Writing from his base somewhere outside Uganda, former (three-term) Member of Parliament (MP), Ssemuju Ibrahim, recently threw what he must have thought may be the blow that takes out Uganda’s CDF, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The article was titled: “We have a duty to stop Muhoozi reign of terror”. In it, he attacks the General for extracting apologies from former Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Anita Among, and local government minister, Hon. Justine Nameere, both in a space of less of than a month. The former MP also lists several generals that have been arrested, charged and jailed on the orders of the CDF.Passively referencing other instances where MK has taken drastic action on certain individuals, Ssemuju concluded his article by saying: “we have a duty to stop this nonsense or wait for our turn to apologise. And it doesn’t matter whether you are opposition or NRM. We are all being overrun and crashed (?!)one by one”.
How he plans to “stop the nonsense” nobody knows because he doesn’t say how. Perhaps, he expects his readers to take a guess. Or should we ask him a direct question? Hon. Ssemuju Nganda, how do you intend to confront the nonsense- through elections, more articles, press conferences, reporting to foreigners, insurrection or taking up arms?
For those who may be new to Uganda’s politics, Ssemuju was formerly a journalist working with Monitor and later The Observer. He also featured regularly in electronic media (radio and TV) as a discussant of current affairs. Then in 2011, he launched into elective politics on the FDC ticket in Kyandondo East constituency which he claimed. Later after a split of the constituency, he remained as MP of Kira Municipality which he represented for two terms until this year when he was ousted by Hon. George Musisi of NUP who received backing from special allies.
For most of his time in the newsroom, on live discussion forums and in Parliament, Ssemuju allocated 90% of his time attacking President Yoweri Museveni and the first family at large. He was also notorious for harbouring animosity towards the Banyankore ethnicity of President Museveni as if every tribesmate of the President was automatically NRM or serving in government.
The Parliamentary hansard captured Ssemuju as one of the most outspoken MPs who spent his time criticising anything and everything about Museveni and whatever he did, even though there was never a substantive motion or challenge that he ever presented to rectify anything that he accused Museveni of doing, meaning that his accusations were populist and attention-seeking but without any legal implications. He always accused State House of having a bloated budget but at no single time did he ever file an actionable audit query as a whistleblower. While focusing on Museveni and family, he “forgot” to attend the critical needs of his constituents such as supporting wealth creation initiatives or even mixing with voters on the ground. In the end, he was booted while the Museveni he wasted close to 30 years lambasting was reelected for a record seventh term.
Every single talk was on how to get rid of Museveni. That was the fulltime plan working together with leaders such as Dr. Kizza Besigye, NUP Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine), Matthias Mpuuga and the general opposition front. But they failed.
Gen. Muhoozi was by then a little known soldier serving in the national army, the UPDF, but the Ssemujus had already lined him up as their political cannon fodder, hoping to stunt his military career and to weaken his father. Instead, he advanced in his career up to attaining the top rank of General and being the second highest commander of the army after his father the Commander-In-Chief. In all this, the claim was that he was favoured to rise in the ranks as of military service is like taking ice cream where you just hand a kid a bigger mug because they have grown.
Given this history, it’s difficult for anyone to trust that Ssemujuhas any reasonable way forward how to stop Muhoozi’s rise. May be attempting some irregular means.
Isn’t it odd that Ssemuju feels “offended” when action is taken on rogue and corrupt officers yet he is among the politicians that have always claimed that government has failed to stem corruption? Is he, therefore, interested in fighting corruption or he is only satisfying his hatred for Museveni by taking it out onMuhoozi whichever way?
If Among and Nameere apologised to the CDF, it’s within their right as decorous and mature people that can decide what’s best to do in any circumstance. Actually, two other ministers, Hon. Milly Babalanda (Presidency) and Hon. Haruna Kasolo (State for Foreign Affairs) have also recently apologised, and all sides are happy and well on duty. CDF isn’t going around demanding apologies from or ordering the arrest of anyone, anyhow. There has to be a cause for that to happen. The self-exiled former MP is going to have to think extremely hard to find something that he can sell to Ugandans in the circumstances.
