If Muhoozi aspires to lead, so be it

By Dennis Katungi

To aspire to lead is the epitome of patriotism and a heightened sense of self-worth.  Any citizen of Uganda, regardless of creed, tribe, religion or birth background is entitled to such an ambition.

Our Constitution guarantees those aspirations: All the people of Uganda shall have access to leadership positions at all levels. It goes further to state that the exercise and enjoyment of rights and freedoms is inseparable from the performance of duties and obligations. Nowhere is it implied that whence one is born should be a point of contention. On that basis alone, Joseph Kabuleta falls flat in his facebook scribbles.

It is the duty of every citizen to be patriotic and loyal to Uganda and to promote its well-being. The citizen is enjoined, in our constitution to engage in gainful work for the good of the family, the common good and to contribute to national development. 

I would like to ask Kabuleta and those of his ilk; who is more dutiful to this nation than a soldier? At all times they are ready and willing to sacrifice lives to defend Uganda, its citizens and their property.

Muhoozi Keinerugaba is first and foremost a citizen of Uganda with all rights and obligations thereto. Secondly, he is a decorated soldier on merit, despite the likes of Kabuleta who choose to believe otherwise for reasons best known to themselves.

Muhoozi is not excluded from these rights, obligations and privileges of a citizen of Uganda simply because of his chance birth in the first family.  In fact, as a Ugandan voter, were I to be presented with the option of voting for a guy who kisses the feet of a dodgy pastor and that of a dashing General who commands troops at the frontline, I know who I would vote for.

Those who think and reason like Kabuleta should simply declare their uninhibited hatred. Consumed by politics of envy, it is clear from the facebook rant doing the rounds recently that Kabuleta is probably suffering from an attention deficit. Having established himself in the past as a sports writer, he shipped out mid-career and now seeks to reconnect with his previous followers by crook. 

He reckons that by attacking Muhoozi, he then draws attention to himself in the deluded false prophecies of a Kampala pastor who averred that Kabuleta has the potential to lead. It would be laughable if it wasn't that he is toying with the reputation of a serious soldier, forget that Muhoozi is the President's son.

Kabuleta wrote that ‘it's clear to every discerning eye that the first son is crawling out of his hole like a squirrel' - words misplaced and misused! A General does not do that. He matches out like a storming Norman. The dynamic and ditzy personality that Muhoozi is, I do not see him in the picture Kabuleta seeks to paint.   

I don't speak for Muhoozi, but I would say that he should be undeterred by people like Kabuleta, assuming he had such ambition. He should continue to show face and plot his graph in the way he deems necessary regardless of naysayers. 

In case you missed the proper bio-data Mr Kabuleta, Wikipedia has an entry on Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, a Ugandan Military officer serving in the UPDF. He went through normal schools in Uganda and later joined Nottingham University from where he graduated in 1994.  He then embarked on Military career- training at Sandhurst, Kalama Armoured Warfare School, Egyptian Military Academy, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and successfully completed the Executive National Security programme at the South African National Defence College. This track record is not unique to Muhoozi, many a UPDF General have similar accolades. It has been a deliberate programme - professionalizing our Armed forces. 

Lt. Gen Muhoozi commanded Special Forces and led troops at battlefields against ADF, LRA with direct hits at insurgents in Somalia. He remains in active service as Presidential Advisor on Special Operations.  It is true he comes from a line of Military leaders; Generals Yoweri Museveni and Salim Saleh, known for standing up to tyrants here on home ground.  When duty called, they answered.  In other countries, Military families are revered and highly respected, but in Uganda, the likes of Kabuleta think that demeaning them is the way to go; I pity them for Uganda is a fairly balanced country. 

There are the noisy Kabuletas and their social media ilk but there are others; the silent majority. 

The writer works with the Uganda Media Centre