26th January 2012- 26 years since NRM a.k.a. Resurrection Day

In January 1986, I was two years and five months old so I may not be in a position to make high horse comments where the debate of ‘Uganda-before & after’ is concerned. Nonetheless, you know what they say about opinions…everyone’s got one, so, I will go ahead and express mine.

Every time I have spoken with those who were adults at the time, there has been mention of words such as, ‘hope’, ‘relief’, and ‘promise’ and as I have grown older, I have begun to understand where their excitement was coming from. I mean, when you consider the ‘Amin years’ and the Obote II years, things were very messed up on many levels. The arrival of the revolutionaries had to be exciting. The famous/infamous ‘fundamental change’ speech had to be thrilling.  

And, so, the fundamental change began…a plan to kick AIDS and all stigma related to it out of Uganda was rolled out (probably because in truth, most of the NRM beloved army men were infected), an ad-hoc parliament a.k.a. NRC was set up to lead Uganda towards having a new constitution (likely so that the democracies overseas would be impressed enough to start sending us loot a.k.a. aid), liberalization of the economy took effect (I bet so that Bwana M7’s kith & kin would now be able to buy this & that parastatal and access this and that tender to supply stuff to government institutions), co-operative societies were shut down apparently in bid to weaken the strength of tribal groupings that had contributed to Uganda’s political instability before (yet in truth, it was probably to economically disable 80% of the population who were farmers making them easier to ‘manage’ while empowering the middleman who more & more was found to be one of Bwana M7’s kith and kin)…

Generally, things on the surface looked rosy, the West was ecstatic- a brand spanking new leader had taken the highest office in the Pearl of Africa and now they could, through him, access the East African region.

I have always contended that the poor governance that we are decrying now is not an accident, our beloved revolutionaries hoodwinked us way back in 1986 with all these grand plans and re-building a.k.a. whitewashing projects while they entrenched themselves in every sector of life in ways that would fortify their hold on power a quarter a century later. Our ‘Saviours’, therefore, had a plan, resurrect dead Uganda and, then, squeeze out of her whatever life could have been left in her by the killer.

So, Happy Resurrection Day fellow citizens, the ‘Saviours’ are not done. How will we know they are done? Well, when Uganda drops dead again…then, they will be done and going forward, she can wait for the second resurrection.