fact seems to affirm them, arguing, “so what, President Museveni’s long stay in power has equally been supported by western governments who extended financial aid to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government”!
Notice that according to her, (rightly or wrongly) M7 has stayed in power not because of the support of Ugandans, but because of foreign support from these “democratic” countries. Now they want to support Kyagulanyi et al, not because these are supported by the people of Uganda either, but because those “democrats” out there fancy Kyagulanyi as the flavour of the month or year! Who gives a hoot what the Ugandans think! And they would have us think they are here to help our democracy to grow, as they labour under what used to be called “the white man’s burden” to civilise us the “natives”! This is hard reading for a Ugandan patriot.
Tell me, is it really all the same, giving aid to a government which is supposed to use that aid for the good of all its people and with which all agreements are made, which agreements will be inherited by any government that comes after, is that the same thing as supporting a political faction to help it to come to power? Tell me, what is subversion then?
Have you noticed how, according to her, the UK and US ambassadors went to M7 behind the Ugandans’ backs to offer M7 a deal, to bribe him with promises of “lucrative work” and status, so that he could leave power (as they wished), without consulting the Ugandans? They know what’s good for us it seems. Who cares what Ugandans think? Up with what’s good for the UK and the US!
And note also how these cultured diplomats were even willing to defeat the course of justice by offering to negotiate for M7 immunity from any crimes he may have committed. Really! And they brag about this openly in print? I am so glad, on so many levels, that M7 dismissed them “like flies” with the contempt they truly deserved, these defenders of democracy who aim to get rid of dictators [and WMDs] across the world and promote democratization (that special kind known as mob rule) as they have done in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Syria . . .and wherever next!
Ms Epstein for her part wishes some “pressures could be brought to bear on him [M7]”, and says many of them will be watching with great interest (and doing much more than that, one suspects). But pressure by whom, to do what, for whom? Again the people of Uganda are not mentioned as actors. Come save us, Your Political Holiness, Ms Epstein!
M7 may or may not want to go willingly, but the hope is that democracy as a force, if given a chance to mature without outside meddlers shoving their foot in it, will compel him and anyone else who comes after, to leave power when the people no longer want them, and keep them in power only as long as the majority of the people want them. Peacefully! For the benefit of Ugandans. That is what’s called democracy, that’s freedom!
Lastly I think it is implied that M7, like America, “most often prioritizes security instead of democracy.” I mention this because I think there is a red herring craftily hidden in that statement that seems to suggest that democracy is more important than security and M7 should prioritise the former rather than the latter. But its not an either/or question. The two are not mutually exclusive; in fact they reinforce each other. You cannot have one without the other with any long term meaning. Interestingly, the countries that practice democracy within their borders seem to be the one that are the strongest security wise. Lets not be drawn into this non-debate! What say ye?
Why would any emerging African leader, with an AUTHENTIC VISION for the direction Africans must EMPLOY to stop (a) the brainwashing of African people (b) the centuries of exploitation of African resources without spending a penny of the loots to develop the roads and infrastructure in the continent (c) continuous creation of landlessness, overcrowding and poverty which are the direct results of the deliberate grabbing all land belonging the indigenous population by foreign supremacists after killing majority of the indigenous people and locking up the survivors in the crime ridden FILHTY slums and townships?????
Why would any African with a drop of brain in the skull believe that there are some some foreign white savior out there who cares about any African in 2021 when white supremacists never cared when they first landed on the continent?
African youths must learn how to share their visions with respect to the direction they must take to USE AFRICAN RESOURCES TO DEVELOP the continent without taking foreign supremacist cash to create chaos while the the resources are looted free of charge while breaking the backs the African children (toddlers):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcJ8me22NVs
ARE AFRICAN CAPABLE OF LOGICAL THOUGHT PROCESSES, PARTICULARLY, DEALING WITH FELLOW AFRICANS?
What does Bobbie Wine intend to do ? Or is merely a paid foreign ROBOT??