Does Prof Oloka Onyango really live in Uganda?

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By Prof. Semakula Kiwanuka

I write to reject the assertion by Professor Oloka Onyango in two of the local publications of August 27 and 28 that “Museveni is “actually no different from Obote or Amin”.

A fair comparison of Museveni to Amin or Obote should be based on their record of good governance, social and economic development of Uganda, the rule of law, army discipline, security of life and property and the freedom of the press and on the overall observance of human rights.

I wish to give Oloka Onyango the benefit of the doubt that while Obote and Amin vandalised Uganda, Oloka was in outer space, though in these days of technology, even those in outer space can monitor what goes on in the planet earth.

If Oloka was indeed in outer space, during the terrible years of Obote and Amin, the recent serialisation in the newspapers of Obote and Amin’s atrocities against Ugandans should not have escaped the attention of any unbiased Ugandan, let alone a professor of law.   

Obote and Amin’s record

In May 1966, Obote unleashed his terror on Kabaka Mutesa’s palace with orders to kill him. Hundreds of innocent people were killed. Mutesa fled into exile in England.

Obote threatened to break diplomatic relations with the UK, if Her Majesty’s government dared to finance or help Mutesa. Obote detained Mutesa’s sisters who had clandestinely succeeded in sending some money to Mutesa via Kenya. Mutesa died prematurely in poverty at the age of 45 under allegations that he was poisoned by agents who had been dispatched to the UK. For years, 1966-1971, Obote ruled Buganda under a perpetual state of emergency during which countless Baganda were detained without trial. They included politicians such as Ben Kiwanuka, Queen Damalie, Mutesa’s wife, princes and princesses although the latter had never been in politics.

Amin, Uganda’s most terrible dictator, would never have existed, if Obote had not groomed him in order to entrench his unpopular regime. It was Obote who built the notorious slaughter house at Nakasero, known as the State Research. The atrocities of what came to be known as Obote II (1981-1985) are still fresh in people’s memories. He devastated many parts of Luwero.

With Paulo Muwanga as his henchman, Obote’s policies of panda gari, which resulted in countless disappearances, are still fresh in people’s memories. Both Obote and Amin retained political power through the barrel of the gun. Under Obote and Amin, many Ugandans ran away to exile. How many Ugandans are into exile today under Museveni?

Amin’s legacy

Amin destroyed practically every aspect of life in Uganda. He was groomed by Obote. His atrocities, the disappearances of countless Ugandans, the brutal murder of Archbishop Janani Luwum, etc are well-known to Ugandans except Professor Oloka Onyango.

When Amin expelled the Asians, little did most Ugandans realise that he was ruining the economy. But I remember the late Prof. Senteza Kajubi, telling me when we were in Makerere that Uganda was going to suffer and indeed it did. It has taken years of President Musevenis pragmatic policies to rebuild the economy.

Uganda under Museveni

Although Professor Oloka Onyango sees no difference between Amin and Museveni, millions of Ugandans do see and know that the differences are vast.

Under Obote and Amin, soldiers were a law unto themselves. They were instruments of terror, murder and disappearances. That era was brought to an end by Museveni. The result is that nobody today trembles because they have seen soldiers. The questions to Oloka Onyango are: How many Ugandans have disappeared during the Museveni years? How many have fled into exile? Museveni has restored the constitutional order and monarchies. Some people may not like monarchies but political common sense dictates that it is better to rule over people who are happy than those who you have to cow through brutal force as Obote did to the Baganda. And in any case, monarchies are Uganda’s political and cultural heritage. On democracy and governance, democratic institutions exist from the village to Parliament.

Economic and social development

The Uganda of today is vastly different from that of Amin or Obote. Amin and his henchmen hated any form of enterprise.

Today, a conducive investment climate prevails, attractive investment policies are in place and Uganda is competitive. The impact of liberalisation and privatisation has recently been exposed. Whereas Uganda sugar companies are efficient, those in the neighbouring countries cannot produce enough sugar.

The liberalisation of the foreign exchange, which has demystified the dollar so that it is available any time anywhere to any Ugandan and not the privileged few. These economic changes epitomise President Museveni’s policies and leadership and are responsible for Uganda’s level of development which is witnessed everywhere today.

On the health front, although much still needs to be done, we cannot ignore the immunisation campaigns against childhood diseases such as polio and measles. The impact of immunisation is partly responsible for the burgeoning young population. Under Museveni, Uganda led the campaign to openly tell the world that HIV/AIDS was rampant in Uganda and policies to combat it were put in place. The result was that Uganda became a model of openness.

For many years, the economy of Uganda has grown so much that poverty levels have been drastically reduced. Physical infrastructures such as roads, power dams have been and are being built. The press is burgeoning. Uganda’s children are studying in numbers which should be the envy of Obote and Amin propagandists.

Regional leadership

Everybody knows what a terrible neighbour Amin was with his territorial expansionist ambitions. In 1975, he wanted to seize western Kenya up to Naivasha.

As a professor of history, I was directed to write a justification position document to be presented by Amin to the OAU. It was after Kenya blocked fuel supplies, that Amin was forced to eat humble pie. Amin was not done because in 1978, he invaded Tanzania, blew up bridges and seized territory known as the Kagera Salient. Little did he know that he was digging his own grave because within six months of his invasion of Tanzania, he was overthrown. President Museveni on the other hand is at the forefront of creating a dynamic East African Community. Uganda’s proud role in peacekeeping within the African Union is well known.

Term limits

My New Vision article of August 12, on term limits provoked Oloka Onyango’s rejoinder. But he did not address reasons why I am sceptical about term limits. They do not automatically deliver good governance, rule of law, economic and social development and security of persons and property. Term limits are of limited usefulness. What people generally want is a government which guarantees their security and focuses on socio-economic development. Museveni scores very well on all these indicators.

I am proud to have been part of this development. To compare President Museveni with Obote and Amin is, therefore, a gross distortion of the political, economic and social history of Uganda.

The writer is former Minister of State for Finance, Former Minister of State for Luwero Triangle, Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Uganda to the UN and Former Ambassador of Uganda to UAE