Kizza Besigye's demagoguery agenda

By  Kintu Nyago

Dr. Kizza Besigye's  so called "Defiance Campaign", that deliberately targets the sprawling slums of Kampala and Waksio  is informed by the politics of demagoguery. This appeals to ones emotions and prejudices, rather than rationality.

And it is a manipulative and further appeals to a person's worst side. Besigye  deliberately does not offer well thought out  solutions to  the myriad of problems faced by his mainly  youthful urban poor supporters, short of generalised platitudes that promise an heaven on earth   with full employment and high salaries!

Because Besigye is the primary political beneficiary of KCCA's excessive behaviour of wanton closures of informal sector businesses and the evictions that border on impunity being experienced  on Mailo land, this explains as to why he has opted to act dumb, in light of these atrocious developments! Both developments have created an hostile evicted urban youth that is ready to listen to the false gospels of demagogues!

Indeed these dual contradictions in Kampala and rural Buganda were the main source of Besigye's additional one million votes in the 2016 Presidential polls! Consequently he cannot publically critique his winning formula! And it would be good radiance, on his part, if these contradictions remain and get enhanced henceforth!  Baring in mind that the 2021 Presidential elections are merely five years away!  

Besigye's current "defiance campaign" is in essence a political strategy. Hence it can only be sustainably resolved politically. Also it is false to argue that in Africa, ruling parties cannot win in urban elections. Because before the introduction of KCCA in the 2011 Presidential elections, in Kampala President Museveni got 46%  and Besigye 46.9% at the polls. That is 227,585 and 232,146 votes respectively. The NRM also had majority support in Kampala's LC V Council, in addition to politically dominating Nakawa, Central and Makindye divisions.


Also in 2011, Museveni won hands down in the populous Wakiso district with 49% of all votes against Besigye's 42.2%. That is with 173,658 and 149,099 votes respectively! The NRM also had 19 of the 24 councilors in Wakiso District Council.  Put differently, the 2016 NRM losses in Kampala and Wakiso have policy related, rather than anthropological explanations.

In the Chinese philosophical tradition, a crisis is viewed as a potential source for an opportunity. Hence the NRM requires to appreciate the political essence of Besigye's demagoguery and resolve it politically. Fortunately, most solutions can also be traced in existing NRM's very policy documents and precedents.

Say the ruling party's policy to promote an indigenous middle class. This can be generated through the provision of accessible universal education in primary and secondary schools. For this would ensure that the urban poor retain a sufficient disposal income to invest in their household income generating ventures. This in addition to their getting educated.

The same would apply if the Government provides accessible hospital and clinics in these areas. While the provision of accessible community vocational schools would skill the urban youth and ensure that they both get and create employment. There is need for the Government to also create industrial parks that attract small scale industries for job creation.

Destabilising land evictions on Mailo land require to be resolved through the optimal funding of the Uganda Land Fund. The sh14b earmarked for the Financial Year of 2016-17 is to say the least inadequate.

Relating to the question of governance, President Museveni's recent pledge to create a decentralised Wakiso City Council is spot on! While given that the future of Uganda's Local Governance is urban, the NRM leadership requires to consider splitting the Ministry of Local Government into two.

That is to unable the  able and experienced directorate of urban governance to be expanded and made into a full ministry of urban governance that handles Uganda's current and future urban governance.      

Furthermore, Besigye's deliberate destabilising mobocracy, can effectively be contained through legislation that ensures that presidential candidates with a given level of support at the polls, be accommodated in Parliament. This is to ensure that their politicking freely takes place in the secure and protected walls of the august House, rather than Kiseka and Kalerwe markets!

The writer is Ambassador and Uganda's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations