The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
How has the United States managed to get away with such duplicitous behaviour for so long?
COMMENT | LEONARD RONALD EGESA | Reports just in indicate that the United States is imposing sanctions on four officers of the Uganda Police Force over accusations of involvement in gross human rights abuses. The US Department of State has sanctioned Police Commanders, Bob Kagarura, Alex Mwine, Elly Womanya and and Hamdani Twesigye.
Bob Kagarura was RPC Wamala region, Alex Mwine Mukono was DPC Mityana when MP Zaake and others were tortured during and after the 2021 presidential elections.
In May this year, the USA also imposed sanctions on Speaker Anita Among, and former ministers Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu over accusations of involvement in corruption or human rights abuses. In addition, Peter Elwelu, former deputy chief of the Ugandan Peoples’ Defense Forces (UPDF) was also sanctioned “due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights”.
All these are interesting news worthy developments, but millennials and Gen-Z in Uganda and Africa at large must stop celebrating such forms of diplomatic sophistry by the United States and other Western Powers.
There are key questions that we need to answer before determining if such sanctions are of any strategic value or relief to the Ugandan nation and her citizens.
1. Is human rights abuse in the Ugandan security and defense system a result of institutional ideological and operational bankruptcy or disorientation or merely manifestation of individual excesses and/or professional misconduct? My answer is that it is the former and not the latter.
2. If we agree that it is not individual excesses or professional misconduct, then, does punishing individual officers solve a problem that is institutionalized? The obvious answer is NO. It is akin to attempting to fill up a 10,000 litre water tank using a teaspoon!
3. Does the US State Department have the capacity to do better and help solve the problems at institutional level? Yes, if they had the will. Do they have the will? Your guess is as good as mine.
4. Why then do they do it? The United States have correctly diagnosed the gullibility of the African people that they can always ‘eat their cake and have it’s by pretending to be doing something through acts of infinitesimal benefit to the Ugandan and African citizens while supporting the same rogue regimes with strategic security and defence support both materially and in form of human capital development.
5. How has the United States managed to get away with such duplicitous behaviour for so long? The United States has perfected their craft which is hinged on recruiting gullible Ugandans or Africans in ‘civil society’ and media that exaggerate the infinitesimal relevance and effectiveness of sanctions and other such acts of diplomatic sophistry. These gullible Ugandans or Africans become an asset in a neo-colonial project orchestrated by the United States and other Western powers. They are deceived by a few hundred thousands of dollars, highly publicised awards and speaking slots in conferences.
The young generation of Africans must realise that the economic hitman has exploited us for so long. If they must help our aspirations for good governance and democracy, it must be through sensible approaches that can create impact and clearly involve citizen agency.
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Ronald Egesa is a Political & Business Strategist and renowned Software Engineer
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