Overview: Can EC announce the actual winner?
“... and after I have announced him, where would I go?!” That story has never left me every time an election comes by with Bwana Museveni as incumbent. I see elections as a long-winded joke, with many twists and turns.
I will tell this story one more time: an elderly Ugandan narrates an encounter he had with the late Hajji Aziz Kasujja at a funeral during an election year. It had to be a funeral for candid talk.
Kasujja was then the chair of the Electoral Commission. He had pointedly asked him whether he was ready to announce Dr Kizza Besigye winner if KB indeed won the election. Aziz Kasujja looked at a fellow elder, and rhetorically asked.
“… and after I have announced him, where would I go?!” That story has never left me every time an election comes by with Bwana Museveni as incumbent. I see elections as a long-winded joke, with many twists and turns.
That the current chair of the Electoral Commission, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama who was personally appointed by Gen Yoweri Museveni – without explaining to anyone – will turn around and comfortably announce that Yoweri Museveni has lost an election.
That the current CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba – candidate Gen Yoweri Museveni’s son – will be professional enough to salute a new president who isn’t his father. The potential new president being Robert Kyagulanyi, a man he has so publicly despised and threatened.
Consider this even fatter joke: That Gen Yoweri Museveni, a man who has lived in State House for 39 years, will gracefully concede defeat, congratulate the president-elect, and pack his bags back to his home town, Rwakitura.
A man, on whose sole accord, hundreds if not thousands of Ugandans are still in jail – including his longtime nemesis, Dr Kizza Besigye – will just walk away as the prisoners are released the next day.
That he will abandon all those dullards he has singlehandedly placed in big political and business positions whose lives and businesses entirely depend on him. That they will also let him go, just like that.
Consider this: That the foreign companies dominating the banks and telecom sectors – with monopoly contracts solely signed by him – will allow him to leave them in the hands of a man they barely understand. That the unknown gold miners making a killing from Congolese, Sudanese, Mubende and Karamoja gold are ready to be surprised as Museveni bids them goodbye in January 2026.
That the men with plots on Lake Victoria or the dealers in Ugandan oil, or the exporters of 70% of our coffee will all of a sudden accept to work with Kyagulanyi as the CEO of Uganda. These are too many jokes, my friends.
JOKES AND JOBS
Consider the people standing at the parliamentary positions. Their jokes are even funnier.
They are promising building schools, improving healthcare, improving education – not by making policy – but building these things on their own money in their constituencies. Majority of these folks sound like councillors and local council chiefs.
They are buying ambulances, and contributing cement for small schools. They stand against each other – and have long explanations about how they are better than the other.
One of the most painful things has been watching folks who have never stood up for anything in their lives seeking parliamentary positions. [I hear someone asking why I haven’t myself stood. Exactly, because it doesn’t really matter). Look, these folks aren’t in this thing to represent anyone.
Because legislators under Museveni’s parliament actually represent themselves. They are in this contest for the perks and emoluments. They too understand parliament isn’t a serious place but after just three months, one would have earned the title “honourable,” which then earns them front-row seats at functions.
One would have earned international first-class travel, with plenty of per diems, and a lot of cash. Everyone understands how parliament works: there will be a sizeable, noisy and performative opposition. But it is all vibes.
Then there will be majority pro-government legislators, who also actually decide nothing. They are also just vibes, but the rubberstamp for decisions taken elsewhere. Notice also that it is not only folks in the opposition – especially Bobi Wine – who do not believe in these presidential elections.
But Yoweri Museveni, too. Both camps only have a little faith in the electoral season for its eventualities. In fact, the person with the least faith in this election – except for the procedure it enables – is Yoweri Museveni himself.
If it was not imposed on him by the democracy machine, he would never organise any. To this end, Bwana Museveni fears the election even more he risks losing everything in the event of any surprises.
A SEARCH FOR SERIOUSNESS
Owekitiibwa David Mpanga has developed a coherent thesis on the lack of common sense in Uganda – as a key explanation for our problems in different spheres. In addition to this being a case of shortage of common sense, it is my contention that Uganda is a long-winding joke.
There is absolute lack of seriousness. We joke too much. We tell lies not just to others, but to ourselves endlessly. We repeat these jokes and begin to believe them. It is an absolute breakdown of seriousness.
We do not only joke a lot, we are also content with small things: automobiles, fancy houses, a little cash in our pockets, concubines, supermarkets, fuel stations etc – especially as these small things bring to us individual joy. Indeed, elsewhere, Owekitiibwa Mpanga called this the lack of a central nervous system that feels the pain of each other.
Part of the problem is a cultivated lack of seriousness. The point I’m labouring is this: We’ll need to step aside from this long-winding circus – of endless jokes: of presidential elections.
Parliamentary elections pretending that these over 500 legislators mean anything to the country. I’m afraid this might not happen under Yoweri Museveni, but this will be the challenge for any serious persons moving forward.
yusufkajura@gmail.com
The author is a political theorist based at Makerere University.
Splendid and coherent flow of information recorded here.
It makes reading enjoyable
Last week , I challenged Dr. Yusuf Sserunkuma to come in here and deny that he has not changed . I put it to him and his followers that , for some reason , he has suddenly changed and is now constantly pushing the narrative that its all it up to Museveni and his son to decide the future for all Ugandas ; anything and everything else is a JOKE , according to Sserunkuma.
If we are to judge things by Dr. Sserunkuama`s newly found standards , it means that even HE is JOKE , a FAKE and unreliable intellectual whose useless weekly articles are nothing but self-appeasement lullabies . No wonder that even Makerere University questioned his self-proclaimed credentials.
The question then is this : When and why did this Doctor discover that challenging Museveni all all levels is a mere JOKE ?
I am asking because I have plenty of documented proof that Dr-Sserunkuma has not always been like this . He never said that it was a JOKE for Dr.Besigye to stand against Museveni in 2016. He never wrote what he now writes before the 2021 elections . He is fact wrote more than 6 articles ( 2021) not only standing behind Kyagulanyi and PeoplePower/ NUP , he indeed named his favourite candidates for parliamentary seats , i.e Stella Nyanzi and Zaake.
Today , he happily refers to Mr.Mpanga`s view that lack of common sense is one of Uganda`s main problems . Dr.Yusuf , predictably states that ; ” we all need to STEP ASIDE from all this circus ”
This statement alone in worth a billion. name your bank account and the National Cashier -S.S.-will place your GAINS withing the hour.
Finally , its lack of common sense that you can keep on and on putting out article after article for 16 years when you know that everybody is blind and cannot read.
To you Dokita Yusuf Sserunkuma I say : YOU Sir , are THE JOKE& FAKE !
Why ?
Before you accuse others of doing every thing for perks, look at the mirror ; the smiling face looking back at you is no Angel
Last week this man was saying there is lack of violence . Instead of following up with that and tell his readers that he was right or wrong , he now jumps on the stage and issues an instruction : ” We`ll need to step aside from this long-winding circus..” ( who else said this … Gen. Nalweyiso ) !
Who does Yusuf speak for ? What happens if we all follow his order and step away ?
Once upon a time , there was a chap called Andrew Mwenda . He would foam at the mouth if you told him that we should step aside and let Museveni do whatever he choses to do. Today , there is another Andrew Mwenda ; this one will jump out of his skin if you even dreamed that there are no gains to secure thanks to The Father and the Son.
Ladies and Gentlemen , meet another lane-changer : Yusuf Sserunkuma Kajura
Jes, I thought Sserunkuma was doing his cardinal role as a journalist; pointing out issues as they are. He is characterizing this season’s election as it is; the players, their motivation [to compete], their lies, convictions etc. Circumstances in each round [of elections] differs. He characterized 2021 as it was, did you want him to talk about the 1980 election which he didnt ‘see’. I now understand what, you people who usually comment here, are. Once He writes an article against Bobi Wine, you attack him like a murderer. It takes intelligence to take in differing points of view, otherwise I now question your level of understanding – you are foot soldiers. And by the way, use your real names – jes, lakwena, remase. What are these; and what are you hiding. You are futu sojas Period. And again, you don’t have to comment on everything. There are subject matters (policy issues) beyond your understanding.
Hassan , I don`t and will never agree that a journalist is so omnipotent that whatever the say cannot never be questioned . Just in case you are as clever as him , you ought to know that he writes to generate a response . My response that he seems to have become an intellectual turncoat and there are many like him.Hajat Nakyobe is the caretaker
Here you show up and start with accusing me of being a “foot soldier ” WHAT ABOUT YOU SIR… who are you …another Yusuf Sserunkuma`s spokesman ? What if I also accused you of being a yellow thug, who will win this mud throwing contest ?
PS : if fighting for change and exposing hypocrites make me a foot soldier , so be it ; I will take that as a compliment .
Back to you ,what exactly are here to say ? Are saying that YOU and Yusuf are the only ones who have different points of view to express , but when I do them same , I am then attacking him and my level of understanding then fails YOUR REST !
Anyway , I still believe that Dr.Yusuf Sserunkuma has his own brain. If he feels hurt , he does not need baby sitters; he can come in and demand that so and so should not comment on his articles.
If he is going to call others jokers , he opens to door for some of us to call him and his articles a joke. 16 years , 4 articles every month , from January to December , Yusuf writes . Zero evidence that his wisdom changes anything , yet on and on he writes , he talks he tweets . WHY WHY and WHY can`t the same man try to understand that other Ugandans may also choose to go on and on involving themselves into an activity that they judge to be one of the ways to deliver their message to the public regardless of the possibility that this may change anything ?
Common sense … remember ?
Hassan, FYI, my [real] name is Remase. Be that as it may, I’m not against anyone who prefers to be called as he/she feels like. For example, Kyagulanyi calls himself Bobi Wine. Furthermore, it’s not an offense to anyone if one choses to comment on everything because, it’s an open invitation for anyone to join the conversation without any restriction on what to comment or not comment on.
You must understand that comments are expression of opinions or reaction to a point of view, which includes but not limited to, agree or disagree.
I agree that, “We’ll need to step aside from this long-winding circus – of endless jokes: of presidential elections.” It’s an agonizing pain for us to keep going through the same bogus and violent elections every five years and expect different results as Kyagulanyi/NUP wants us to believe. The campaigns are like a war zone. Innocent people are brutally beaten and killed, many are missing and others are endlessly incarcerated. However, Kyagulanyi/NUP are persisting with a failing method!
In other words Dr., Dr. Yusuf, 40 years and counting, who in his/her right state of mind can still deny that: ALL the Election Commissioners, and NOW Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama; are our 85-years-old PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa’s POLLING AGENTS?
Who is his/her right mind still suggests that if we all step aside , the 85-years -old problem will somehow fix itself !!
Common sense is replacing something wrong/ bad with something right/ better.
Our theorist offers no plan B. He contends himself with re-telling a story that everybody with ears has had before .
It seems that Yusuf is pointing out that participating in election after election for which results are already pre-determined is: A JOKE! And his writings have consistently hit at that.
Or am I joking?
YOU are JOKING , so is he !
For how long do you ” consistently hit at” something that is already more than clear ?
Yusuf has been “pointing out” stuff for over 16 years straight .He has complained about tax policy , the state of the economy , leadership , name it ; he has supported those who stand for change and commended them for their efforts; of late , he has turned his gun on them , calling them jokers who are just doing it for perks .He has been everywhere sharing his wisdom with whoever wants to listen . It is obvious that Yusuf knows his targeted audience has heard what he had to say but refused to listen to him . YET , he keeps on and on with his columns , tweets and whatever . WHY !
Shall we say he is joking endlessly or doing it for a pay from above ?
I am not there yet. Does he think that if he writes : No country grows on taxes , Museveni will read that and inform his tax collectors to change something because Yusuf has said so ? Hell NO !
PS : later , I will give you a quote about what Yusuf used to think about scholars like him. Prepare to be amused
My thinking is that Yusuf has decided between two : stay quiet and nothing will change ; talk even if his voice is not heard.
“PS: Later”… I ‘m on the edge of my seat for the quote, Jes, although I can’t promise “to be amused”.
And you may be right about Yusuf deciding “between the two” – it seems he found his calling: Talk. Except in his case he hopes someone, somewhere, is hearing his voice, which in itself is a job well done.
He has found his calling : talk and hope that someone somewhere is hearing .
Exactly why he should not come in here and say : We`ll all need to step aside from this long-winding circus .
Please get this ; Yusuf just cannot be the only one with a “calling” , others too , have the right and to exercise their options without being rebuked or insulted by wiseacres .There are no referees in this tough and rough game .
So far , I am yet to see any evidence that his job is “well done”. I can argue that Museveni won`t and has not revised his horrible tax policy just because Yusuf has written plenty of articles and talked against this policy for ever. All I can say is that Yusuf keeps on saying what he feels maybe because he is not sure his job is yet done and ended .
Fuller, I hate to answer a question with a question, but what is it called? Senyonyi wants us to believe that the violence seen on the campaign trail is new, “very unfortunately and unexpectedly.” They, Kyagulanyi/NUP, didn’t expect M7 to be violent! In his opening statement in parliament, Senyonyi believed and expected the 2026 bogus and violent election to be free and fair, right? Even if Senyonyi excluded previous bogus and violent elections and only considered the 2021 election, he clearly knew that M7 can’t organize free and fair election.
Fellow Ugandans, we’re in a quagmire and sandwiched between two skilled deceitful conmen, M7 and Kyagulanyi, both of whom are only interested in bogus and violent elections in which they’re given legitimacy to keep making lots of money from taxpayers money! Mbu, “the campaign has now become brutal, very unfortunately and unexpectedly.” “People are being shot dead, others are injured, many are incarcerated, and teargas has become the order of the day.” Really? Over 200 innocent people were killed in the 2021 bogus and violent election. Countless are missing and many are still incarcerated. Even before the campaign stared, innocent people were being kidnapped, tortured and others killed. Besigye, Mutwee and others were incarcerated before the campaigns. However, Senyoni is telling us that, the campaign has now become brutal, very unfortunately and unexpectedly. People are being shot dead, others are injured, many are incarcerated, and teargas has become the order of the day.
Like my brother Lakwena says, in other words, and to Kyagulanyi/NUP; this is new and has never happen before, thus unfortunate and unexpected! Mbu, olwo atubuusa! We’re now jumping! Fuller, is this a joke?
Not a joke, Remase, when politics turns bloody. Question is: What are Ugandans to do? Ignore presidential election and focus on parliament and local councils? Will that improve the situation? Or will a law be passed by the same MPs ordering citizens to participate in the presidential polls!!
POI: two years ago , Dr.Yusuf aswered this question this way : if the current opposition chose to boycott the elections , Museveni will create his own opposition .
The JOKES train had not arrived at the station …yet .
Good night Uganda !!!!
Create what? Wait a second here, Jes. You mean people won’t through that! This is getting into shallow territory.
Fuller, certainly it’s not a joke. However, if it walks like a joke, quacks like a joke, and swims like a joke, it probably IS a joke. Where else in the world a nation keeps doing the same thing every 5 years [bogus & violent elections] and expect a different outcome!
Fuller, M7 owns Uganda outright. So, it’s the presidency that counts. That’s why M7, his family, relatives and militants are in charge. The Parliament and Judiciary are just a rubber stamp.
Let’s talk about the current 2026 election alone: the race is between M7 v Kyagulanyi, however, M7 is the one who is organizing the 2026 election. Byabakama is appointed by M7. It’s guaranteed that Byabakama has already declared M7 the winner. Chief of organized criminals, Owiny Dollo, is appointed by M7, and it’s guaranteed that he’ll [only] swear in M7.
Among and Tayebya are already guaranteed to be speaker and deputy speaker of parliament. The commander of the militants is Muhoozi M7, who endorsed his father as a presidential candidate.
On the other hand, Kyagulanyi/NUP admit that, “the campaign has now become brutal, very unfortunately and unexpectedly.” “People are being shot dead, others are injured, many are incarcerated, and teargas has become the order of the day. Dogs are being used to attack citizens, akin what used to happen under the apartheid regime in South Africa.”
The scenes surrounding the Kyagulanyi campaign trail starkly contradict the notion of a level playing field. State militant organs have deployed extensively, utilizing significant force and various munitions almost exclusively targeting Kyagulanyi and his supporters.
Such a heavy-handed, biased application of state power prevents a fair electoral process from taking place. To describe this situation—characterized by clear intimidation tactics rather than equal protection under the law—as conducive to a legitimate ‘protest vote’ outcome is simply indefensible.
Mbu, protest vote! Protest vote, my ass.
Talking is better than silence. So, Remase, the role that Yusuf has played all these years is not to be minimized. I say: Yusuf, keep the ‘pen’ moving. Who knows, one of these days a big light could (or should?) come on for Uganda, and should that happen guess who will share lots of credit? Yusuf, that’s who. And who else? Remase, and…and…and..for keeping the dream alive!
Doc, you’ve intentionally use the a question mark and exclamation mark together to show a question mixed with surprise, disbelief, or strong emotion, a combination called an interrobang. It’s insanity, because every 5 years, we do the same thing [bogus & violent elections] and expect a different outcome, which has led us in a state of interrobang. In other words, what’re we doing?
Kyagulanyi is hooked on a repetitive [insanity], illogical behavior where he persists with a failing method [bogus & violent elections], refusing to adapt, thereby guaranteeing continued failure. He clearly knows that bogus and violent elections are a futile repetition, thus requiring the need for change in mindset or action to achieve new results, highlighting his foolishness or irrationality in failing to learn from past attempts and/or bogus and violent elections.
The core meaning of Kyagulanyi’s insanity is a lack of progress, where the continuation of identical bogus and violent elections, despite consistent negative results, signifies irrationality or foolishness. Motivated by greed, Kyagulanyi claims that he made us jump! Mbu ya tubuusa! That’s not true. During the recent debate, Gen. Mugisha Muntu, one of the respected oppositions figures, said that, he has never seen larger crowds than those which were attracted during Besigye/FDC era as the leading opposition figure and party respectively. In other words, there’s nothing new that Kyagulanyi/NUP has ever done to make us jump higher than we jumped in previous bogus and violent elections. We jumped and reached the climax.
Kyagulanyi/NUP are intent on misleading us into deeper despair by being disingenuous as Senyonyi [LoP] told parliament that, “today is day number 65 since the presidential campaign kicked off.” Then lied that, “The campaign kicked off fairly well, however, the campaign has now become brutal, very unfortunately and unexpectedly.” “People are being shot dead, others are injured, many are incarcerated, and teargas has become the order of the day. Dogs are being used to attack citizens, akin what used to happen under the apartheid regime in South Africa.” Kyagulanyi/NUP are intent on misleading us to believe that what Senyonyi presented in parliament is new, has never happened before. Mbu, very unfortunately and unexpectedly!
Back in the day , Yusuf Sserunkuma wrote these words of wisdom under the tilte:
The Roots Of Cowardice Of Today`s Subaltern Intellectuals
I QUOTE :
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
” It is not like today`s scholars aren`t issuing radical statements, but rather that they are terribly detached from the struggles of the ordinary folks and are too tame and are too cowardly.
” While many of them may appear to be doing “good scholarship” they have only gotten entangled into a web of obfuscated realities , focused on terminologies and micro-manifestation of phenomena and terribly afraid of confronting the biggest elephant in the room”
“Their partial involvement and obsession with safety away from trouble not only pays well but also guarantees them a material buttress against their more wretched compatriots . In a word this is cowardice , self-abasement , censorship and contentment with status quo”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Now , one does not have to be a fantastic theorist to figure out that , when he wrote these things above ( and lots more) it did not cross the writer`s mind that a day would came when his own words are used to judge him .
Until I am corrected , my take is that Dr.Yusuf Sserunkuma has joined the scholars he was describing , the “cowards ” issue radical statements but remain entangled in a web , focused on terminologies obsessed with safety away from trouble because doing so pays well and guarantees material buttress.
I think boycott alone will do us totally nothing and causes more harm.To me will be the extra result oriented plan one has amidst a M7 engineered elections. The country needs solutions than spot on criticsm from the Elite of this country because 75% of Ugandans even the police and the army you see are on board fro Change Yusufu.
That is the point !
Elite Yusuf instructs Ugandans to step aside , but does not say what happens if Ugandans followed his suggestion.
The theorist in him should be able to, at least ,make a distinction between an election ( the invent) and electioneering ( the process) .
Luckily , we have Fuller here who says :”talking is better than silence ..” Fuller ( who has chosen to invite no reply) invites Yusuf to keep on doing what he has been doing for many many years , who knows what might happen in the future , he wonders .Fuller does not say that Yusuf`s columns , articles etc are a joke .Good!
My view is that Yusuf should have taken the same route instead of mocking those who have chosen to talk and talk and talk ..( talking is better than silence
I respect Dr.Yusuf Sserunkuma , but do not agree with his deceptive flip flopping . If he knows that elections in Museveni`s Uganda are substantially “winnable” but practically “unwinnable” because they are pre-arranged etc , why then does he not point his finger at the cheater , the vote thieves , instead of making fan of those who put their young lives on the line and dare to challenge the the thief ? “by his own words , he called such people cowards that are contented with status quo.
Personally ,in a likely invent of a robbery I despise anyone who blames the house owner for not having strong locks to keep out robbers .