The 2020 state of the nation address and the COVID 19 Lockdown, a trumpet call for a succession debate .
The COVID times and a keen listening to what would be the last state of the nation address (SOA) for Mr. M7’s 34 year rule, it leaves no other question, than to confirm, it’s late we ought to be in the middle of the succession debate.
The two are a measure of the extent of the reality the head of state’s line of thought towards the destiny of the country is challenged.
Mr. M7 contended that there’s hope for a better Uganda, after COVID. He pointed out that the improved roads spell light ahead. He further made a case that agriculture is the new direction for wealth. He made reference that he told Warren Buffet’s son, that the future of cows was more solid than aircrafts.
Its arguably doubtful whether by the time of his opine, to Warren’s son, the head of state had projected a burgeonment of a pandemic like COVID or otherwise.
The cardinal point that should form the pinacle of any state of the nation address, now, is the political question than the historical redress he often never skips.
On several interviews Mr. M7 has faced the question of his succession. With a chronological cramed set of answers, he argues that it’s his political party that has to decide his fate. Subsequently, the Ugandan citizenly in exercise of their right to vote, determine their president by voting for him. This makes him by will and choice of the people , their president, but not an imposter on them as critics tend to reason he avers by implication.
The sensitivity of the subject of succession, is appreciated by Mr. M7 himself on two grounds, which defines, how Ugandans irrespective of their political party lines too appreciate it. First when he edited his own words, that the problem of Africa is leaders that the stay long in power. To those leaders that stay without being elected . He told CNN’S Christiane Amanpour once in an interview.
Secondly, when he re edited his Kevin Shillington and Elizabeth Kanyogonya’s edited Sowing the mastered seed.
Mr. M7 SOA is after presentation, debated by Parliament. It curtain raises the reading of the national budget. A function which stipulates the allocation of the nation’s resources.
This implies that if the topic of succession was curtain raised by the SOA, it will be debated by the legislature, resulting into drawing a roadmap to a new political page that will impact on all others spheres of Uganda’s near future.
Mr.M7’s 34 yrs have been summarized and challenged by the three months tactical lockdown. His approach was welcomed by all . It was appreciated by all , for it gave light that we are on the right direction, in sofar as the fight against COVID was concerned.
Later, the approach met clogs that were as a result of long stagnated bottlenecks . The poor urban planning, partly delayed the food distribution. Favoritism , impunity and or corruption, manifest its self in how certain bigwigs handled some individuals travels.
The long out of time mode of cargo delivery to and out of the country, made Ugandans watch from a far, how the boarder points made the COVID numbers escalate, at a non imagined speed. The 34 yrs stay of Mr. M7 have more of promises to this than interim measures.
The sparsely facilitated health sector, was overstretched by one disease, leading to a plea to individuals to donate vehicles later to be availed to the ministry of health. After 34 yrs in play, this issue finds its intended resolve benched on donations.
With other diseases like malaria still taking center stage at life’s loss, there are few well set hospitals to simultaneously handle the various health issues that emerge on a day to day basis even in the middle of this covid time.
With barely any capability of school going children at all levels to benefit from online learning, the teaching fraternity it’s self is quietly starving with no hope of resurrection soon.
The three months lockdown, has left the question whether this is not the time to place the succession question, on the country’s order paper .
There are many elements on the economic and social sphere that this regime has attempted to address. There’s a big measure of achievements that the M7 34 yrs has put on table . However, the destiny of Uganda is far astride the index of 1986. The times have changed that the present day demands have outgone the lifespan of the war talk.
For many young men and women who have the future of this country in their minds and hands and actions , have contemporaly challenges that may be hard to reach a solution, by measures and approaches best fit by 2001.
Covid has confirmed that there are challenges that have scared on the M7 regime that thinking of them as a one day will be resolved problem, is imagining a camel race against a cheeter. Corruption, nepotism and duplicity of government work, among others.
The last point that one needs to challenge is the hope that the regime desires us to imbibes that a political party, NRM can set the agenda for democracy , by democratically leading to an endorsement of Mr. M7.
There are two entities that have the nuclears of doubt to our road to a political succession. The electoral commission and the legislative assembly . Of course the NRM “political incubator” and how it’s internal system, brings out it’s flag bearer, leave alot to ponder as well.
Amidst all these challenges, as a country Uganda is running late for a succession debate. The last SOA and the COVID time have boldly written the statement on the wall.
Denis Nyombi
Historian/ Advocate
