Of NRM primaries, Kahiigi and his three dogs

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OPINION

By Mary Karooro Okurut

The NRM primaries are over. There are massive celebrations in the winners camps... those who won fairly.

There is bitterness in the camps of those who felt cheated by the process.

Several petitions and other ‘losers’ saying because they were cheated, they are coming back as independents. In his statement, President Yoweri Museveni decried violence in these elections and said perpetuators would be dealt with.

He said reported cases of altering results would also be investigated and the guilty brought to book.

A former minister colleague who unfortunately lost called me and said it’s not yet over for him because his results were altered in favour of his opponent.

He is coming back as an independent.

“They think they have finished me but I will meet them in another form,” he said.

His statement reminded me of a popular folk tale from our childhood days. The story goes that there was once a famous, brave hunter called Kahiigi. He had three ferocious dogs which were very faithful to him. One early morning, Kahiigi went out to hunt with his three dogs. It was a tough day and Kahiigi returned home late in the evening, tired and famished. When he reached home, the usual welcome of his children and wives was not there!

His heart pumping with fright, he started calling out his family by name, but he was greeted by an eerie silence. Broken, he went to the kraal. Not a single cow or calf. Not even a sheep. Groaning and brokenhearted, he realised that the dreaded ogre must have eaten his entire family and livestock.

He let out such a cry of agony that all the animals, birds and people in the surrounding village stood still.

His three dogs, realising what had happened, also started wailing in agony.

Kahiigi then got his spear, struck it in the ground and roared: “Ogre, you think you have finished my family and livestock, but I will get you.”

With renewed strength, he called out to his dogs, and they started on the journey to find the ogre.

Through thick forests, across deep rivers, Kahiigi and his dogs traced the ogre’s scent.

One day turned into 10, then a month and still Kahiigi and his dogs hadn’t managed to get the ogre.

Then a week later, tired and worn out, the dogs suddenly barked with excitement.

Kahiigi knew they were about to get the ogre. There were many caves in the area... the dogs ran to one of them, Kahiigi in tow. His spear raised, he got ready for the kill. And indeed, there in front of him was the ferocious ogre.

It stretched out to gorge him, but Kahiigi was too fast for it. Quick as lightning, he raised his famous spear and, with a scream of triumph, thrust the spear in and out of the ogre, the dogs joining and biting it all over its body. The ogre cried out; “Am dying! But before I die, cut my little finger, and all your people and animals that I ate will come out”. Kahiigi quickly did this and to his great joy, it happened as the ogre said. There was a great family reunion. The ogre was not yet done.

In a weak voice it said: “I am dying but I will come back in another form and I will eat you. I will come back when I am a beautiful cow. You will buy me from the market and I will eat you. I will come when I am a beautiful milk gourd. You will buy me and I will eat you. I will come as a smoking pipe. You will buy me and I will eat you. I will come as.....

Finally, if you do not buy me in those items, I will come as a beautiful girl. You will marry me and I will eat you.” And the ogre fell down and died.

Kahiigi was already walking away happily with his family hurrying to reach home as soon as possible and celebrate the resurrection.

They lived happily for some months and Kahiigi forgot about the ogre’s words of doom. But one day while in the market, he saw this beautiful heifer.

He decided to buy it. He started leading it home. But when night began to fall, Kahiigi heard a strange noise coming from the heifer. Puzzled, he turned to look at it and to his utter shock, realised it was turning into an ogre. Quickly he speared it to death.

He decided to keep alert. In the market, he would see so many beautiful items. He would stop to buy them but quickly remember the ogre’s words and leave the item.

After several months while at a party, he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her eyes were as beautiful as a heifer... soft and gentle. He felt himself drowning in them. Her legs were as beautiful as a banana stem and her bum like that of a gourd.

He decided there was no way he would live without her. He proposed to her and she smiled sweetly revealing a set of snow-white teeth.

His heart thumped with love. He took her hand and he led her towards his home. Before reaching home, she asked him whether she could stop for a short call. She went behind a bush. He waited for her to come out wondering what was delaying her.

Slowly, he approached the bush only to find his bride turning into the dreaded ogre! Without hesitation, he got his spear and made history of the ogre. “I have now finished you forever,” he said as he roared in triumph.

So, with our NRM primaries, people should always make sure that they engage in a clean contest.

Otherwise, the ones they contested with and defeated using underhand methods will come back and “eat them politically”.

Congratulations to those who won with clean hands and congratulations to those who contested, but lost fairly. There is always next time.