Robert Shaka

I read Richard Todwong’s article entitled: “Mao, Otunnu are birds of the same feather” published in The New Vision March 19 and concluded the writer had ill-motive in his opinion. I was at Makerere University with Todwong when he campaigned for the guild presidency in 1999 and he won the contest even when he was not married.

His physical smartness and intellectual eloquence earned him our respect despite one of his opponents winning the hearts of the majority of the university community then.

I believe all Ugandans can make a difference and they have the right to make constructive contribution to national development which should not be hindered by immature political acrobatics especially using the media.

Currently, the national mood is so bad with tragedy and national scandal after another. There is no leadership vacuum, but all political forces are visibly developing pockets of extremism.

There is, for instance, no need for Twodong, a young politician, to use the media to undermine the stature of Olara Otunnu.

I do not know when Todwong joined the National Resistance Movement and whether that is of material importance anyway, but the culture of the leadership of this country must embrace respect for the right of every citizen irrespective of their background, to contribute to national development.

If Otunnu has a case to answer, that should be left to the institutions of government charged with law enforcement. It is not fair to bring your opponent’s personal life into the media and you pass for a mature politician.

Politicians should address the issues raised by our political opponents with seriousness. The country’s crucial projects that are supposed to address rural poverty such as National Agricultural Advisory Services and the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund all have trails of corruption scandals by arm-chair politicians.

Let us negotiate boldly and dialogue with a common purpose to give this country the much needed radical vertical shift.

Ugandans are a great people and they deserve bold, pragmatic, mature, and progressive leadership. What remains to be seen is how political actors prioritise the challenges facing the country.

The writer is a political analyst