By Bowers Mugabi Kaweesa
Day 1. The UPDF official spokesman Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye vehemently denies the army’s involvement in the violence.
Day 2. The Minister of Internal affairs Hon. Kahinda Otaafire and the police distance themselves from the saga.
Day 3. The deputy CDF Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding issues a public apology on behalf of the armed forces.
The NRM military junta and their cronies have become annoyingly entitled to how they feel and how others should feel. Oftentimes, an errant politician or shameless army officer makes a public apology about something they’ve said or done. OwinyDollo, Nabbanja, Kisa kya Mukama, Mr. Museveni (on UPDF being directly involved in killing Zebra Senyange and Charles Engola), the list is endless. Saying sorry to quickly move on to your next evil and inhuman venture never works, especially if the public you’re apologizing to is displaying hurt that you’ve caused and inflicted to them, with impunity, for 40 years. Ugandans may appear to be docile, but they are not stupid. The public is skeptical in accepting your apology; they’re sure you’lldo it again – or even something worse. It has become your habit, your character. Have we even forgotten that the old man himself has on several occasions apologized on behalf of his recklessson for outrageous utterances and tweets (the Kenya debacle)?
Apologies are supposed to keep us humble and correct a character flaw in us. If you find yourself apologizing repeatedly over the same STUPID mistake because you want to appease the aggrieved party, then stop apologizing. Ironically, the guy shamelessly adds something more annoying to the apology. Apologizing is taking accountability for what you’ve done, and that’s where it should stop! Your job isn’t to dictate how the recipient should receive the response to your apology. How the people of Kawempe and Uganda, for that matter, choose to deal with your apology is no longer your business. Remember that the public is not obligated to accept any apology until you show signs of remorse and reform. And there’s a difference between mistakes; intentional and unintentional.
What ought to be done: Reform
I had a dollar account onto which I used to remit money to a certain bank in Uganda years ago. When I returned home after the lockdown period, the manager dropped a bombshell. Somebody had been withdrawing money from my account. They apologized profusely and rectified the problem. It happened a second time, and a third! I decided that “Sorry wasn’t enough.” Needless to say, I closed down the account with that bank and I never pass up an opportunity to steer my acquaintances away from them. I won’t publicly state their name and I would never be stupid enough to subscribe to their operations.
If you make a mistake, do everything to make it right. Even if it comes at a great expense, sacrifice, especially if you want a positive relationship with the voters.
Mark my words: Those who engineered the brutality inflicted upon the public and journalists in Kawempe are going to be rewarded for a “job well done.” It aint gonna be the first time, no. Frank Mwesigwa’s horrible actions during the 2020 presidential campaigns left 54 innocent people killed. He was rewarded handsomely; promoted to the position of OPS Director. And how was the shameless NRM man Kisa Kya Mukama, who exposed his disgusting and dirty naked bottom to the public rewarded? The old man bestowed upon him a position of Assistant RDC.
Well, if such a pattern of insincere apologies, repetition of the same and apparent rewarding of the perpetrators continues with no effort to make amends, the public will devise means of creating a state of morality within a state of immorality. Then as the storm settles down and our people nurse the wounds of their beloved, there comes another shameless utterance from a minister: NUP supporters collected stones filling 3 trailer trucks. So, the anti-aircraft missile carrier at the polling station was intended to protect Nalukoola from his own supporters! Sometimes, I try hard to restrain myself from laughing because elsewhere in the world, comedians imitate politicians, but in Uganda, the reverse is true.
