Since this wonderful physician and pain consultant discovered that I was from Uganda, he started addressing me partly in Luganda. As a result, I have received friendship, topmost care and kindness from him. Interestingly, this doctor worked as a volunteer for some months in Busoga where they gave him the name, Mugoya. He didn’t learn Lusoga or even noticed that Lusoga and Luganda are two different languages.
I have used the opportunity to invite him and some members of his volunteer organization to visit my Mukono General hospital and he has accepted to come. That is the power of the Luganda language when you go out of Uganda. In London, Luganda is among the most spoken languages in this city! The other day I saw an advert by Facebook with some Luganda words on an American TV station.
As you’re about to accept the position of inferiors a few Ugandans of bad faith are imposing on the rest of us citizens, you land nice examples like these and our faith that none of the Ugandan people are inferior restored. Ugandans from all areas are good and kind people, our nation has only been unlucky to be governed by bankrupt politicians who cunningly hide behind one tribe to manufacture an artificial home base.
There is nothing special they are giving those unlucky tribes that are used and misused but just feed them with the crumbs left over from their nation-plunder, usual things all citizens should get like jobs. Obote used the Langis/ northerners, Amin used the Kakwas/ West Nilers and I’m yet to know what the current regime might be using.
The attitude of inferior and superiors in my view has landed us where we are. The bad winds blowing across our country have an odour of genocide! What else can one think of when you examine the impunity and heartlessness displayed by the late Elly Tumwine and the resultant iniquity of people rejoicing at the death of one of us as seen over social media a few days ago?!
I thought about what we should do to heal our nation and somehow I chose to refer to a story attributed to Nelson Mandela and I quote;
“After I became president, I asked one day some members of my close protection to stroll with me in the city, have lunch at one of its restaurants. We sat in one of the downtown restaurants and all of us asked for some sort of food.
“After a while, the waiter brought us our requests, I noticed someone sitting in front of my table waiting for food. I then told one of the soldiers: Go and ask that person to join us with his food and eat with us. The soldier went and asked the man so. The man brought up his food and sat by my side as I asked and began to eat. His hands were trembling constantly until everyone had finished their food and the man went. The soldier said to me: the man was apparently quite sick. His hands trembled as he ate!”
“No, not at all,” said Mandela.
“This man was the guard of the prison where I was jailed. Often, after the torture I was subjected to, I would ask for at least some little water. The very same man used to come every time and urinate on my head instead. So I found him scared, trembling, expecting me to reciprocate now, at least in the same way, either by torturing him or imprisoning him given my position today. But this is not my character nor part of my ethics. The mentality of retaliation destroys states, while forgiveness and reconciliation builds nations.”
I look forward to a day when Luganda will be one of the two official languages of Uganda generated by consensus, and when I will not be in NewYork for treatment moreover for injuries sustained after the army invaded parliament to forcefully change the Constitution so that one man would stay in power for life.
I look forward to a truth and reconciliation commission and a Uganda, where, I will one day, accompany my grand-son to Mukuru village, Rwebikoma Kazo in Ankole kingdom to get a wife from Tumwine’s home. I would then advise the minister of Health to invite Dr Mugoya on an exchange program to talk to our doctors about pain management. Most probably I will be a retired general and maybe a true and real advisor to the president.
Remember we can’t get rid of hate through hate and a better Uganda will require input by us all – neither will we be able to reconcile without truth-telling, peacebuilding, remorse and forgiveness – it’s a process that Uganda needs today.
For God and My Country
The author is a member of parliament representing Mukono Municipality
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