Letter to Uganda’s President Museveni

Dear president Yoweri Museveni
On your greatness, you sat before a bunch of journalists, following your declaration as president elect 2016-2021 and assured the nation there will be peace. I was among the youth watching you with eyes of patriotic affinity for your vanity.

You then encouraged us to embark on our routine duties after months of tiring election campaigns, but forgot about one citizen. His name is Kizza Besigye. Your commandos have him in chains unable to work. Does your government really care his individual well-being is in the shambles?

Or maybe you’re not even aware there’s an assemblage of reincarnated bush rebels of 1986, masquerading in Uganda police uniforms laying siege to your former warrior physician’s basic rights and freedoms bequeathed by the constitution of the republic of Uganda.

On my words, being a peace journalist-student at Young African Leadership Academy’s Aileen Getty School of Citizen Journalism, peace means more than just inaudibility of gunshots on the streets of Kampala or in the jungles of Busitema when Ugandan’s hearts are throbbing with anger of open injustice.

The deathless spirit of Nelson Mandela, who once dreamed of Africa which is in peace with itself must now be counting on us. Then, it’s the obligation of your government, Mr. president, to champion progress in place of backwardness and freedom in place of oppression.

President Museveni, you can but in vain wish peace in our hearts when our fellow citizen, Dr. Kizza Besigye is surrounded by AK47s and bullets and teargas while armed thugs are breaking into people’s homes in the North.

Mr. President, it seems your elongated regime is forgetting our national motto says, “For God and my country” and maybe you need to be reminded so by we the young whose minds are not yet hurt by long brewed grievances and thorns of the bush.

Those days must have been painful indeed, venerated by a long-lasting memorial gravestones but they’re gone. All I wish is you to lead by example of a good leader, as though parents cautiously making love; their children secretly listening, for we’re watching and learning from you!

God is watching.
For God and my country.
Boaz Opio – Citizen Journalist Student, Young African Leadership Academy (YaLa).