THE LAST WORD: The logic of Besigye’s claims

Yet most issues of a public policy nature are complex. But the masses lack the patience or discipline or even cognitive ability to understand them. John Keynes suggested that the masses understand complexity through narratives – an oversimplified version of a complex subject. For example the problems that bedevil our healthcare and education system are multifaceted – low revenues leading to low wages which attracts low skills, corruption, incompetence, apathy, indifference, absenteeism etc. But these issues are structurally obdurate, an argument difficult for voters to digest.

So in comes the politician. He must simplify reality for voters to digest. The best way to do this is to identify a villain. This cannot be an abstract thing – like structural circumstances. It works best when you put a human face that can be blamed. So you say the education and healthcare in Uganda is bad because Museveni is an evil man, who is greedy and selfish for power and diverts resources meant for the public good to his private use and that of his cronies. Nothing works the hordes than an oversimplified view of reality.

If nations are angry with their leaders this is the source of the problem. We are seeing it in the Western world – America, France, UK – everywhere. Leaders come and go but the claims and allegations against them remain the same. Obama came to power accusing George Bush of all the misdeeds of America in invading Iraq and ended by invading Libya and creating a worse mess there. Museveni came denouncing Idi Amin and Milton Obote but has ruled by repeating many of their deeds. Of course this only shows that after all, the problem was neither Obote nor Amin.

Hence systems of government change, but the problems of nations remain. Technologies change, but complaints remain the same. We should not blame politicians like Besigye. We should blame ourselves. This is largely because in spite of our claims of desiring honest politicians, we prefer sweet lies to bitter truths. Besigye is able to lie about his election performance without censor because his supporters want to hear good news from him. If he was reasonable, like FDC president Mugisha Muntu who appeals to reason and not emotion, he would not attract the fanatical following he gets.

Finally on logic again: Besigye believes that gaining the presidency is the only way he can save Uganda from its ills. This means that the skills to grab the presidency are the most important quality for anyone seeking to build a better future for our country.  But if Besigye has failed this first huddle (gaining power) in spite of four elections all of which he claims to have won, how can he convince anyone that he has the capacity to govern effectively?

By failing to grab the presidency, Besigye has proved that Museveni is the better leader. Because if Besigye wins elections but cannot stop a corrupt and incompetent Museveni from stealing his votes and retaining power, how will he as president protect the interests of Ugandans from the even more powerful forces in the international community – like multinational capital?

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amwenda@independent.co.ug