Dear Ugandans at heart,
Amin was personally close to Maama Miria Obote and it was one of the reasons why she was not hurt during and after the coup until she escaped to Tanzania. Obote and Amin were close friends when one was Prime Minister and President and the other was Deputy Army Commander, Army Chief of Staff.
Since 1966, removal of Obote government was justified so by 1971 it was over due. But had Obote handled Amin well, probably nothing may have happened.
As for Besigye and Museveni, there is no doubt that they have their own personal grievances, which other people from South West exploited to ensure that the power base does not shift to Buganda or else where. l will not be party to those who want President Museveni to be succeeded by his clansman Kizza Besigye.
Surat Yasin in the Quran says that The Almighty God causes things to happen and they do so. So NRM , like any other, which had a beginning, will have an end. But the end of NRM will be the beginning of another Movement from inside NRM. You better join in or its extension FDC not PRA or PPP. The earlier the better
If one claims that Obote, Amin, Binaisa, Muwanga, Okello and Museveni were UPCs, and that only Ben Kiwanuka and Yusuf Lule were DPs, and that changes have been UPC infighting, and that many from other parties have not benefited from those changes, can you accept it?
The 1971 coup, brought in new UPC leaders including Idi Amin , Wannume Kibedi, Henrty Kyemba, Huseein Malera, Isac Maliyamungu, Paul Etiang, Edward Rugumayo, Abu Mayanja, Apollo Kironde, William Naburi, and many others. The 1979 change brought in Godfrey Binaisa, Edward Rugumayo, Paulo Muwanga, Yoweri Museveni, and many others. 1980 elections brought back Milton Obote, Paulo Muwanga ,Otema Almadi, Peter Otai and many others. 1985 coup brought in Tito Okello ,Wilson Toko, Paul Muawanga, Abraham Waliggo etc…1986 change brought in Yoweri Museveni, Samson Kisekka (he had crossed from KY to UPC and later UPM), Stanislas Okurut and others.
Other parties were on the periphery. Like the short lived term of Ben Kiwanuka as Chief Justice, the same was with Wako Wambuzi under UNLF. Yusuf Lule for only 68 days, Paulo Ssemogerere as Internal and later Foreign minister under Okellos and Museveni etc….
Hence, in case FDC had defeated NRM in 2001 and 2006, that would have been a change within NRM unlike in 1996 if Ssemogerere had won, or if JEEMA’s Mayanja Kibirige had won in 1996 and 2001.
Therefore either Ugandans join NRM directly as l see those in press reports, or you join its extension in FDC or PPP, you will be left out. Don’t be tempted to join rebel activities “tojja kumalako.”
Ahmed Katerega
UAH forumist/ Journalist
