By Andrew M. Mwenda His death either marks or coincides with the death of something fundamental – moderation It is said that the spirits of our ancestors snatch human souls shortly just before daybreak. And it was at exactly 6am on Friday March 11 that former Permanent Secretary in the …
Read More »Lessons from 2016 elections
By Andrew M. Mwenda Why NRM needs to rediscover its ideological footing by digging itself out of being a cash and carry government During the last campaigns I drove 3,700km across Uganda holding what Americans call `Town Hall Meetings’ in big and small towns and trading centers from Rukungiri to …
Read More »Besigye says ready to fight Museveni
By Andrew M. Mwenda This unplugged discussion happened when The Independent’s Andrew Mwenda visited former FDC presidential candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye, who is under siege at his home in Kasangati, a Kampala city suburb. They agreed to publish excerpts of their discussion on why Besigye thinks his victory was stolen …
Read More »The triumph of organisation over passion
How Museveni’s grassroots structures resisted Besigye’s campaign momentum Last week, Yoweri Museveni was reelected to a seventh (fifth elective) term of office as President of Uganda, defeating (or rigging – as his supporters claim) his main rival, Dr. Kizza Besigye. It was the most competitive election Museveni has faced since …
Read More »Besigye gains in the east, Museveni sweeps the north
By Andrew M. Mwenda President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign in many parts of Eastern Uganda has run into serious trouble. From Jinja to Iganga, through Bugiri, Busia and Tororo all the way to Mbale, the president’s campaign is saddled with internal bickering, no clear message, lethargy, and an acute lack of …
Read More »Uganda’s `presidential’ debate
By Andrew M. Mwenda Last week, we were treated to a televised debate among Uganda’s presidential candidates. Although we face an immense task of transforming our country from a poor and backward nation into a rich industrial society, our presidential candidates’ arguments fell far below what is required to achieve …
Read More »Behind Magufuli’s political stunts
By Andrew M Mwenda Why Tanzania’s new president is doing the right thing the wrong way and why he may fail Since early November 2015, newly elected Tanzanian president, John Pombe Magufuli, has captured the imagination of many African elites on social media by his brazen actions of cutting unnecessary …
Read More »African countries are not generic
By Andrew M. Mwenda Why we need to use the results of the referendum in Rwanda to think instead of relying on prejudice to judge In 2014, President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso sought to amend his nation’s constitution and remove term limits so that he could run for the …
Read More »The crisis of Africa’s intellectual elite
By Andrew M. Mwenda How the West has built a global incentive system that sustains a negative narrative against Africa Steve Biko once said the greatest weapon in the hands of an oppressor is not his armies and arms but the mind of the oppressed. Antonio Gramsci had made a …
Read More »The solution for Burundi
By Andrew M. Mwenda Do the suffering people of Burundi a favour in their ongoing civil war; don’t help them Burundi seems to be sliding into chaos. Innocent civilians are being killed in droves. News reports from the capital, Bujumbura, are both sickening and horrifying. Everyone wants the international community …
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