Kiranga
Platinum Member
- Jan 29, 2009
- 89,019
- 156,726
This is a factual account, read it as a story of how the vagaries of life can take you from a refugee fleeing debt to a president, or a character flaw and seminal integrity issue that explain bigger leadership problems in Uganda and Africa.
You are probably aware that Yoweri Museveni studied at The University of Dar es salaam. And that Museveni was a young revolutionary minded student there, one of the authors of "Cheche" a revolutionary magazine.
But he was more than that, somehow he was able to get very close to Nyerere that Nyerere gave him an Ikulu (State House) house in the Upanga part of Dar es salaam.
That Museveni used to stay at a house in Upanga Dar es salaam, that this was a Nyerere's Ikulu (State House) house, given to him to stay at, is a fact. Mahmood Mamdani wrote about visiting him there in his newest book "Slow Poison : Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni and the Making of the Ugandan State".
Later on, when Miseveni moved from that house to start the bush war in Uganda, he did not pay his water and electricity bill. My family moved into that house because my mother worked for Ikulu (State House), we had to pay Museveni's unpaid bills. Else our water and electricity would be turned off. No discussion. There was no alternative. So we negotiated to pay in installments.
These were not small bills, they were likely accumulated over a long time, because my family took quite some time to pay. I remember my mother complaining that this man Museveni left without paying his hefty bills.
In fact even the taxi drivers from Muhimbili Hospital, near the house, used to come to our house to ask for money Museveni had not paid them, because he used to ride the taxi on a monthly tab, and he left without paying his last bill. We told the taxi driver that we had just moved there, and their client, Museveni, had already left. So some poor Muhimbili taxi driver was left with some Museveni's unpaid bills.
Museveni even came back to the house briefly to say hello one time, he said he used to live at that house, this was before he became president, but he only met my grandmother, my parents were not at home.
When I heard he became the president of Uganda, when I saw his photos in 1986, I said this is the same Museveni who used to live at our house, the one who did not pay his bills.
He used to live next to Tito Okello, and they would shout at each other so much, it would make the other neighbors nervous.
Museveni and Okello were not the only Ugandan refugees on the block, right next to Museveni was Mama Lucy Anyoti, she used to work for Muhimbili Hospital. A very generous and focused woman.
Perhaps one day the old man would pay his debt to my family, hopefully with interest. But I doubt it. This was in the 1970s, so close to 50 years of interest 😂😂😂
I just wanted to share this story, especially with Ugandans who do not know Yoweri Museveni's early days in Dar es salaam.
Do you think this is a story of the vagaries of life, and how one man can climb from a refugee fleeing debt to a president?
Or does it represent lack of character and a sense of entitlement that prevails in Africa to this day, and it explains so many other bigger problems in Uganda and Africa?
View: https://x.com/KagutaMuseveni/status/2047765642204299386
You are probably aware that Yoweri Museveni studied at The University of Dar es salaam. And that Museveni was a young revolutionary minded student there, one of the authors of "Cheche" a revolutionary magazine.
But he was more than that, somehow he was able to get very close to Nyerere that Nyerere gave him an Ikulu (State House) house in the Upanga part of Dar es salaam.
That Museveni used to stay at a house in Upanga Dar es salaam, that this was a Nyerere's Ikulu (State House) house, given to him to stay at, is a fact. Mahmood Mamdani wrote about visiting him there in his newest book "Slow Poison : Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni and the Making of the Ugandan State".
Later on, when Miseveni moved from that house to start the bush war in Uganda, he did not pay his water and electricity bill. My family moved into that house because my mother worked for Ikulu (State House), we had to pay Museveni's unpaid bills. Else our water and electricity would be turned off. No discussion. There was no alternative. So we negotiated to pay in installments.
These were not small bills, they were likely accumulated over a long time, because my family took quite some time to pay. I remember my mother complaining that this man Museveni left without paying his hefty bills.
In fact even the taxi drivers from Muhimbili Hospital, near the house, used to come to our house to ask for money Museveni had not paid them, because he used to ride the taxi on a monthly tab, and he left without paying his last bill. We told the taxi driver that we had just moved there, and their client, Museveni, had already left. So some poor Muhimbili taxi driver was left with some Museveni's unpaid bills.
Museveni even came back to the house briefly to say hello one time, he said he used to live at that house, this was before he became president, but he only met my grandmother, my parents were not at home.
When I heard he became the president of Uganda, when I saw his photos in 1986, I said this is the same Museveni who used to live at our house, the one who did not pay his bills.
He used to live next to Tito Okello, and they would shout at each other so much, it would make the other neighbors nervous.
Museveni and Okello were not the only Ugandan refugees on the block, right next to Museveni was Mama Lucy Anyoti, she used to work for Muhimbili Hospital. A very generous and focused woman.
Perhaps one day the old man would pay his debt to my family, hopefully with interest. But I doubt it. This was in the 1970s, so close to 50 years of interest 😂😂😂
I just wanted to share this story, especially with Ugandans who do not know Yoweri Museveni's early days in Dar es salaam.
Do you think this is a story of the vagaries of life, and how one man can climb from a refugee fleeing debt to a president?
Or does it represent lack of character and a sense of entitlement that prevails in Africa to this day, and it explains so many other bigger problems in Uganda and Africa?
View: https://x.com/KagutaMuseveni/status/2047765642204299386