The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
An open letter to Uganda’s opposition leaders
OPINION | BRIAN GEORGE AMPAIRE | For many years now, I have questioned my role as an opposition politician in this my beloved country, Uganda. I have soldiered on hoping that at one point in time we will collectively find a way of addressing the crisis within our opposition politics.
I have agonized over the notion that our opposition political parties and leaders cannot unite and commit ourselves on one goal and focus our followers in one direction.
My decision to write this letter is out of the disappointment caused to me by our leaders especially Dr Kizza Besigye Kifeefe, General Mugisha Muntu, Chairman Nobert Mao, Engineer Patrick Amuriat Oboi, Pastor Abedi Bwanika and Robert Kyagulanyi ‘Bobi Wine’.
I am writing to give you my opinion on what we can do especially now when he opposition has become a party to the current political crisis engulfing Uganda. Our nation is under siege.
It has become increasingly difficult for me to understand why we continue participating in elections after every five years with our increasing levels of disagreement, division, confusion and disorganization, knowing well enough that we are bound to be beaten to the ground flat, by a little organized president Yoweri Museveni and his NRM government.
It has also become increasingly difficult for me to understand why different opposition members continue to appear on radio and television talk shows and other media platforms and attack each other instead of defending the peoples’ rights and exposing the inefficiencies of the regime in power.
I agree with our differences in political ideology but I can also conclude that our ideological differences are healthy in our politics and therefore should make us need each other more than ever.
It broke my heart in the last few months to listen to my comrades in the opposition who instead of congratulating their colleagues for a good fight, were instead castigating and rebuking Kyagulanyi and his NUP party for fielding a candidate and failing to win in the Kayunga LC 5 chairperson by election.
Maybe the results could have been different if the castigators had joined hands. Lets not forget on different occasions when the opposition joined efforts together during by elections, we won.
The examples are many and include in 2018 Rukungiri district woman representative victory by FDC’s Betty Muzanira, in 2018 Jinja municipality won by FDC’s Paul Mwiru, and in 2012, Kasese District woman’s race won by FDC’s Winnie Kizza.
It should be unacceptable for any opposition political party or its member to disrupt, attack, castigate, abuse, or shut up a fellow opposition party or its member. We are only embarrassing ourselves.
Why should all opposition political parties field candidates running against one state sponsored candidate and then after defeat, start accusing each other.
The opposition can be regarded as credible if it unites with the Ugandan people with one goal, vision and mission against the current government’s injustices and unfair systems.
Just as the Pope is elected in the Catholic church through the papal conclave, maybe we can also create and convene the Ugandan presidential conclave of opposition political party flag bearers to help choose a single opposition candidate. This can be done a few months to the next general election.
I do not like the habit of forming and creating new parties and political groups every time in the name of opposition political parties. If the Democratic Party had welcomed and accommodated Kyagulanyi and his newly formed ‘People Power’ movement, then maybe there wouldn’t have been a reason to form NUP.
If the FDC had tolerated Mugisha Muntu, there would also be no reason to form another political party in the names of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).
I also believe it is easier to choose joint candidates from fewer political organizations than it may be to choose candidates from many political parties.
Its critical that all opposition political actors and our followers take a pause to review where and how we are leading this struggle in this our beloved Pearl of Africa.
We need you our men and women of integrity to stand up together and say that we cannot proceed with our disorganization, division, and confusion in the next general election or else we are bound to lose again.
The lessons from 2016 and 2021 are still fresh, lest we forget. God Bless Uganda.
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Brian George Ampaire is the mobiliser ANT Rubirizi District
