MUSHEGA: Not too late for Museveni to retire

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Former senior cabinet minister and NRM political ideologue Nuwe Amanya Mushega has said it is not too late for Uganda to turn course, after admitting that, “We are not in the best of state. This violence which is going on is not nice.”

Mushega said he continues, like he has done before, to urge President Yoweri Museveni to retire and give the younger generation an opportunity to take over peacefully. He said he is still critical of a decision to change the age limit to allow Museveni to continue as President, past an earlier agreed time at which he would have handed over to new leaders.

“As part of the people who brought this government to power, we can’t afford getting tired of reminding Museveni to peacefully hand over power to other people,” Mushega said, adding that, “we put limitations in the constitution. Serve two terms, was one of them. You do not leave power because you have lost steam. You leave because the law says so.”

This is not the first time Mushega is coming out publicaly on the issue of President Museveni’s retirement. At his daughter’s wedding in 2017, he made the same call. (see video)

Appearing on NTV Uganda’s On The Spot Show Thursday night, Mushega demanded that the Government apologizes for the killings at the recent riots follow the arrest of Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi. Police say up to 50 were killed, many of them shot dead by security officers.

“I have not heard anybody (in the government) come out to apologies for the shooting of Ugandans. It’s painful. Our leaders should come out and condemn it and those who have done it should be punished,” he remarked.

He was also critical of the fact that elections had been allowed to go ahead despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but called for fair play despite Police efforts to enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

“If you do not believe in something, do not try to advocate for it. Uganda belongs to all of us. Let’s apply the law holistically, not selectively. I am not saying Kyagulanyi is right, but if I see you fight an uncle, why stop me from fighting my brother?”

Mushega, is a lawyer, politician, diplomat, and civil servant who served as minister in various capacities between 1986 and 2000. He served as the secretary general of the East African Community (EAC) from 2001 until 2006.

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