Death of Matthias Nsubuga and Dr Besigye's non-violence call

By Robert Atuhairwe

The year ends with new births and more deaths; as the cycle has been so it shall be in the foreseeable future. There goes Matthias Nsubuga Birekeraawo, whose demise has been deservingly reported about.

He was truly the principled, "true and just" type, who approached everybody and regarded all with respect.

During this year's campaigns, myself and a small team engaged in specialized political research work in which we identified issues in various constituencies and in so doing, we interacted with a sizeable number of candidates. Bukoto South is one area where we intervened and Nsubuga was one hopeful we met. He was facing NRM moneybags, Muyanja Mbabaali, the then Lwengo woman MP, Gertrude Nakabira and Julius Sentamu.

When we met Nsubuga at one of the Kampala hotels, he had been at a requiem mass of somebody I forget but first dashed to meet us. It wasn't my first time to meet or speak to him, though, having interacted with him first when he joined Parliament in 2006.

Of course, we knew he was excited at the prospect of "being weighed" like all hopefuls but then his greatness manifested when he said he wasn't in the race to win as such. Why? Mbabaali owed him a fair sum, being costs of a successful earlier suit he had lodged that had seen the NRM legislator discarded from the House over academic deficiency. That was 2012; then a bi-election was held in which Nsubuga emerged winner over Hon. Alintuma Nsambu.

So, Nsubuga told my team that he was still suspicious of Mbabaali's papers and was chiefly contesting for the purpose of maintaining his status as an interested party in case he lost and decided to petition court again. But he also said he wouldn't mind Mbabaali winning, so he could demand for settlement of his court costs. Imagine a man wishing for a rival an avenue to earn so as to meet his obligations! How many human beings, leave alone politicians, of such heart can one find?

Mbabaali eventually won. The constituency certainly had a rich count of candidates. Looking at the profile of mourners and the effortless eulogies, there is no question that "the loser" had credentials and connections in leadership circles to serve at any level.

Out of Parliament, he has served greatly, if not more significantly; an important lesson that has eluded some who turn the race to the August House into a do or die matter. I am sure Nsubuga knew that there was more work to be done in the field than in the containment and comfort of being a parliamentarian. And being Secretary General of DP, a "senior" party, he was positioned well enough to have more impact on the general situation than most.

First, he stuck with those who strived to keep DP intact when it risked disintegrating under bouts of infighting-a stern administrator and unifier.

Then we know that, during the general elections, he was among those who took in Rt. Hon Amama Mbabazi, the otherwise independent Go Forward presidential candidate. He was also central to the TDA business. Add being the chairman of IPOD, a position which requires maximum maturity and a sense of tolerance so as to approach and be approached by all sides. And he at times broke the taboo by calling everybody to account, including those who usually criticize others most.

The dialogue aspect is the future of Uganda. Political sizing up, even when based on pure democracy, will bring about ruin.

At the time Nsubuga was breathing his last, Dr Besigye was in the East on a grassroots sweep where he is quoted to have, once again, expressed disdain for violent means to access power. Quoted verbatim he said: "If we want to win the dictator, we need to join hands and avoid getting involved in the use of violent means because it will cost our lives and property, which is not what we stand for."

Aside from the use of the term "dictator" in a conciliatory statement, Dr. Besigye was avowing himself to Nsubuga's first nature. Some people are human beings before they become politicians.

May he Rest In Peace and Uganda surmounts its higher aspirations in total peace, tranquility and mutual respect!

The writer is a member of the Commonwealth Writers Group