THERE was something curious about the British media reports, claiming that the venue for CHOGM might be moved to another country over security concerns for the Queen and the other heads of government.

It was not one newspaper which published the erroneous story, but two simultaneously. Both based themselves on an anonymous source – a senior government person. For reputable newspapers like The Times and The Guardian, this was unusual.

Moreover, talking about the ‘jailing of opposition leaders and a continuing strike by judges’, as The Times did on Thursday, was surprisingly inaccurate. No opposition leader is in jail and the one-week strike ended on March 9, after the judges reached an agreement with President Museveni.

What made it even stranger was that both articles were sent to The New Vision by Anne Mugisha, the FDC envoy in the US. It was followed by a “CHOGM cancelled” sms-campaign by activists in Uganda. Certainly, this smacks of a deliberate campaign to cast doubt over Uganda as a suitable venue. Even presuming that the opposition was not behind the articles, FDC was quick to exploit them.

It is unthinkable that any opposition party in the UK would try to boycott an international event benefiting the entire country the way FDC has been doing. Already in Malta, the opposition tried to block Uganda from hosting CHOGM.

You can disagree with Museveni and his Government on many issues. But you should do so in a constructive way, using the appropriate channels, and always having the interests of the country at heart. One only has to look at Somalia to see what anarchy and the pursuit of selfish interests by certain politicians and groups can lead to in Africa.

Certainly, the Government could do more to listen to the people and engage the opposition in dialogue. But attempts of the opposition to sabotage CHOGM and turn Uganda into a pariah- state cannot be justified