Radio Rhino
UGANDA PEOPLES CONGRESS
NATIONAL SECRETARIAT
UGANDA HOUSE
KAMPALA
March 10 2004
THE COUNT DOWN TO 2006
- Just to imitate Barnard Shaw, Museveni would rather reign Uganda into hell than leave democracy and rule of law to lead Uganda into bliss. Usually reliable sources have it that European countries have been persuading Museveni to respect the Constitution and retire in 2006. They have gone extra mile to help him to end the Northern war, repair the economy which is nose diving, and most importantly to help him manage the transition from the current military cum one party dictatorship to multiparty democratic rule. To make a smooth return to multiparty politics they urged him to facilitate return of former President Milton Obote and accord him all respect and treatment he is entitled to. They also advised him to facilitate the return of Col. (RTD) Dr. Kizza Besigye his rival in 2001 presidential elections and try to repair the fractured interpersonal relationship.
- In case of Dr. Milton Obote Capital Radio reporter sought the opinion of the party leadership about Obote return. We in UPC replied that the government knows where we are located and can contact us should they want us to play any part in Obote's return. We added that it would be in the interest of this country and even Movement and Museveni in particular to make amends with former leaders of this country in order to leave a legacy of respect and tolerance of people who have occupied high offices in this land. We have not heard from the Government. But on 4th March, 2004 at midday we were contacted by a reporter from Bukedde who wanted to confirm the news that Dr. Milton Obote had died. We enquired where they got the news and the reporter told us that he had got the news from Capital Radio. Next day the New Vision published a denial of UPC officials that Obote had died. There is a common denominator in this story and that is William Pike. He is the proprietor of Capital Radio, Chief Editor of New Vision and Bukedde is a vernacular subsidiary of New Vision. William Pike is a Museveni functionary right from bush days. He was on duty relaying the wishes of his paymaster.
- Last week there was a massacre of IDPs at Barlonyo totalling 239 to date and 5 more people died in the demonstration in Lira town. Three people were killed by police, all Langi, and two lynched by mob- one Acholi and one Lango. New Vision almost branded the incident a tribal war declared by Langi against Acholi. Local leaders defused the situation and, knowing the influence and respect Milton Obote enjoys in the area, they arranged for him to address the local people in vernacular to augment the local leader's efforts using local FM radio station. The RDC Lira district banned the broadcast.
- It will be recalled that the carnage in Lango happened on the eve of Museveni visit to the area and the demonstration actually occurred when Museveni was already in Lira town. The reactions of Museveni to the carnage at Abia and Barlonyo were with such detachment that one concludes that the deaths of people in that area do not matter as long as they do not threaten his hold on power. He thus wants the conflict to remain wrapped up in his dressings and any opening to international community or any other intrusive eye must be curtailed. The efforts of local leaders and church hierarchy have been dealt a death blow by high-ranking government ministers and military officials. Parliament has been declared unconvincing and irrelevant in conflict resolution and international community has been told in clearest of terms to have their hands off Uganda affairs.
- This scenario has been developing in stages. It started with the president himself attacking donors and developing partners for not allowing Museveni a free hand in spending on defence. He thus blamed them for the UPDF failures. He became blind to scandals of junk purchases, thefts, ghost soldiers etc. that could have saved moneys to improve UPDF performance across the board. The court Marshals are meant to weed out those officers who do not toe the line of Museveni's permanent rule. The investigations by Amama Mbabazi and Lt. Gen. Tinyefuza are directed at the donors to make them believe that something is being done about the rampant corruption. If Museveni was sincere he would have prosecuted, as starters, the officers who were proven to have stolen DRC riches; that included his brother Salim Saleh. Museveni is therefore beating the UPDF in line to augment NRM and other security agencies both official and unofficial, onto administrative structures, in campaigning for his life presidency.
- Knowing that the life presidency wish will not go down well with the development partners Museveni had to send a message to them that he would rather have Obote dead than cooperate with the smooth transition or concede to the donor's advice. This was the message in the concocted Obote death. European Union (EU) had to be fought and portrayed as agents of opposition and condoning terrorists as opposed to United States of America. Red Paper Newspapers is a family enterprise. It has revealed that Museveni employs high-powered farm of lawyers to do the PR in Washington and Rosa Whittaker augments this, hitherto portrayed as an AGOA consultant. All this is in black and white by an insider.
- On political scene attempts to have dialogue with government by G.7 has been frustrated so much that they are on verge of collapse. Instead Museveni has registered an NGO called Uganda Movement Artists Group (UMAG). They will practice as artists but have specialised departments of instigating and actually executing violence. They have bouncers (kanyamas) and all sorts of trouble causers. They are in groups with a commander who has a mobile telephone. They are expected to be connected directly to the IGP. Major Gen. Katumba Wamala. They report to DPC where they want to operate. They are detailed to deny any opposition right to assemble or associate anywhere in Uganda but must beef up all meeting called in support of third term project. They must infiltrate and disorganise any opposition gatherings. Police will come in late when damage is done and no arrests will be made. The first encounter was in Jinja to deny PAFO the seminar they had organised. The Kabale "thugs" activities came out prematurely though the organisers were in the know of what was coming.
- The picture of what Museveni has up his sleeves is now obvious. Should U.S. refuse to go all hog and contradict the EU so that Museveni changes the Constitution through rigging both referenda and elections, then he will face off the whole international community head on. He will defy all reason and make Uganda so violent that it will be ungovernable except by himself. The auxiliary militias will be under local war lords owing allegiance to him alone. The UPDF will be beaten in line by the bill before the parliament, the purges going on and more to come will seal the deal. The local government and civil service is already under his thumb. Parliament is already rendered irrelevant and there is a threat to appoint cadres in judiciary to replace the judges who do not toe Museveni no change line. This criminal plan was divulged by none other than General Museveni himself.
- Museveni has sent out feelers to Harare but on finding scepticism, he is trying to enter Mugabe's heart through South Africa. The diplomatic offensive is on as signs from Washington appear unfavourable. Ambassador Jimmy Kolker joined EU head of mission, Sigurd Illing in calling for ending war in North by means other than military conquest and he supported parliament in declaring the Northern parts affected disaster areas. This means that colossal amounts of public funds spent on hiring high powered lawyers in Washington and those spent on Rosa Whitteker were wasted since they failed to sway US Government into blindly supporting Museveni's reckless project, his terrorist rhetoric notwithstanding.
- Museveni therefore has boxed himself in a corner where he is bound to be more violent as resistance against his designs mature. The stakes are high and he appears to have opted to reign Uganda into hell rather than hand it over to democracy that may make him account for his excesses.
- A bomb exploded in our ears just yesterday. A confidant informed us that Stanbic Bank which bought peoples' own bank, under controversial circumstances, had sold the UCB building and that the NRM is moving in the same building as its headquarters. This must be the fraud of the century. We must recall the scandals of: Westmont Asia, Salim Saleh and Sulaiman Kigundu of Greenland bank. We must examine the part played by Museveni in bulldozing the sale of the bank at a give away price in face of protest from the parliament and the general public. Could it be that Museveni was selling to himself and determining the price? How long will the citizens of this country be swindled? Remember the Coffee Marketing board, now managed from a family company in Denmark. Ponder over Apolo hotel sale saga. Remember everything fraudulent and see why Museveni will not dare leave power come 2006.
For God and My Country.
Dr. James W. Rwanyarare
Chairman
Presidential Policy Commission
10th. March 2004.