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Fri, 20 Dec 2024 Feature Article

A Sit Down With Museveni Is Needed Soon

A Sit Down With Museveni Is Needed Soon

Museveni is a teetotaler, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t eat meat(pork, chicken and Mutton), he isn’t overweight, and regularly exercises. His father died in 2013 at 96, his mother died in 2001 at 84,and unlike their son, they didn’t have access to the best healthcare money can buy.

The claim that Museveni has cancer because of the skin changes on one of his hands is most likely not true, considering its source was originally Tom Okwalinga — a pseudo Besigye leaning blogger turned conspiracy theorist who disappeared around 2020. Every year since 2011 Okwalinga had predicted the fall of the regime within the next 2–3 years. Before Tom, there was a website called Radio Katwe before it also disappeared. Then came Timothy Kalyegira with a mind boggling site called UGANDA RECORD- it was closed in 2011 after being charged with libel. We also had regime insiders on UGANDANS AT HEART, like Robukui, Sarah Nalukenge(pseudo names), and others, that wrote well researched revealing stuff. All these sources predicted the end of Museveni, and Ugandans were excited, but it never happened.

I understand this isn’t what a lot of Ugandans want to hear, but realistically, it will be a miracle if the old man doesn’t make it to at least 90 — and his living to 100 or beyond isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

The last time a sitting Ugandan leader was forcefully removed from power was in 1986. That's why i think Museveni’s exit should be negotiated now by all major stakeholders.

We should, however, not make a mistake of replacing the old man with people who lack capacity to be president. Besigye’s freedom out of prison should also be negotiated with the old man immediately, among other legal means - he shouldn't be having Christmas in prison. All political prisoners should be freed and we start on a clean slate. We need a serious sit-down with Mr.Museveni soon.

All majpr political parties have been put down like dogs. Kyagulanyi is now obsessed with fighting whoever wants to eat into his political space more than Museveni. FDC is fighting PFF, UPC,NUP and DP are very well " managed" by the old man.

Obviously, there's nothing mystical about the way Museveni has handled the dominant political parties and players in our politics - he is just smart in politics and he thinks like an economist. Oh, I just remembered; he briefly taught economics while in exile in Tanzania according to some little detail in his book," Mustard Seed".

Economists often approach problems and decision-making differently from the general population due to their training and focus on specific principles and frameworks:

Economists emphasize how incentives influence behavior. They analyze how changes in policy or market conditions can alter individual and collective actions. After breaking down DP, for example, Mao was reportedly offered the incentive to join the government before 2020-21 elections, but he delayed his decision hoping that NUP and Kyagulanyi would go away from DP's biggest constituency (Buganda), but it didn't happen - he realised that NUP itself is a Museveni project and its protected. Ultimately he joined the govt because there was less market for DP and him before and afterwards.

Understanding Trade-offs. Economists are trained to consider opportunity costs—what is sacrificed when choosing one option over another. This perspective helps in evaluating decisions more rigorously.

Museveni is now a very old man. Yes, there's literally no opposition in Uganda at the moment, but he hasn't got a lot of time to live. Negotiations is one sure way of ensuring that his family and wealth will be safe when he's gone. He still has the power to decide who becomes the next president after him. I think Mathias Mpuuga's suggestions about this are up to something and should be supported. Museveni will listen - he has to.

Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba, © 2024

This Author has 272 publications here on modernghana.comColumn: Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba

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