The Politician

The Politician

They call it Democracy

Government of the people

By the People

For the people

Democracy

The right of the people

To choose

Haa ...

But I know better

How can they?

When we have the maggye?! 

I will buy you a kilogram of sugar

and your choice meat

Regardless of the fact

That you are way richer 

But you like freebies don't you?

A piece of bread here

A tee-shirt there

Jiggly coins to take to Nnalongo's

Or to your fancy dance floor

To impress the adolescent girls

Quid pro Quo

Yes

I know what you want

A boda-boda here

A 3 bed-roomed house there

A flight to Dubai here

A sack of Benjamins there

You are like the dog

That licks its own blood in greed

Thinking it got lucky

You call it democracy

I call it deMOCKracy

For I use your own money

To impress you

I drain your hard earned taxes

And laugh as you fight over ‘my’ handouts

Yes 

I swindled it to dazzle you

So gaze

At my skyscrapers

My fancy hotels

My Bentley and Mercedes

My trophy wife and yacht

Yet they all actually belong to you

Stupid voter

I giggle as you wait in line to vote

It doesn't matter really

Whether my policies will work or not

The press is in my hands

They will show you what I want you to see

Yes

Everything is working well

The roads

The health centres

The Schools

The Statistics

I make those too!

So why not vote for me again

and again

ad infinitum

Truth be told I don't need this facade

But the donors,

Those 'partners in development' 

They should see that all is well

Lest they send less than I need

To keep you blinded by this bluff

In my insomnia

I often wonder

When will you realise

That power actually belongs to you

And that it is DEMOcracy

Not a mockcracy

Adieu

until the next election

Eat the dust of my four wheeler

...

We REALLY need a Truth and Reconciliation Process

I had been teaching Constitutional law for a while when it dawned upon me that we could not talk about constitutionalism in Uganda without critically thinking about the situation in Northern Uganda. This was prior to the aborted 2008 Juba Peace Talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army. (By the way, the leaders of the negotiating teams were both Old Boys of my alma mater Busoga College Mwiri but then I digress). While most of Uganda was relatively peaceful at that time, (with the only threat being the air raids by Sudan and a quickly repulsed Lakwena rebel invasion that had reached Eastern Uganda), the Northern question remained a glaring reminder that all was not well in my beloved nation.

It was at that time that I was considering deeply about pursuing doctoral studies in law. I became restless about finding a solution to the plight of my brethren from Northern Uganda and this opened up the world of intense suffering and pain to me.[1] You see, having been raised in central Uganda, my interaction with Northern Uganda was always influenced by what I read from the media, save for a brief interaction with one of my former law students who was healing from wounds he had received after rebels ambushed the vehicle he was travelling in. Teaching the law generally however, and Constitutional law in particular, made me realise deeper that we need to find lasting solutions to the situation in Northern Uganda.

Dear Reader, the story of Uganda, like many former colonies, was one built as a result of blood and iron (if I am to borrow from the famous words of Prussian Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck). Though immensely beautiful and gifted by nature, the Ugandan state is a fragile nation that was forged (as former political stalwart Grace Ibingira would later write in his book), from war, compromise and unfair deals.[2] Fast forward, the northern Ugandan situation stood out (and still does to a large extent) as a problem that is both historical, (read colonial) as well as due to other human errors, omissions or decisions. It was on this background that my journey ended up in a deeper investigation of the fields of international criminal law, transitional justice and other alternatives to tackling war crimes and crimes against humanity on the one hand, as well as bringing lasting/sustainable peace on the other.[3]

Without getting into so much detail, one of the solutions that was proposed to the Northern Uganda situation was the call for a national for truthand reconciliation process. Some of the people resisted this call for fear of opening up old wounds that would be very difficult to heal. I think this was an error of judgement on their part. I have read some snippets of the book written by my former lecturer Apollo Makubuya on how the situation in the lost counties was poorly dealt with. Many years down the road, the matter has never been successfully managed. It continues to fester just as the thorny issues of land ownership keep rearing their heads. It is obvious that we cannot keep pushing matters under the carpet. They need to be dealt with in the same way as salt or iodine is used to treat wounds lest they fester and cause sepsis leading to amputations. What happened in Kasese in 2016, in Kayunga in 2009, the call for the Nile Republic, are all mere symptoms of the bigger problem. They are the tip of the iceberg.

In the same breath, the recent killing of a young man at Quality Supermarket has sparked a social media furore about issues of tribe, privilege and class struggles among others. At the bottom of all these debates is the crucial call for an honest conversation amongst the populace that can be well managed by a well constituted Truth and Reconciliation process. Whereas it might sound inconveniencing for others, we owe ourselves, our posterity, our neighbouring countries and our friends, a better nation than we are living in. We ignore this call at our own peril. Let us talk.

---

[1] I appreciate the useful information that was availed to me at that time by Nicholas Opio and Charles Dalton Opwonya who are sons of the soil. Their knowledge and honest conversations helped me understand the complexities of Northern Uganda better.

[2] There are very many books one can read on this subject. Authors like Samwiri Karugire,

, Phares Mutibwa, Oloka Onyango, Apollo Makubuya and others have done a good job to record the history of our nation.

[3] Refugee Law Project Working Paper No. 15 - Whose justice?: Perceptions of Uganda's Amnesty Act 2000

REAL MEN DON’T KISS AND TELL

I don’t recall where I first heard the phrase – Real Men do not kiss and tell – but I think it was supposed to indicate that one should not have a loose tongue about his affairs.  The other phrase I recall is the Luganda equivalent of ‘What happens at one’s home should not be aired in the public spaces’. The latter phrase was supposed to caution, those who go around telling the whole world what happens in their home especially the things that are shameful. These two phrases obviously have their limitations because there are certain times when the cat (secrets) need to be let out of the bag especially when life or bodily injury is under threat.

Last month, my church carried out a series entitled Made of Honour. We were taught to honour our God, our leaders, our parents, our spouses, etc.  In one of those sessions, my wife and I had the privilege to share our story about honouring each other. The talks can be found at this here. To honour is to ‘hold someone in great respect, to hold high esteem, to have a great regard for, to respect, admire, defer to, look up to or think highly of’ . In our conversation, we acknowledged that honour is due. In essence, it is non-negotiable. The Bible calls us to honour our spouses (Ephesians 5: 22- 29).

Vs. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her NKJV

Vs. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. NKJV

It is in that regard that I have deeply thought about the recent utterances (concerning his wife) which have been attributed to Pastor Aloysius Bugingo who heads the House of Prayer Ministries based in Makerere Kikoni. The duty of a man is to protect his wife. This includes both her reputation, her spiritual well-being as well as her physical being. It is my considered view, that by revealing the challenges that his wife had – in the manner and forum that he chose, Aloysius Bugingo failed in this duty. The utterances were very insulting and totally unwelcome. His purported apology did more harm than good. The applause he received from some sections of the congregation (some of whom sounded like women) were equally shameful and despicable. The unique position of the woman in our society is the reason as to why the Bible[1] and the Constitution of Uganda[2] have been very specific regarding how they ought to be treated.

The Bible further cautions that we need to guard our tongues. Ephesians 4: 29 says

Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful for building others up according to their need, that is may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29)

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:4)

In light of the above, Aloysius Bugingo needs to guard his tongue. It is causing more damage than he seems to realise. Indeed, Proverbs 21:23 states that those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. I truly applaud Mrs. Bugingo for restraining herself in this matter. Bugingo on the other hand needs to guard his tongue because of the collateral damage it is causing. I am aware that he has petitioned for divorce and that process is going on. He should therefore await the decision of the Court which is a forum he has chosen to take his grievances if any.

To all young men, DO NOT KISS AND TELL. I implore you to honour the ladies around you. The example set by Aloysius Bugingo is not one to follow but to shun.  Treat your female counterparts with respect and honour their dignity. If a relationship has gone sour, do not go around bad-mouthing the person who has been the subject of your desire, fancy or love. Desist from spreading their nude pictures on social media in a bid to spite them. It is beneath our call as protectors and caretakers of our sisters. Its unmanly. It is cowardly.

On behalf of all the right thinking members of public, on behalf of all sons of great women, on behalf of fathers of beautiful and great girls, and on behalf of all husbands, I profusely apologise to Mrs. Bugingo for these very unwelcome words by her husband. It is my prayer that she will forgive him for his actions and unchained mouth. I also apologise to all women for the way we men often treat you. It is my prayer that this will cause all men to reflect about the way we treat the great women around us.

---

[1] 1 Peter 3:7

[2] 33. Rights of women.

(1) Women shall be accorded full and equal dignity of the person with men.

(2) The State shall provide the facilities and opportunities necessary to enhance the welfare of women to enable them to realise their full potential and advancement.

(3) The State shall protect women and their rights, taking into account their unique status and natural maternal functions in society.

(4) Women shall have the right to equal treatment with men and that right shall include equal opportunities in political, economic and social activities.

(5) Without prejudice to article 32 of this Constitution, women shall have the right to affirmative action for the purpose of redressing the imbalances created by history, tradition or custom.

(6) Laws, cultures, customs or traditions which are against the dignity, welfare or interest of women or which undermine their status, are prohibited by this Constitution.

That Cough!!

Somewhere in the airport. I sit in the waiting lounge awaiting my flight. There is someone coughing from the distance. It is that kind of unrestrained, uncaring, unconcerned cough. The one that is produced when one stands in one place and lets it go from the belly out. Regardless of who is listening or watching. It is a free cough. The man comes closer. He pauses each time to let it out. Yes, it is a chilly morning. Yes, he has no warm clothing. Yes, he is human enough to cough

Nayyeeee….

This cough says a lot. It says I am un-cultured. It says Mom and Dad did not raise me well enough to restrain and represent them. It says I come from a certain country or region X. It says my country cares less about my cough. It says I represent my country and this is what we do. It says we guys from this country give no hoot about what you think.

This scene reminds me of one that is common in my house. One of my babies tends to cough with reckless abandon. I often tell this child (sex undisclosed) that this kind of recklessness reminds of a wild animal from the plains. One that roams free and unrestrained. The cough is like the roar of the lion. It cares not who is listening or watching. It destroys all that is in its wake like a tornado. It says I am rough; I am un polished. I am uncultured. I am cough. How I wish my baby was with me as we were being punished by the onslaught of the cough in the airport lobby. As the cougher approached, many of us were uncomfortable with this. We looked at each other and shook our heads in disbelief.

Often times we don’t realise what our actions say about us. The duty of parents here is clear. Do we as parents share our concerns with our children in a way that helps them learn? Yes, at some point it was fashionable to be hippies. That time seems to have moved on now. Our behaviour says more about us than we are willing to admit.  Our diction reveals the books we are reading. The demeanour and dress reveal who is inspiring us. Our cough – yes might reveal how many times Dad or Mom spoke to you when you let it out or whether you were that wild goat roaming in the bushes and caring less whether you left a mess in your wake#

What does your cough say about you?

06.17a.m.

30.06.2019

Botswana -

At the beginning of this month, I visited Botswana for official duty. This is a quiet, efficient, yet unassuming nation. It occupies an area of 600,370 sq. km with a population of 2.3 million only. The country rarely makes it on the international news. According to the Global Stats, between June 2018 and June 2019, Botswana’s mention on twitter was at 6.82%, on YouTube at 5.22%, on Pinterest at 35.88% and Facebook at 50.37%. Gaborone, the capital city sits largely still and silent. Uganda is only 241,037 Sq. km. Nonetheless, the World Bank estimates the population of Uganda as of 2017, to be 42.96 Million. The population of Kampala alone is projected to be 1, 650,800. Gaborone is therefore the opposite of my densely populated and noisy Kampala.

 

The GDP of Botswana was worth 18.62 billion USD in 2018 which represents 0.03 % of the world economy. This is an all-time high since 1962. The GDP of Uganda is expected to be 28.50 USD by the end of this quarter and was worth 27.48 billion in 2018. Both countries have invested heavily in infrastructure among other projects and it is evident. I must confess that I was greatly impressed by the quality of the buildings and other projects in Botswana. The Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, though small was well organised. The University of Botswana, the road network, the central business district, the new High Court building, the malls, were all quite outstanding.  The general environment of the city was clean, the traffic was manageable, there were no bajaj (boda boda) cycles, and there was an air of orderliness in the city. It was clear that someone was doing things right in Gaborone and we need to pick a huge leaf from them

High Court Building

Life though slow paced, continues to go on in Gaborone. Whereas I was surprised to find stores like Game closed at 4 p.m. on Saturdays, and whereas it felt spooky to see very few people in the shopping malls, the humidity, dust and littering in Kampala are quickly forgotten here.  Nothing here prepares you for the silence and cleanliness of these streets and the markets. I must confess that I prefer the hustle and bustle of downtown Kampala. I was however comfortable in the presence of welcoming faces and helpful individuals. In total, I was generally impressed by what I saw in the few areas of Botswana that I visited. I had heard many stories about the way Botswana is well run and organised. I am glad to have visited and seen this with my own eyes- albeit to limited extent.   That said, i will not miss the chilly winter weather or the desert.