The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
How this newspaper’s work is laced with endemic racism that may even be unconscious to the author
THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Most Western journalism on Africa has always been ghetto journalism. Now in last week’s story about Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, this British newspaper, The Telegraph, took journalism to the gutter. There is no effort to establish basic truths, no pretense to impartiality, no attempt to hide overt racism. The article is patronizing and is as sickening to read as it is saddening to think about. This journalist, Adrian Blomfield, need not be condemned but pitied. Clearly, he didn’t know what he was doing.
Muhoozi is Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). He is also son of President Yoweri Museveni. Muhoozi is described in the article as a coming autocrat who is erratic. Yet little proof is presented to justify this assertion. The only “evidence” is a lone tweet questioning the constitution, itself cited out of context. Museveni is referred to as a “despot”, “dictator”, “tyrant” and his government as a “regime.” Muhoozi’s twitter jokes are presented as actual intentions or official policy pronouncements. So, the joke that he would invade Kenya, which the Kenyan government never even complained about, is presented as official policy. And so is the joke about marrying Italian premier, Giorgia Meloni.
You need to be sick in the head to present these twitter jokes as proof of Muhoozi’s policy preferences. Besides, if Blomfield was a genuine journalist seeking truths rather than intent on purveying prejudice, he would have sought an interview with Muhoozi to explain these tweets. If he couldn’t reach the CDF, there is the army spokesperson. Besides he could have called any of us, friends of Muhoozi, for comment. Instead, he seeks to character assassinate a man to whom he gives no chance of reply. What happened to the principles of natural justice or of journalism?
The article itself is filled with characteristic Western self-indulgence and narcissism. The author and by extension his masters in Whitehall and at his newspaper, plus his readership in Britain, cannot see Uganda and its leaders as independent agents able to make judgements about their country as they see fit. Instead, he presents Muhoozi’s praise of Russian President Vladmir Putin as a misjudgment the West should be keen to note. So, to this journalist and his ilk, Ugandan leaders can only be right if they do what pleases London, Paris, Washington DC and Brussels.
What is wrong with an African identifying with the cause of Russia in its war against NATO fought over Ukraine? The West wants the world to believe their narrative that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was “unprovoked” aggression. All Western media have been propagating this official view. This demonstrates that there is no free media in the West, only appendages of Western official policy. Only last year, Israel began a genocide in Gaza. Its leaders have articulated their intentions to ethnically cleanse Gaza in clear and precise language. Yet no serious Western government has come out openly to condemn this genocide. Instead, they aid and abet it with money, weapons, propaganda etc. No wonder this journalist did not condemn Muhoozi for his support of Israel in this war.
The West always want to present themselves as morally righteous; that their judgements are the only morally acceptable ones. They also deny us agency. If an African decides on a policy, it must be pleasing to them. If it is not, then it must be condemned. If Muhoozi had praised King Charles, kissed the ass of NATO over Ukraine, threatened to exterminate Palestinians, he would not have been criticized. To this journalist and his masters, we Africans are supposed to be agents of Western interests.
Across our vast continent, sons of presidents have been involved in many dubious financial and other economic dealings. There is no report of Muhoozi ever getting involved in such corrupt transactions. No one can even point to a business he owns. Instead, since he took over as CDF only three months ago, he has been cleaning up corruption in the military. Even before he took over as CDF, he had gotten the army to get involved in road construction, cutting down the costs that had been inflated. He has ordered people with sirens off the roads of Kampala, clearing the city of this menace. For a journalist and his newspaper who always pretend to fight corruption in Africa, Blomfield is dead silent on these achievements which mark out Muhoozi as a potentially good leader.
Clearly Blomfield, his newspaper and the interests it represents in London, are not interested in the good of Uganda, which to me is understandable. Instead, his interest is in how much of a puppet him and his bosses in London would like to see Muhoozi be. Unfortunately, Muhoozi is a pan Africanist. If London think that Muhoozi will kiss their feet in order to be given positive coverage in their media, they are mistaken. Africa has interests. These interests are best served by us being nonaligned in international big power wrangles. But that does not mean we do not have values and principles on the basis of which we make policy choices.
Besides, Blomfield argues that the West is going to confront another African “autocrat” or “strongman” in Muhoozi. He presents this as a bad omen for the “virtuous” West. But the West has for decades been propping tyrants across the world – in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Idi Amin in Uganda was brought to power by the British, Marshal Mobutu Sese Seko of former Zaire was kept in power by the Americans, and so was Siad Barre in Somalia, Samuel Doe in Liberia, Jean Bokasa in Central Africa Republic – the list is endless. How then can this journalist and his newspaper claim that the West has a problem dealing with tyrants?
Western efforts to present themselves as morally virtuous and others as being evil should be seen for what it is – a propaganda trick to win the hearts and minds of people in order to dominate them. It is the West that pursued colonialism in Africa, not the dreaded Russia or China. Colonial rule and its apartheid policies promoted forced labour, land alienation, extortionate taxation, genocide, racial discrimination etc. in Africa all in the name of promoting civilization. This was civilization at the barrel of the gun. This civilization that has transformed into democracy promotion has led to other disasters in Libya, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. Do we really need to be lectured and hectored after all this evidence?
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amwenda@ugindependent.co.ug
This piece from Andrew criticising a western journalist ‘s article on Muhoozi reminds of Andrew himself at a time when he practiced journalism. At that time, there was no social media. But if it was there, I doubt whether Andrew would refer to Muhoozi’s social media posts as ‘jokes’ like he wants the western journalist to.
Besides why woud a CDF be the person parading jokes all the time, ofensive jokes at that?
I have not completed reading the article; I have read it halfway.
Please advise your friend to stop posting onto social media jokes such as invading Kenya and marrying the Italian PM. Those kinds of “jokes” are not taken as jokes in diplomatic circles.
And it is not true when you say Kenya did not complain about a whole military officer talking about invading their country and going to reside in Westlands. They did, and a lot. There was even a call between the president of Uganda and that of Kenya to discuss and resolve this mess your alcoholic friend created.
MK is a senior military officer and the son of the president of Uganda, as you say, not a street kid. He is also dreaming of succeeding his father as president of Uganda. If he cannot respect himself and the positions that he holds in Uganda, why should a foreign journalist, or anyone for that matter, respect him?
In today’s Andrew M9’s piece my bone of contention with him is about his dubious pretense that he hates anything “Western” or colonialism, when he actually is one of their greatest beneficiaries!
M9 is a very proud alumnus of one of prestigeous British universities for his Master’s degree in journalism; his dress code portrays him as an admirer of Western lifestyle; above all stands tallest for speaking and writing flawless “Western/Colonial language, which skills, incidentally, he acquired from institutions established by the “Western colonialists”!
I can confidently bet my index fingure if one or two of M9’s offsprings aren’t studying at one of those high schools built by “Western colonialists”!
In equal measure had the British journalist authored an article in praise of M9’s friend Gen. Muhoozi for whatever reasons/ “achievements”, no doubt M9 would have jumped on that to assert his being right in supporting the Muhoozi presidency project because “even Western media approve of his undeniable accomplishments”!!
In a nutshell, fellow perennial readers and admirers of Mujuni Andrew M9’s “The Last Word”, Andrew’s rant against the British journalist’s article is just because the journalist didn’t write what M9 expected him to.
M9 is on record severally authoring articles in his magazine purportedly offering unsolicited “advice” on how the Western capitals or governments including U.S.A on how they should have done this and that. Unfortunately, for a foreign journalist he has no right to write about political affairs in Africa because they sit in their Western capitals and comment about issues they’ve little to no idea at all. Even former British Prime minister Morris Borrison’s comment on politics in Uganda would have received same rebuke inasmuch as he worked here in Uganda as an N.G.O volunteer before he returned to the United Kingdom in youthful years!
Concur with you and others (Uhuru and Edward) about M9 bias against the West and in particular his inability to counter a high quality article in The Daily Telegraph or even provide a link for his readers to check the facts -some of them quoted from MK’s late night twits such as ‘ Constitution, rule of law- you must be joking’. And of the 100 cows- ‘ the most beautiful cows on earth’ to wed the Italian PM. On the positive -M9 was able write an open article and invite comments unlike ‘The Chimpreports’ anonymous one on the same subject – calling $1bn yearly handout -small change for a country where Wananchi survive on less $1 day.
And the very idea of ‘The Independent’ magazine is a clear carbon copy of the ‘ BBC Focus on Africa: magazine that used to be owned by the BBC world service. Even the column ‘ The Last word’ . Sadly that one closed in the late 1990s. Even the design.
But General MK is really a very humorous man,all these jokes, the other day he even joked that his brother in law was the biggest thief in the Land.
These days, research, mind maps etc are done by analyzing secondly sources-and psychologists rely so much on real thought processes as they reveal exactly who someone is. The CONSISTENT PATTERN OF THOUGHT in Muhoozi’s many tweets reveal a lot about the inner or real Muhoozi. By his level of showing so far-in words, actions, tweets, low level of intelligence inspite the good exposure, I strongly believe that Muhoozi will be a worse despot than Amin if he becomes a president. Without much ado, I can bet on that with Andrew if he wants. Problem he is dishonest-still owes some of us $10,000 he put for Kagame respecting the constitution and stepping down ‘even if all Rwandese wanted to keep on ruling’. Andrew supported blind privatization and capitalism, but he is now forever apologizing. On Nobert Mao, Andrew called it a good move when he ‘he crossed’ that would lead to negotiations and usher in democracy, rule of law etc; yet Mao has turned out as many of us predicted-bread and medical bill seeker from Museveni’s patronage. At one time Andrew argued with Onyango Obbo that Museveni wanted to retire and asked Obbo to write his views about it in this very news magazine and Obbo clearly showed how Andrew was wrong. The list is endless but the main point is that Andrew analysis can sometimes be largely driven by emotions, personal attachment and other motives rather than reality.
Heheheheh So Andrew; I now get you.
Thanks for telling us that almost everything you have been doing and saying are all jokes. Meaning you are a joke yourself and your associates in relation to the MK movement. Maybe some more clarifications;
Are they official jokes or private jokes, and with whom are you always joking with on social media??
The Telegraph: UK and World News
Adrian Blomfield
15 September 2024
Hardman who may be Uganda’s next president is Putin fan and asked Meloni to marry him
West fears it will soon have to deal with yet another autocrat in erratic Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the ageing African leader’s son. Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba is fond of strongmen and described Donald Trump as ‘the only white man I have ever respected’
When he is not busy fawning over Vladimir Putin, the army chief aiming to be Uganda’s next president has spent a good deal of time salivating over Giorgia Meloni. So taken is Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba with Italy’s populist prime minister that in 2022 he offered 100 Ankole cattle – “the most beautiful cows on Earth” – in exchange for her hand in marriage, warning of war if his proposal was rejected.
Italy is not the only country the general has threatened when, late of an evening, he has settled behind a screen and opened up his page on X, formerly Twitter. He has used the social media platform to rail against the United States, which gives Uganda $1 billion in aid a year, voiced support for Ethiopia’s rebels and unveiled plans to invade neighbouring Kenya.
Vladimir Putin is ‘our Russian hero‘, says Uganda’s heir apparent Alexander Kazakov/Reuters
Even more worrying for Western diplomats fretting about the trajectory of a potential Kainerugaba presidency is his fondness for strongmen, particularly Putin.
Although he has heaped praise on Egypt’s military dictator, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and described Donald Trump as “the only white man I have ever respected”, Gen Kainerugaba has reserved his deepest devotion for “our Russian hero”. Giving his full-throated support to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, he has even pledged to send troops to Moscow to defend it from Western “imperialists”.
Such outbursts are to the despair of Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s ageing president, who has been forced to expend considerable diplomatic capital apologising to world leaders for the general’s buckshot pronouncements. Had anybody else in Uganda been responsible for such indiscretions, they would surely be out of a job.
But Gen Kainerugaba, who claims to be a descendent of Jesus Christ, is not just any Ugandan. He is also Mr Museveni’s much-indulged only son and, so it has long been whispered, his chosen successor – a belief given renewed impetus in March when the Sandhurst-educated general was appointed head of Uganda’s armed forces, in a country that has never democratically changed a president.
With Mr Museveni turning 80 on Sunday, a milestone that will bring the atmosphere of decay surrounding his 38-year presidency into renewed relief, many inside and outside Uganda are aghast at the prospect of a Kainerugaba presidency. He has done little to assuage fears that he is a dictator in the making.
Declaring that he will “definitely” be president, he wrote in one post: “Constitution? Rule of law? You must be joking!”
In 2022, the general offered ‘the most beautiful cows on Earth’ to Giorgia Meloni if she would marry him. Inevitable parallels have been made with Idi Amin, the jovially brutal, Hitler-loving Ugandan dictator who proclaimed himself “Conqueror of the British Empire”, kept his enemies’ heads in his freezer and oversaw the slaughter of perhaps 300,000 people.
Amid the unease, the only party that seems enthused is Russia. Last month, a Russia defence ministry delegation handed over a $100 million (£76 million) “donation” to Gen Kainerugaba for the Ugandan armed forces. Russia’s influence has grown in Africa in recent years, with Kremlin-backed mercenaries being deployed to protect military dictators in an array of former French colonies.
Putin, however, has struggled to gain a similar foothold in former British colonies and will regard Uganda as a tantalising opportunity to exploit. For Uganda’s Western donors there is dismay that an ageing autocrat once regarded as the continent’s most promising leader is contemplating an erratic, verbally incontinent popinjay as his successor.
Yet few observers are surprised that Mr Museveni finds himself in the position in which attempting to foist his wholly unsuitable son on the country is even an option. When he seized power in a rebellion in 1986, he was seen by his people as a saviour who rescued a country scarred by mass murder during the dictatorships of both Amin and Milton Obote, an image he continues to cultivate.
The West regarded him as a new type of African leader who restored stability, presided over modest economic growth, pursued sensible development goals and beat back the country’s terrible Aids crisis.
In return, Western leaders turned a blind eye to atrocities committed by his armed forces in rebellion-afflicted northern Uganda.
Yet Mr Museveni was no democrat, winning six contentious election victories, twice changing the constitution to stay in power and presiding over an increasingly repressive regime.
His mental faculties waning as he ages, he now finds himself in the classic “dictator trap” in which, in order to protect corrupt regime allies and his increasingly unpopular family, he is unable to retire even if he wants to, according to analysts. “Museveni runs a system that is self-centred and focused entirely on regime survival,” says Michael Mutyaba, a Ugandan political scientist.
“In order to survive, he has to resort to ever greater repression because he knows if he reforms the system he is out within a minute. “So he can’t reform, he can only deploy force, which worsens the situation.
With the income of the average Ugandan stagnating since 2009 and the economic gap with neighbouring Kenya widening, Mr Museveni has desperately sought to regain control through a mixture of populism, patronage and brutality.
He has attempted to write and perform rap songs to demonstrate his youthfulness while pandering to public opinion by introducing the death sentence for those convicted of homosexuality for the second time. At the same time he has moved to shore up his position among the military elite by granting greater control of the economy to the armed forces, whose business interests are run by his brother, Salim Saleh, believed to be one of Uganda’s richest men. Former officers have also been added to Mr Museveni’s 82-strong cabinet.
Meanwhile, his suppression of the opposition has grown ever more ruthless. Activists say dissidents are frequently abducted and held in a string of “torture centres” overseen by Gen Kainerugaba, who denies the claims. For the moment, Mr Museveni’s strategy has paid off, despite rising discontent.
But greater challenges lie ahead. As Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator toppled in the Arab Spring, discovered, elderly autocrats who cling to office in the vague hope of handing over power to unpopular sons are pursuing a risky strategy. Having groomed him for office, Mr Museveni may have hoped that his son would contest the 2026 elections in his place.
Yet Gen Kainerugaba remains so clearly unsuited for office that observers expect his father to seek a seventh term, meaning that any succession plan would not be realised until either after Mr Museveni’s death or towards the end of the decade at the earliest.
As diplomats and analysts point out, the longer Mr Museveni remains in power, the greater the vulnerability when he does go for his family, his allies and even his Nkole ethnic group, tarred by the assumption that they have economically benefited from having a kinsman in office.
“It is difficult to see Museveni’s presidency ending well,” says a Western researcher in Kampala.
“If he dies or if the army decides he is a liability and topples him, you end up in very, very dangerous territory.
“On one hand, you have the current elite trying to defend their privileges, on the other you have large sections of the country demanding justice or vengeance against anyone associated with the regime. It’s a volcano waiting to erupt.”
Wow!!!! Andrew Mwenda has the most difficult job on earth. If anyone can find humour and laughter after reading a tweet from a person of authority, threatening a diplomat from USA, or claiming ability to attack a neighbouring country, et ce tera, then indeed ‘the gods must be crazy’.
Whatever incentive Mwenda has for defending Muhoozi, we need to put the country first. These tweets are clearly damaging the country. Even if they were jokes, a sane person would’ve made better judgment and avoided them.
Uganda invested a lot of resources to help Muhoozi get to where he is, the least that can be expected of him, is to exercise judgment.
Those ‘jokes’ are NOT funny at all.
He occupies those positions for the country. He lost the privilege of being unserious the moment he accepted to receive tax payers’ money, or to wear the national armed forces uniform.
What was written in the telegraph was an echo of feelings expressed by Ugandans. The difference between the telegraph and Ugandans, is the freedom of expression and platform.
As a Ugandan, I feel disappointed that a well educated fellow citizen lacks judgment and is supported by equally well adjusted individuals like Andrew Mwenda.
For God and your country, Mr Mwenda-please advise your pal accordingly, or help him to access the help that he so clearly deserves.