In my column last week, I shared with you one of the four things Mr Museveni undertook to implement in order to retain power.

The one thing I shared with you was filling the military with senior six leavers from his area so they can dominate command in future. The second thing he shared with homeboys including Brig Steven Kashaka and Col Geoffrey Kyabihende then was how to use money to compromise opponents (opposition).

“Do you think all those people making noise in town are fighting for something?” Museveni asked his commanders.

“They are looking for money. We need to get money to silence them,” Museveni went on, according to a commander who attended this brief session at Entebbe before the president flew out.

“The money issue, leave it to me,” he reportedly told them.

The third issue was peasants. “We need to find something for these peasants. For them they have no problem,” he went on.

And the fourth and final issue was regional and international powers. He said that in order to protect the revolution and rule Uganda almost forever, “we need international friends.” Here, he mentioned Tanzania, South Africa, Britain and the USA. Of course he may have revised the content, but the plan remains the same.

Look, who hasn’t Museveni silenced using money? In this aspect, majority of us are guilty! He has slowly chewed the late Milton Obote’s Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) up to the bone marrow. The UPC leaders, including party president Jimmy Akena, who is the late Obote’s son, are closer to Museveni these days than they are to UPC.

He started slowly and I think he is about to finish UPC. There was a time he converted Daniel Omara Atubo, Badru Wegulo, etc. Buy one and get two free is an advertising tool European merchandise stores like to use.

I think Museveni borrowed it before he descended on UPC. Because Wegulo was converted with some negligible actors such as Henry Mayiga and Kyeyune Ssenyonjo. They were all appointed to some positions ranging from resident district commissioner to ambassador.

My friend Betty Amongi (the current lands minister) went with former MP Ruth Achieng (she has just been appointed Uganda ambassador to Canada).

Of course Museveni is also eating at FDC and DP. That is why former Kilak MP Michael Nyeko Ocula, I think one of the founders of the FDC, has been appointed a deputy ambassador.

You remember Maj Rubaramira Ruranga? He joined Museveni so he could fight HIV/Aids better! After grabbing Nakiwala Kiyingi and sniffing out Mohammed Kezaala within a few months, Museveni has started describing Mukasa Mbidde as a good DP.

And it is not only political actors that he has compromised. He has also thrown money at cultural and religious institutions. For us Muslims, we are like UPC, he finished us long ago! Most of the Muslim clerics are singing his praises even at funerals!

I think the Catholic Church is at the stage of FDC. He is slowly eating at them and it is the sheer size of members preventing him from succeeding. He is in bed with pastors in most Pentecostal churches and leaders of the Church of Uganda.

I think you can understand why he runs a budget of almost Shs 100 billion for donation. He has to donate to politicians and peasants. And dear reader, what I am saying is not fiction. That is why the budget process has become a ceremony, with little meaning. If we don’t wake up, the man will eat our lunch, dinner and finally go for our children’s breakfast.

I don’t even know who will restrain the Kyabazinga, who was recently appointed to an ambiguous ambassadorial position, because we have all sinned. You remember what Gen Moses Ali said?

This is what Gen Moses Ali recently told a bishop criticizing the MPs’ vehicle grant: “The vehicle you are driving was given to you by the president, first return it before you attack MPs.”

Where do we begin criticizing the Kyabazinga? He was already riding in a vehicle donated by the freedom fighter. Is there a difference between a vehicle and a political job? They are all handouts.

And we will have to pay for all these manoeurvres. Look at next year’s budget now under consideration by parliament. It will be a budget of Shs 30 trillion and some people are already celebrating. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) will collect Shs 14 trillion next year. The rest of the money will be borrowed. That is Uganda’s budget next financial year.

We are a country that borrows to build roads and hydropower stations but use the money generated or collected from wananchi to buy mandaazi.
Remember, the man said: “the money issue, leave it to me.”

God save our country!

semugs@yahoo.com

The author is Kira Municipality MP.