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OPINION

By Kenneth David Mafabi

On Wednesday February 21, 2024, we held a symposium on Central and National Strategic Tasks at the Kati Kati Restaurant in Kampala. It has been the third, in the Kati-Kati Consensus Series. Next week, I shall report on the Symposium Petition to the Central Executive Committee of the Movement.

In the meantime, herewith below is an excerpt from our September 2020 article titled “The Restlessness of the Ugandan Political Class, and the Absolute Need for Ideological Clarity”.

“In the run up to the 2021 General Elections, the Ugandan political class is typically restless – completely clueless about the strategic direction the country must continue to take. This restlessness clearly, is due to the lack of ideological clarity. This is not very healthy for the country and, for example, leads to total confusion about the discharge of objective national strategic tasks – let alone what these are. It leads to a conflation between WHAT needs to be done, WHO does it, WHEN it is to be done, HOW it is to be done, etc. In the next few weeks and months, we shall share our thoughts and contribution about unravelling the katogo.

The Oppositionist variant of the political class, has a single and quite familiar refrain in its restlessness: ‘Museveni must go’. This group incredibly believe that acceding to State House – in itself and by itself – shall ‘solve the problems of Uganda’.

They go through all sorts of contortions, looking for the magical elixir that ushers them into State House! The truth is that in their populist exertions, they remain a paper tiger – which must be taken very seriously in the short term (because of the damage they can cause as they run up and down), while remaining totally irrelevant to the fundamental liberation processes of our people, over the longer term.

The Movement variant of the political class has its own issues. In the recent massive and highly successful internal democratic exercise in primary elections, many in this group have exhibited a wanton and gross proclivity (shared with other variants of the political class) for disruptive and dishonest behaviour and practices.

The silver lining in this fortunately, is that the mass membership is vigilant, and shall definitely protect the vote they cast at the village/branch. Most important, the national leadership remains wide awake to the challenge here, does not and could not possibly condone the malpractices, and is having the situation dealt with decisively.

Over the medium to longer terms, the Movement must, naturally invest more in the development of its advanced cadreship and in organisation development. The national context for all this, is the gradual consolidation of a national democratic consensus, national psyche and national ethos.

This is an historical process — unfolding as increasingly ideological formations reflecting definite social-economic material interests, emerge from the broad political fronts and mass movements of our people.

The other irritant is something we noticed in social media recently. We have no choice, but to address ourselves to this irritant. Some of the Movement variant of the political class have started advocating for this or that member to be Presidential Candidate in 2026! This is reckless, irresponsible and completely unnecessary.

It creates a false debate – moreover in the middle of an election campaign. It is potentially divisive. What is most urgent is to unite the leadership and membership in decisively winning the forthcoming elections. Whoever spurns such false debate, would be best advised to cease henceforth.

The founding leadership of the Movement is here with us. It is fully awake to its duties and responsibilities. President Yoweri Museveni has been and remains the undisputed theoretician, strategist, and tactician of the Movement — for the last 60 or so years. He, working with several compatriots and wananchi, has been the principal author of the successes of the Movement.

He has, further, clearly illuminated the liberating path into a new, glorious and achievable future … towards a united, digital, nuclear and space age East Africa … within a strong African Economic Community. At appropriate time, he will provide necessary guidance to all such questions – within the democratic dispensation of the Movement.

And, there are extremely useful precedents in the history and practice of other mass liberation Movements. Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu, etc — were the leaders of the radicalization of the African National Congress in the 1950s. When Mzee Mandela (Madiba) still greatly loved and trusted by members of the ANC and the South African people, considered that it was time to have a new overall state leadership, he started guiding the ANC appropriately — guidance which was anchored in the internal ANC democratic dispensation, and which ushered in Thabo Mbeki as State President.

Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere did exactly the same with the mass liberation movement – the Chama Cha Mapinduzi.

He guided the mass liberation Movement on questions of new overall state leadership, at appropriate time – guidance which ushered in Mzee Ali Hassan Mwinyi, Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as Presidents respectively, of the Union … And in that order.

Quite a few other countries, home to emergent peoples, have interesting and instructive experiences in the mentoring and development of leaderships in transiting societies. Botswana and Singapore come easily to mind.

Our point in all this, is that if and when the need arises, President Yoweri Museveni and the Central Executive Committee shall provide the necessary guidance - anchored in the Movement democratic dispensation, and Ugandan national specificities.

Movement activists should concentrate on ensuring an overwhelming margin of victory for Presidential Candidate Yoweri Museveni and other Movement Candidates.

This brings us back to the need for absolute ideological and political clarity amongst ourselves. We are dealing with thinking, with understanding reality.

We are dealing with the need for us to think for ourselves. The neo-liberal orthodoxy at the global level, is translated into pseudo-liberal development paradigms amongst the world’s emergent peoples, which saps and inhibits the creative faculties and innovation of their nascent political classes, elite and intellectuals, towards socio[1]economic transformation.”

The writer is a Senior Presidential Advisor/Political Affairs (Special Duties) State House kdavidmafabi1@gmail.com