The young men – seemingly in their early 20s – who are helping with the renovations start to speak vehemently in support of Bobi Wine. My father, who is in his mid-60s, is visibly angered by the boys. “Shut up! “What do you also know?” he barks. “What have you seen? If you young people are not careful, you might re-usher in the political turmoils of the 1970s and early 1980s when we couldn’t sleep peacefully,” he said.
The young men, who by now feel a little threatened by the thunder-like response, go mute. One of them musters the courage to refer to the broad daylight unleashing of live rounds of bullets on some protesters and several kidnappings of Bobi Wine’s supporters to counter my father’s argument that even now, some people do not sleep peacefully.
With an even raised voice and a harsh tone, my father asks the boys to explain how they managed to move from their homes to the house we were renovating if at all the country was not safe.
At this time, the boys realise they must choose between keeping quiet or risk being sacked from their job. I am totally quiet during this encounter because I have learnt not to discuss politics and religious matters with some close family members and friends.
With the massive vote-rigging and many other election malpractices that have usually given President Yoweri Museveni an unfair advantage over his fellow presidential aspirants, there is more to his continued hold onto power than many care to see.
For instance, my father belongs to a tiny group of Ugandans who witnessed the political turmoil of the 1970s and early 1980s, who got traumatised by the then power struggles that regardless of the several consequential shortcomings of Museveni’s government, he is the best ever and perhaps the best there ever will be.
However, to defend Museveni’s continued hold onto power is to turn a blind eye on the many other factors perpetuated by political and economic patronage. Suffice to say, not everyone in their 60s supports Museveni’s government, in the same way that not all in the youthful age bracket are keen on seeing Museveni leave power.
Hence, it is about that good sister of yours whose marriage was on the verge of being dissolved since her husband who graduated with a first class honours in Computer Science failed to get a job until he, somehow, used the back door to become a driver of one of the big pro-Museveni officials.
For such a family, any talk of removing President Museveni from power is irritating in the same way an extremely hungry person is irritated when some unruly children start shaking the table on which the food is served. It is about a former student of yours who is currently well-placed in a government position for which they are not sufficiently qualified and are aware that there is no other government where they can enjoy that privilege other than the current one led by President Museveni.
It is about that former classmate with whom you were taught strong Christian values but currently works in one of the many security agencies and earns a living through spying and torturing purported dissidents. The kind of former schoolmate you avoid meeting at all costs because you are not sure if they can be more loyal to your friendship than their job.
It is about the many primitively rich people who have accumulated obscene wealth under President Museveni’s regime but are not capable of giving a coherent and sensible motivational speech to even primary school children!! That is because they are aware that if it wasn’t for the unfair business advantages such as bailouts, tax exemptions and free government land, they wouldn’t be any better than their struggling business counterparts who do not have the same benefits.
It is about that consortium of well-protected pastors who incidentally get collective visions a day after meeting President Museveni and subsequently prophesy to their congregations that currently, the only leader meant to rule Uganda is Museveni and that they foresee a war-torn Uganda if the incumbent is voted out of power. Such pastors are aware that their religious scams cannot survive under a sober leadership.
It is about those war veterans who have not yet been fully compensated for their services to the liberation struggle and are aware that no Ugandan owes them anything other than President Museveni himself.
For the veterans and many other people who are still waiting for some form of compensation, unfulfilled government promises and many others, any mention of the government misdeeds and excesses equates to hate speech.
The writer is a social worker.
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