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MPs say Museveni is panicking
Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME, FLAVIA NASSAKA | With opposition politicians currently traversing the country chanting ‘Togikwatako’- the brand of the resistance to the constitutional amendment aimed at removing the presidential age cap of 75, the campaign appears to have engulfed the nation.
Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, the Opposition Chief Whip in parliament and MP for Kiira Municipality, is excited about crowds in NRM strongholds that are turning out in support of the “red ribbon” campaign of the anti-constitution amendment camp. He says it helps to highlight the campaign as it is not just opposition MPs against Museveni’s overstay in power.
He has since branded himself in Togikwatako colours donning a red jacket, cap, or suit whenever he is in parliament or addressing crowds in his constituency.
“I have never seen Museveni in panic mode like he is now,” he told The Independent, “There is nothing that has ever divided the NRM like this.”
He says panic is the reason the president is picking fights with Kyaddondo East legislator Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.
“He is the face of the new wave of youthful politicians who appeal more to the majority youthful electorate,” Ssemujju says, “the Museveni camp is panicking because he has realised that his message of fighting in Luweero to bring peace has since become obsolete and a new generation of politicians – the youth have taken over.
“Even the elderly are realising that the 1986 agent of stability is now becoming a threat to that stability,” Ssemujju says.
He adds: “Togikwatako is a campaign about the future; it teaches Museveni one lesson: that if he doesn’t allow a peaceful transition we will all be victims, but most importantly he will still leave power.”
Semujju who also took part in Walk-to-Work protests says Togikwatako has a lesson for the opposition too- “that ideology is bigger than presenting individual faces”. He says this is the first unpartisan demonstration and has achieved results even at the basic level of seeing religious leaders and non-governmental organisations joining in the struggle.
The opposition appears to have won the battle of the campaign stump, but it may amount to nothing. In the end, the winner of the Togikwatako versus the Tugikwateko battle will be decided by MPs in parliament where Museveni has the numbers. But can the opposition wring something out of the national consciousness that Togikwatako has aroused in the 2021 campaign?
“If the opposition was serious, we would go to the 2021 polls under the Togikwatako umbrella” DP Vice President Fred Mukasa Mbidde told The Independent on Nov.03. He said even if the constitution is eventually amended, the protests have already achieved 90% of its impact in exposing what the people’s view is on Museveni’s overstay in power.
M7, just like a dog or cat under attack and against a wall, is at his most dangerous when he is under attack.
THE opposition are under a very big illusion if they think that they have M7 cornered.
M7 is a crisis manager and he manages by crisis and he revels in crisis (KAVUYO)
He has had all his adult life, and certainly the last more than 30 years to plan , where the opposition have only had a few weeks to plan their assault.
THE opposition and those campaigning to stop the lifting of the age limit must be very careful because they are dealing with a very slippery customer.
M 7 has the all it takes; the power, the resources of persuasion and coercion to ensure that he gets the result he needs.
He has now tested the waters and knows what the population thinks and he will now go a gear up .
All indications show that he had initially even arm twisted those MPs who were not in favour of the age limit removal. Some of the MPs are in a real dilemma, they are torn between protecting their interests and serving the interests of their master.
At the end of the day, most of them know or they will be told or convinced that their masters interests are the same as their own interest and at the moment most people are or believe they are what they are because of M7.
So all M 7 has to do is to come up with a plan that caters for their interests and he has examples galore where people have lost their parliamentary seats and have retained their ministerial jobs of which OTAFIIRE and MULONI are stellar examples.
SO he will tell them to ignore the voters interest, because the voters do not after all appoint ministers and he can appoint ministers , ambassadors , heads of parastatals outside of parliament.
The other option will be to tell the Mps to seem to accept what the voters want, tell them what they want to hear, after all the voters will not be there on the day of voting.
And just like the voting of the SPEAKER , M 7 will camp at parliament and it may even be possible to make the vote a secret ballot so that we shall be none the wiser as to how the MPs voted on the day.
SO be careful and do not count your victory. You may have won the battle, but M 7 the SABALWANYI can still win the war
I take your point Ejakait Engoraton. However the subtle, maybe major difference is that this time he isn’t just facing one crisis. We have a situation where the security services are viewing each other with suspicion, sectors of the economy are going on strike, some police commanders are expressing their disillusionment on social media and there is video footage of police complaining about pay, promotion etc, some NRM MPs are genuinely concerned that M7 has become a liability, it has been reported that some historicals are quietly against the idea, their is a genuine awakening of a lot of Ugandans about their plight, people seem to be becoming immune to the threat of force, innocent people have lost their lives and their loved ones bear a genuine grudge now, I think the coffers a re running dry. These are just some of the crises that he faces. He is like a man juggling a lot of plates in the air at the same time. Only time can tell how long he can continue doing this. Also remember that while his attention is otherwise occupied there is some opportunist maneuvering himself into position to strike. A bit like the Obote/Lutwa situation. For those who don’t learn the lessons, history has a funny habit of repeating itself. By the time one hears the dreaded words “I told you so” it is invariably too late.
There is no one who has studied and knows Ugandans in a devilish way than M7.
Most NRM people rightly or otherwise, have come to believe that they are what they are and can only become what they want to be because of M 7.
Every minister, RDC, ambassador, business people, believe that they are what they are because of M7 and that the next person who comes in will not appoint them to the same or better position and they go by the adage the DEVIL you know.
And for those who are currently on the sidelines, they believe that they are the next in line for whatever it is MZEE has promised them.
AND just like AHEEBWA has rightly said, NRM is nothing without M 7, it is actually fused into the person of M 7 and without him, it would implode, so for their own selfish needs, caring absolutely nothing about the entity called UGANDA, they would rather keep M 7 and UGANDA can go to hell.
I think you are right, how l wish the Togikwatako crisis leads could think outside the box the way you are doing.
Of course mzee is the only one of now who can manage the opposition, so as NRM we have to “kugikwatako” by all means friends
Gikwateko and be damned!
Those who watch and get to know what goes on will have known what happened in the Rugby world.
Campaigns have been going on to find the hosts for 2013.
Finally the field had been narrowed down to 3 countries, Ireland, France and South Africa.
In the penultimate round of voting, Ireland was eliminated and SOUTH AFRICA emerged as the “favorite” going into the final round and was the highly “recommended” by the organisation.
Come the results, and FRANCE, yes NOT South Africa , was the winner.
How come.
Up to and until the final round, all voting by the members had been open, but come the final round and it was decided (by goodness knows who), that the final round of voting, “in order to give the members freedom to vote freely” would be by secret ballot.
To the surprise of the SOUTH AFRICANS, France came out the winners.
I have never seen the head of an international organisation labour to explain himself.
thxs brother for your information on togikwatako isues