Strange Bedfellows

Aug 06, 2003

A DESPARATE set of political activists has met in the United Kingdom to chart their input on the Ugandan political scene.

A DESPARATE set of political activists has met in the United Kingdom to chart their input on the Ugandan political scene.
The two-day convention in London ended with a varied set of resolutions on issues ranging from political party activity, through the federal arrangement of political and administrative units, and the economy, to the undesirability of the current government.
While it is their legitimate right to meet, the wildly varied backgrounds of the conveners make the entire exercise dubious. Can a leader with a violent political past, Peter Otai, really cut it with a monarchist, Joyce Ssebuggwawo, who is looking for her level in the Reform Agenda?
Upstart Henry Mayega, currently filling the vacuum in the UPC, is mixing it with Nyekorach Matsanga, latterly spokesman for the terrorist LRA, and still an advocate for rebellion! Herman Semujju, famously called a political comedian, is calling on the Ugandan Diaspora to rise up! Rashid Kasato, of Justice Forum, which has a rather narrow social base, does not see any tranquility in the country till the Movement government leaves.
Interesting. It all smacks of desperation. Because there really is no thread linking these minds, save their opposition to Museveni, this meeting and any subsequent ones, are likely to come to nought in both the short and long terms.
But with the political landscape
evolving gradually, they would each
be better off thinking through feasible strategies with their respective groups. If they continue working through
ill-informed expediency of the kind that had them gather in London,
they will continue to be on
the political margins.
Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});