How I have learned to pity mainstream opposition

A part of me actually likes the fact that over a 100 people picked presidential nomination forms. I also like the idea that many of them clowned the process making it look like a joke, a circus.

What else is it? In fact, some of their characters are clownish – but there is method to their clownishness: fantasies, daydreaming, and bombastic words, where everyone is at a loss trying to make sense of their pronouncements.

These might look like jokes, but this is the country – a big fat extended joke. Who understands anything that Museveni says? Who understands the way our judiciary functions or parliament! Obfuscation. Bombastic pronouncements.

I really wish all or half of them get nominated and all appear on the ballot – and extend their epic imagery and criticism of our political and electoral process. There comes a time in the political lifecycle of a country that a long-staying autocrat despite failing to transform himself into a hereditary king – that their bloodline can seamlessly succeed them – the opposition also cannot overthrow them.

It thus remains that only them can overthrow themselves. They could also be overthrown by outside forces as has always been the case. North Korea’s Kim Jong Un managed to transform himself into a royal line. Muammar Gaddafi, and Robert Mugabe would never ever be overthrown by opposition forces despite failing to transform themselves into royal lines.

This is where Uganda is with Mzee Yoweri Museveni forty years in. It will be difficult for his son to seamlessly replace this octogenarian but will also never be overthrown by opposition forces. I’m not saying that folks in the opposition should sit back and watch (as they might also ask what I have done about it).

But that from the way things are going one is confused about their sense of things. But maybe, the opposition people, too, are confused.

They seem to be asking themselves: “How else do we move except continuing with like automated zombies?”

Not everyone is born to fight

Dear reader, as country heads into the 2026 election, one finds themselves at a loss seeing the pushing and shoving both inside Museveni’s party, the NRM, and in the opposition forces.

It seems to be all for one small dream – “a chance to eat”, and also maybe make a name for oneself. While I understand the calculation with folks jostling for places inside NRM – it guarantees the dream above – I had struggled to watching comrades in the opposition.

Over the years, many things that hitherto didn’t make sense to me have now started to make sense. Look as we head into this election, a leading opposition figure, Dr Col. Kizza Besigye, alongside his friend and comrade, Obeid Lutale remain incarcerated under explicitly dictatorial circumstances.

Before these two, many NUP supporters had been jailed and had spent the entire five years incarcerated. But the opposition in the country seems indifferent about the continued incarceration of these political prisoners and are simply having another go at the presidency and parliamentary elections – like all is normal. Why?

There are major exceptions, of course, but most of our mainstream opposition political players are ordinary people, ready to work under normal circumstances. They are not die-hard fighters. To this end, many have been turned into circus performers with Hon. Twaha Kagabi being the most outstanding example who tried to resist the circus.

They call this realpolitik, playing games, scheming, improvising, obfuscating, and oftentimes outright deception. This explains why many have signed up for his circus of democracy.

Of course, over the years many young people – from watching their environment – have simply learned the ways of the circus are entering the political fray just to join the circus.

You have seen them, they never stood or campaigned for or against anything in their lives but have learned the circus and are joining. Just like their peers joining on the side of the NRM, these have also seen the opposition as their window to the proceeds coming from this circus.

The legend of Col. Kizza Besigye

There seems to be one opposition political actor fully committed and has risked it all to get Yoweri Museveni out of office – and change the fortunes of Uganda. This is, Dr. Kizza Besigye. This does not mean no others are interested or wouldn’t want Museveni gone.

Huge sections of Uganda wanted Museveni gone. But not everyone is born to fight. There is a certain level of personality talent which drives some men to be above other men in the pursuit of a better life. Col. Kizza Besigye among the political actors has demonstrated a superior commitment to this project.

The man is in jail for simply being Kizza Besigye. Especially the Besigye of the last ten years, who fully understood the lie of democracy and decided to stand on the side and imagine opposition politics differently (although he remains coscripted to the political party idea), this man remains legendary.

Indeed, it is in this spirit that I welcomed the news of Besigye’s friend, comrade brother, Sam Mugumya, joining the fray of electoral politics. If other means were possible, Sam would be fighting differently.

He has been to the streets. Been behind bars. Indeed, this man’s heart bleeds for Uganda and also has a good understanding of things. This is the true example of a conscript to a system, and not a circus performer who has emerged to game the same system.

yusufkajura@gmail.com

The author is a PhD fellow at Makerere Institute of Social Research.