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OPINION

By Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye

At the moment, there is mayhem, bickering and ugly infighting within the two main opposition political parties in the country. Some of their top leaders accuse each other of corruption, bribery and greed. What is imminent is the defection of some of their leaders to our party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) before the 2026 general election.

Such ugly happenings in opposition parties exonerate President Yoweri Museveni, who had told multipartyists and donors in the early 2000s that Uganda was not yet ready for a multiparty dispensation.

His view was informed by the previous hatred and division which the political players prior and after independence practised, leading to the political problems which Uganda had, until it was liberated by the NRM in 1986.

The all-embracing Movement system, which President Museveni ushered in in 1986 was intended to heal and unite Ugandans of all they had gone through.

The Movement system underscored individual merit as far as competition for any political office was concerned. The same system condemned politics based on race, tribe, religion or greed. Indeed, the Movement system achieved a lot as far as uniting Ugandans is concerned.

Sadly, a handful of self-seeking multipartyists, and some donors re-emerged and demanded a return to a multiparty dispensation.

Despite President Museveni’s relentless warnings to Ugandans that Uganda was not yet ready for multiparty politics, the self-seeking politicians didn’t heed his wise counsel.

That is how the President under the ‘kwejjako’ (let them go) painstakingly endorsed a return to multiparty system. But ever since the dispensation was re-adopted, we have witnessed political players pushing for politics of identity, intrigue, tribalism and name calling.

Our people in the opposition parties have not come up with a convincing alternative policy agenda for Uganda. They have narrowed their politics and debates to chats of “Museveni must go”.

I know that deep down in their hearts; those politicians know that they are not yet capable and ready to rule this country.

President Museveni has set the bar for our country`s presidency so high that not every Tom, Dick and Harry can become president.

Since 1986, he has come up with programmes and policies that have transformed the country. His farsightedness in ensuring that Ugandan children were immunised against the six killer diseases is praiseworthy. In the same vein, he steered well the fight against the deadly HIV/AID.

In December 2023, during International AIDS Day in Rakai, the President disclosed the magic behind his successful war against HIV/AIDS.

He said: “Originally this virus took us by surprise. We didn’t know where it was coming from, but within a short time, we got to know that it was coming through sex and from that time, we told people that you can easily avoid this problem”.

Now that he has also succeeded in enabling the stability of our country, President Museveni is focusing on the issue of wealth creation, especially among the youth.

While meeting the youth leaders at State House, Entebbe on August 16, 2023, he said: “My emphasis is that all the youth, even the young people who are still growing up with their parents, should get involved in wealth creation”.

Therefore, we can’t do away with a tested leader like President Museveni, who is now firmly holding the stability of our country. Until the opposition parties put their houses in order, Museveni, is the right and perfect person to steer our country.

The writer is a senior presidential adviser, political affairs, Office of the National Chairperson/national co-ordinator Bazzukulu