RUCCI
JF-Expert Member
- Oct 6, 2011
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Renegade Gen David Sejusa is back in Uganda after more than one-and-a-half years of exile in the UK from where he made cantankerous and derogatory statements about Yoweri Musevenis bad governance.
These included the allegation that the 2006 elections were stolen in Musevenis favour.
That this regime poisons its opponents and was planning to assassinate Sejusa, then premier Amama Mbabazi and then Chief of Defence Forces Aronda Nyakairima. This ploy, according to Sejusa, was to help smoothen the path for Musevenis succession by his son, Brig Muhoozi Keinerugaba.
The State accused Sejusa of involvement in subversive activities and a trial of would-be accomplices is ongoing.
Just to refresh our minds, these allegations were contained in a letter part of whose contents Daily Monitor published. This led to the closure of Daily Monitor, its sister radio stations and the Red Pepper, for 10 days for failure to produce the original letter to the police, on request.
Now the Independent news magazine reports that Sejusa who was received at the airport by a high ranking government security official says he is back to support President Museveni.
Elsewhere, the much anticipated thunderstorm at the just concluded NRM delegates conference at Namboole Stadium, that would pit party Secretary General Amama Mbabazi against President Museveni; wrestling for the party leadership all but petered into a scattered shower.
Sejusa and Mbabazi have of late caused a lot of excitement and anxiety in the anti Museveni camp. They were viewed as being messiahs to end Musevenis reign. It has all but ended in disappointment.
Museveni is unlikely to be upstaged by any of his peers commonly known as historicals. Here is why.
Fresh from the bush, Museveni gave his peers a lot of freedom to amass wealth using all means, especially unconventional ones. Many lived large and above the law. It became normal for a General to block a public road in upscale Kololo simply because he wanted privacy. It also became common place for these historical to disobey court orders, over run police stations, grab land and abuse human rights with impunity.
Because none was being prosecuted, many became daring and careless not to cover their tracks with we fought and sacrificed while the rest hid under their beds being their crying call! In return, many of the NRM historical and party members paid back Museveni by falling over each other to please him.
They made statements like the one Sejusa made about the Army supporting and defending Museveni against his political opponents, including using violence. Refer to the arrest of FDCs Kizza Besigye in 2005.
They actively sponsored legislation that seemingly helped perpetuate Museveni in power. The phone tapping laws associated with Mbabazi are a case in point. What for many looked like a soft approach to his acolytes was indeed an act of Museveni providing the user or abuser enough rope to hang themselves.
First, many of the people around him became tainted with controversies. Sejusa for one is synonymous with Operation North in which many people lost their lives. It is difficult to listen to him when he talks about human rights abuses and impunity.
Second, it gave Museveni a hold onto them for he could at any time dust a file of some wrong doing and at least embarrass them in a court of law. Many of them live in fear of prosecution and hence remain compliant to Museveni. Museveni also has the option of using State institutions to ruin them financially by targeting the wealth they have acquired over the last three decades. The State may close say a financial institution in which they have invested.
There is the option of gagging them by insisting on them remaining in the Army and thus subject to martial law. In case they are seen to be stubborn like Dr Besigye, then the State harasses them and whoever associates with them at every turning. This is to isolate them and give those who have similar thoughts an example of what awaits them. In summary, when the State that shields them remove its protective cover, they amount to nothing. That is why they go back on bended knee.
The late Eriya Kategaya did it. Sejusa has done it a second time. Many others simply go silent when they cannot handle. The eyes are now on Mbabazi. It is unlikely that the story will change. Museveni script is still being followed.
These included the allegation that the 2006 elections were stolen in Musevenis favour.
That this regime poisons its opponents and was planning to assassinate Sejusa, then premier Amama Mbabazi and then Chief of Defence Forces Aronda Nyakairima. This ploy, according to Sejusa, was to help smoothen the path for Musevenis succession by his son, Brig Muhoozi Keinerugaba.
The State accused Sejusa of involvement in subversive activities and a trial of would-be accomplices is ongoing.
Just to refresh our minds, these allegations were contained in a letter part of whose contents Daily Monitor published. This led to the closure of Daily Monitor, its sister radio stations and the Red Pepper, for 10 days for failure to produce the original letter to the police, on request.
Now the Independent news magazine reports that Sejusa who was received at the airport by a high ranking government security official says he is back to support President Museveni.
Elsewhere, the much anticipated thunderstorm at the just concluded NRM delegates conference at Namboole Stadium, that would pit party Secretary General Amama Mbabazi against President Museveni; wrestling for the party leadership all but petered into a scattered shower.
Sejusa and Mbabazi have of late caused a lot of excitement and anxiety in the anti Museveni camp. They were viewed as being messiahs to end Musevenis reign. It has all but ended in disappointment.
Museveni is unlikely to be upstaged by any of his peers commonly known as historicals. Here is why.
Fresh from the bush, Museveni gave his peers a lot of freedom to amass wealth using all means, especially unconventional ones. Many lived large and above the law. It became normal for a General to block a public road in upscale Kololo simply because he wanted privacy. It also became common place for these historical to disobey court orders, over run police stations, grab land and abuse human rights with impunity.
Because none was being prosecuted, many became daring and careless not to cover their tracks with we fought and sacrificed while the rest hid under their beds being their crying call! In return, many of the NRM historical and party members paid back Museveni by falling over each other to please him.
They made statements like the one Sejusa made about the Army supporting and defending Museveni against his political opponents, including using violence. Refer to the arrest of FDCs Kizza Besigye in 2005.
They actively sponsored legislation that seemingly helped perpetuate Museveni in power. The phone tapping laws associated with Mbabazi are a case in point. What for many looked like a soft approach to his acolytes was indeed an act of Museveni providing the user or abuser enough rope to hang themselves.
First, many of the people around him became tainted with controversies. Sejusa for one is synonymous with Operation North in which many people lost their lives. It is difficult to listen to him when he talks about human rights abuses and impunity.
Second, it gave Museveni a hold onto them for he could at any time dust a file of some wrong doing and at least embarrass them in a court of law. Many of them live in fear of prosecution and hence remain compliant to Museveni. Museveni also has the option of using State institutions to ruin them financially by targeting the wealth they have acquired over the last three decades. The State may close say a financial institution in which they have invested.
There is the option of gagging them by insisting on them remaining in the Army and thus subject to martial law. In case they are seen to be stubborn like Dr Besigye, then the State harasses them and whoever associates with them at every turning. This is to isolate them and give those who have similar thoughts an example of what awaits them. In summary, when the State that shields them remove its protective cover, they amount to nothing. That is why they go back on bended knee.
The late Eriya Kategaya did it. Sejusa has done it a second time. Many others simply go silent when they cannot handle. The eyes are now on Mbabazi. It is unlikely that the story will change. Museveni script is still being followed.