TODAY NOVEMBER 19, IN UGANDA HISTORY: FDC presidential candidate for life, Kizza Besigye, first declared his intention to run for president for the first time on October 28, 2000. On November 19, only three weeks later, ANDREW MWENDA wrote this article for The Monitor. Kampala, November 19, 2000 | Daily …
Read More »Africa’s real intellectual crisis
Why Museveni is not the cause of the problems of Uganda but rather their product and reflection THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Last week, I accepted to join a whatsapp chat group of Ugandan “intellectuals”. The administrator told me that it discusses “serious issues.” I therefore …
Read More »COMMENT: Museveni’s useless courses
Why President’s flippant talk about curriculum suggests Uganda could soon get a University of Boda boda COMMENT | JOSEPH WERE | I have written this article assuming that President Yoweri Museveni is serious when he says he is not happy to fund courses like psychology, political science, social science, …
Read More »Are Ugandans docile?
Why last month’s scuffles in parliament excited the public but did not lead to popular protests THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Last week, poorly trained security operatives entered the parliament’s main chamber and removed opposition members who were protesting plans by the ruling party to amend the constitution …
Read More »Inside Museveni’s life presidency
Why the removal of age limits may be the best way to get a peaceful succession in Uganda THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | There is consensus among Ugandan, African, and even global elites that presidents who rule for long make peaceful succession impossible. This informs the current …
Read More »Uganda’s misguided debate
Why many Ugandans are addressing the wrong issue in the debate on lifting age limits THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Last week the NRM caucus did the expected and recommended the removal of age limits on the presidency so that President Yoweri Museveni can rule for …
Read More »The false gospel of governance
THE LAST WORD: How Africa’s obsession with ‘governance’ issues is too much ado over little or nothing THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Let me articulate a heresy: the argument that Africa’s failure to prosper economically is fundamentally due to “governance” i.e. that our leaders are greedy, selfish, …
Read More »Museveni’s dilemma, Africa’s crisis
THE LAST WORD: How the obsession with our internal weaknesses has obscured the international dimension of Africa’s problems Andrew M. Mwenda | THE LAST WORD | Now in his 32nd year as president, Yoweri Museveni faces a dilemma. Uganda is still a very poor rural agricultural economy in spite of …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: A new Mulago arises
A new Mulago arises: The challenge the new hospital will face and what can be done to protect it from Uganda’s politics THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Last week, I visited the new specialised maternal and neonatal center being constructed at Mulago Hospital. With a built up …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: The Kenya, Rwanda elections
KENYA, RWANDA: How voting in these two East African nations reflects our understanding of democracy THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | East Africa has recently witnessed two presidential elections – in Rwanda and in Kenya. The two nations are different. Rwanda is a small country with one …
Read More »