CURTAILING DISSENT: Can government Of Uganda create room for dissent?

Since the early 1990s, Uganda has been aspiring to develop a country premised on a backbone of democracy and rule of law. The making and adoption of the 1995 constitution was a reassertion of the principles of democracy, authority of the people and faith in the growing political space of Uganda. However, over time, the face of democracy has changed in Uganda and this has greatly manifested in the practice of Multi-Party politics. It is against such contention that issues on dissent beg attention for acknowledgment and redress thereof. 

This article’s emphasis is put on the highlights of digress in democratic practices in Uganda particularly expressed in the curtailment of dissent. The trends over time beg the question; can government against such a backdrop have room for criticism? 

In a country that professes adherence to democratic processes, there has been but a shadow of democratic legitimacy for the last 33 years of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) regime. The political environment has been characterized with extreme abuse of freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. A continued witch hunt of the opposition politicians and silencing voices of dissent of civic activists and civil society organizations is the character of discourse in Uganda.

Consequently, there is a shrink of dissent in Uganda and until we address the dynamics of power and participation, the political arena of Uganda will continue to favor those in power which is a limit in the democracy and legitimacy in Uganda. 

In 1986, the NRM pushed for the Movement system as the alternative political system of governance with a dismissal of political party activities, in view that they were largely responsible for Uganda’s post-independence woes. Arguably, many multi-party politicians refused to join the Movement system which was seen as an NRM act to entrench itself in power. Under the Movement system, participatory democracy was curtailed, this made it hard for other multiparty systems to exist, and the argument was that everyone had to be under the movement system or cease participation in the political sphere of Uganda.

Blanket bans on political rallies and delegate conferences were commanded; the security forces played a partisan role in intervening and adjourning seminars, rallies, and meetings organized by the multiparty organizations. Today, in the multi-party dispensation, political parties still struggle to exist in the same political space with the National Resistance Movement. 

Cases of arbitrary and preventative arrests have become a new normal for opposition politicians and government critics in Uganda.  Security forces continue to use excessive force with impunity in their engagements with the opposition even in cases where violence is not necessary. The 48 hours detention is oftentimes violated and habitually, police has arrested opposition members without clear charges and arrest warrants; some have been whisked away by plain clothed officers to unknown destinations, only to resurface after a lot of pressure has been exerted from civil society groups and the people.

Security forces are openly participating in partisan politics, police continues to disband opposition party activities and justification has been a claim on failing to inform appropriate authorities or failing to seek permission for the events. In the event that permission was sought, police have disbanded these activities on grounds of “Order from above.” The Constitutional Court ruled that Police had no powers to stop assemblies. However, in contempt of court, the police intimated that they will continue dispersing the rallies if they see it fit. The under sight for such directives is that these very requirements do not apply to the NRM party members who enjoy freedom of association

Use of legislation to stifle participation of the opposition; The Public Order Management Act (POMA) of 2013 has been greatly contested in its conception, interpretation, and implementation. The POMA was introduced following the “walk to work” protests that were spearheaded by the Activists for Change (A4C).  The POMA grants police wide discretionary powers over public and private gatherings. The interpretation of this law curtails participation of the opposition parties in the political liberties of Uganda and ultimately impedes on their freedom of association and assembly.

The Removal of the Presidential Age limit, allowing Mr. Museveni to run for office in 2021, checked the government and its institutions on dissent. The highly contested bill was passed with impunity; opposition leaders were on suspension and others on house arrests, there was heavy military deployment and intelligence agenciesevaded parliament. It was evident that the language for discourse in making decisions on democracy and governance had changed.

Use of government regulatory institutions to curtail access to information, and freedom of speech; The Uganda Communications Commission has on many occasions intercepted media houses from hosting particular opposition members. These media houses have also been threatened with closure failure to comply. There have been selective and arbitrary shutdowns of radio stations that are critical of the president and his government and oftentimes, opposition members have been arrested and pulled out of talk shows by the police. 

Civic activism is under attack in Uganda, anyone who speaks against the injustices of the government is charged with incitement of violence, sedition, treason and promoting sectarianism.  Dr. Stella Nyanzi, a research fellow at Makerere University Institute of Social Research (MISR) faces charges of “cyber-harassment” and “Offensive communication” for a Facebook post that was challenging the misrule of the president. Dr. Nyanzi is still in prison as she prepares her defense in a case on cyber harassment of the president.

Characteristic of these cases is that they never end; many opposition politicians and activists have backlogged cases in court that show no hope of being heard or dismissed  that are kept on record to deter ease of participation in the political life of Uganda.

Government has set violence as the language of discourse in dealing with diverging views. During the highly contested Age limit bill, police raided many offices of civil society organizations spoke against the bill, their financial accounts were frozen and to this day, no clear explanation has been given other than alleged “illicit transaction” and “subversive activities”. 

Redress needs to be put in addressing the continued suppression of dissenting views that suffers legitimacy. It begs the question; cangovernment make room for dissent and dialogue on issues that burden the political space of Uganda?

It is imperative for government to restructure and pave way for dialogue and democratic processes. Dialogue is a prerequisite to building consensus between the government and the different stakeholders. Therefore, embracing dissent becomes crucial because the game of governance is run on dialogue and compromise.

The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda IRCU and The Elders Forum of Uganda invited the Government to participate in the ongoing Uganda National Dialogue Process. It is in this faith, that government choosing to participate in dialogue will set precedence to its objectivity in working towards consensus on issues that have for so long created tensions, mistrust, and suspicion between the people and the government.

It is also in this hope that the Government will work towards legitimacy and rule of law to impede impunity and create room for a healthy opposition which is necessary for democracy to thrive by providing checks on the excesses of the ruling party.

Research Fellow: GREAT LAKES INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES

STEALING FROM THE SICK: A gap in checking corruption

The history of accountability and corruption scandals in Uganda is weary, when you have an investigation as the one conducted by African Eye- BBC and the evidence of what is going on in government hospitals, you would imagine that the government would act quickly on such cases, but the evidence of little or no action is worrying. The government is caught up in many scandals today, with the center focused on the Bank of Uganda Money palette anomaly.

The Anti corruption Coalition of Uganda has over the years documented many corruption scandals that government officials have been involved in. Unfortunately, no tremendous punishments have been imposed to deter others from engaging all the same.

One can strongly assert that the government thrives on the mismanagement of funds and resources. There should be stringent punishments for public servants caught stealing from the people, for Ugandans to believe that something can be done and will be done to make sure that tax payers’ resources are not wasted.

In the wake of the “Stealing from the Sick” documentary, key questions come to our tables yet again; Are we as citizens, holding our leaders accountable in providing for us the basic public goods that we pay for? What are we doing to ensure service delivery in our constituencies and do we even know our stake in making sure that services reach us?

More than ever, civic engagement becomes very important in addressing issues of information sharing, participation and engagement of different local constituencies in their development and agencies. A person informed is empowered. Ugandans need to know what roles and responsibilities they play in holding their leaders accountable.

Can we trust the arms of government to provide comprehensive investigation, justice and resolution on those caught in the corruption scandals and mismanagement of this season? We need to be able to go beyond lamenting on what is and find working solutions with in our systems.

 The lines have been drawn and to keep quite is to choose the side of the perpetuators. We the people of Uganda and our government need to come to a resolve to prevent and curb the cancer that corruption is. Through whistle blowing for example, as witnessed in the documentary, refusing to give bribes and holding our leaders accountable even before the election season, we can collectively choose to work for the greater good for our people and the progress of our Country.

Tricia Gloria Nabaye

RESEARCH FELLOW AT GREAT LAKES INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES

ON JOURNEYS TOO BROKEN

And there I was, me the master of chaos

Caught up in a lovers trail

Two people who had just gotten engaged carried all of us broken as we were to celebrate their new milestone 

And there he was, the epitome of my mistakes. Him who felt like home for very many years or maybe the thought of home in him overwhelmed me I had no way around not seeing his unreadiness.

And so the night wavered on, me more angry than the moment I walked in. Not sure if I loved this man or loathed him. And so the bottle in front of me did the talking, I tried to swallow but what do you swallow when every glance towards him brings me pain and an ache I couldn’t dismiss even if I wanted to.

And so the hours went on, me not sure what to do with him and him...Well I might never know where he stands through it all. You see, he taught me not to trust the tongue...not even from the person whose presence awakens me in all areas of my life.

Citizen engagement is pivotal for the National dialogue.

In the ever-receding space for dissent in Uganda, we need to continually create shock absorbers and tension deterrents for the people and government. Our history of bloodshed disqualifies war as an alternative solution to our differences and so dialogue is the way to go.

In the post- independence era, Uganda has gone through civil wars, coup-d'etats and turmoil yet here we are inspite of the journey that got us here. In the wake of our desire to create a better Uganda for ourselves and those coming after us, we need to encourage dialogue on how we get ahead in our journey as a Nation.

The Uganda National Dialogue convened by the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda and The Elders Forum Uganda, is one unprecedented platform working towards “The Uganda we want. For a successful process, the inclusion and participation of the local citizenry is paramount. Platforms at the grassroots, therefore, must be created to cultivate a national character of the dialogue.

 At its fulcrum, the national dialogue should be inclusive and citizen owned. We want a dialogue that is not just a project but rather a soul searching reflection to fix our existential political, economic and social issues. This dialogue can stop Ugandans from plunging into a war or civil uprising; the National dialogue is framed to provide adequate platforms for all stakeholders to channel their ideas and opinions.

Incorporation of discussions and debate on local, national and international levels as a means for local and regional officials to hear the community views on public issues is of great importance. The upside of an informed citizenry is that they can hold their leaders accountable and task them to perform better and improve service delivery to their constituencies. It is therefore imperative for us to push for dissemination of information on dialogue to the smallest unit of governance in Uganda.

In fostering dialogue, we can find working solutions within our communities, using a blend of traditional informal systems like local and city council meetings and new digital solutions for dialogue like social media, video interfaces, and mobile applications among others. Civic engagement reaffirms the need for inclusion and transparency and deliberate public participation. Broad participation can be achieved by linking local dialogues to the national dialogue and that can be fully realized in the public consultations on the eight thematic issues highlighted by the dialogue.

 Adding digital solutions to dialogue in the wake of digital space dominance can improve citizen participation by continuing civic dialogue online. Ugandans can then use the available platforms to raise funds, track on the progress of the dialogue within their communities and follow media appearances of their leaders and conveners.

Key to note is that dialogue is not necessarily absent in our society but in abeyance. We are a generation that would rather talk at each other than talk to each other. As Ugandans, we need to champion ownership of change and in discourse we make room for civic engagement and public legitimacy of the dialogue process.

Therefore, educating Ugandans on how dialogue processes work influences their participation because an enlightened citizenry is more aligned to ask for better service delivery, accountability and engagement. With an agenda that addresses the underlying issues of our country, a clear mandate on all processes that the National dialogue will undertake, we can use the best practices herein to achieve our desired goal and vision for a better Uganda.

Tricia Gloria Nabaye.

RESEARCH FELLOW AT GREAT LAKES INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES

ON WHY WE DIE SO EASILY

I remember a few years back, Out of the blue, I developed a teratoma in the most unexpected places-the butt cheek. I spent over three months asking the nurses I worked with at the hospital what that was and for some reason it never dawned on me that asking a doctor was an option:One, because the doctors that were available were male and Two: The plastic surgeon was not around. Eventually the pain grew on me and as timely as the universe can be sometimes, the surgeon showed up when I couldn’t take the pain anymore, amidst my fear of him seeing my butt, I went in and saw him, had surgery scheduled that very day and had the procedure to remove the teratoma.

Looking back on the possibilities of a graver situation and the time I spent worried of the male doctors and them seeing my butt, I realized that they are many people that show up just a little too late to be helped out of their demise.

I have heard many times doctors say, “If only you had come earlier” sometimes some just give a stern exclaim;”If you had come a day late, it would’ve been bad news” And it got me thinking, why are we scared of the one thing that could give us hope? I know many people worry that going to the hospital to do checkups is tempting the devil or evil beckoning things that are not there in the first place but the upside to knowing your health status is in surviving grave situations.

We need to invest in our health and in finding help sooner than later. In saying that, I realize that it has been a few years since I last had a dental appointment and absurdly it has taken tooth sensitivity to create a desire to check in with the dentist never mind the fact that I am a little scared to show the dentist my teeth lest he is in awe of the damage and the length of period it took me to check in.

So I am going to go nevertheless, To get fixed, for it is ever so useless to take care of the material things like cars(have them serviced) Renovate houses, only to have your system bail out on you.

ON WHY IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNITE UGANDANS FOR ANY PROGRESS TO BE ACHIEVED

As a Ugandan, my biggest challenge has been to identify as one in a pool of sects that lie across the divide and have been ingrained in the population of this land.

We are divided by language, tribal orientation, political belonging among other trivial aspects like football most especially European teams. In as much as society is made out of belonging, the bigger face of our identity would be “Ugandan”. We are supposed to be first Ugandan before we subscribe to any other sect of our society. 

Peculiar of us, is that we are more Ugandan abroad than home. We identify more with our nationality away from home and the thirst to escape this land keeps on growing by the day.

This is the first discussion point in the long journey of creating progress in most of the initiatives for transformation in Uganda. We need to unite as a people raised in diversity which for the better part should be good, because everyone ultimately has something to offer to the transformation of our nation. I have seen Ugandans unite and come together and express their "Ubuntu" on many occasions. Ugandans have supported the National teams unconditionally.

 Ugandans run successful health drives to help the ailing Ugandans in our society. And so it is in that spirit that one can arguably conclude that the sense of oneness and community is not alien to us.

Therefore; in the vie for development and transformation of our country, we as the people need to push for patriotic oneness embedded ever so strongly in our heritage as Ugandans. It is of great importance because everything else that we are to accomplish as Ugandans lies in our ability to realize our duty as Ugandans.

The truth in the slogan, " Together we stand, divide we fall" is evident in our history as a nation from the colonial times, when the colonialists implored divide and rule to conquer Uganda. Our strength as a people lies in standing united, in bringing our diverse heritage and forge away forward as one people, in taking pride in our diversity and Ugandaness.

We need to unite and push for Nation pride and be supportive of home grown products and services. We need to support initiatives that put Ugandans at the forefront of their development and governance. In loving our country and uniting for its betterment lies our ability to work together, prosper together and progress forward as a Nation.

In the words of Jesus Christ, "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand". Mark 3:25

ON VOICES OF DISSENT IN UGANDA

Uganda is a diverse Nation in construct, Different forms of diversity not only identify us but also distinguish us from the many people in this land. We hail from different regions, that are composed of different tribes that speak different languages. we also as a people, practice different religion. 

Such diversity should be able to elevate us into achieving different goals for the greater good so we can grow as a Nation. Our differences are meant to increase our productivity in the long run.

Being multi-lingual, with a multi party system as well, Uganda has created representation of people of all divides everywhere.  But like our divisions on tribes, unfortunately our political parties represent religion, tribal orientation before they represent our political bearing and values.

With such an enabling environment, the unity of Ugandans has become elusive and abstract in nature. This has ultimately stifled the role of dissent in pushing governance and development ahead. We as a people have been brought to a cross road, where to speak the truths of this land almost sounds like being anti-government and this is evident in the;

The level of intolerance among each other; 
We have become very intolerant of each other's views and have become both defensive and dismissive in our discourse.
Our reality has come to a place where we cannot  talk to each other without the looming cloud of sects.

The creation of catalyst to deter dissent;
Government through the Public Order Management Act(2013), has left no room for other political parties to exercise their freedom to assemble. The Act holds a bias on a small sect of people in society and it has also exposed the impartiality of the military and police forces in implementing this law. And so, if you speak contrary to the status quo of government, you are labelled "anti-government" and from there on are treated as such, and consequently will be caught up in a witch hunt,with the security organs of the land.
And it is the witch hunt, arbitrary arrests and elimination of voices of dissent that has made it hard for democracy to thrive in Uganda.

We need voices of dissent to create a balance in the discourse and engagements that push for the development of this land. We need to create a society that adheres to and embraces dissent and the different faces of democracy for without them this becomes a dictatorship, where the decisions of the day take only one individual to make at the expense of a whole Nation.

Dissent fosters objectivity and checks impunity, for where alternative voices are given audience, new strategies to governance and democracy are welcomed and used for the greater good. So we need to work towards achieving a society that can accommodate  the different voices that make this land unique in its construct.

Poetry for Stella

Dr Mama...
The writer of redeeming words,
The undresser of the oppressor,
Dr Mama...
The chief-tress of the brain users,

I pen truths to speak of your struggle;
I make words bleed with imagery of your sacrifice.
We never deserved the love you  have offered this land.

Yet you journey on,
Painting the way of this land using your lingual.
And I will let the pen scribble...
Of terrible births that have caused our demise!

Of greedy men that have eaten our innocence away;
Of the children of this land...dead in slumber,
Of some blinded by stolen loot.

I embrace your struggle mama...
We work for your freedom Mama...
We lay restless for a cause burning in our hearts because of you.

We wage war for you... Dr. Mama.

ON BOBI WINE AND THE FACE OF THE STRUGGLE

When I look at Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu a.k.a Bobiwine, I think of Thomas Sankara and his guitar, I think of all the legendary guitars and musicians that went silent in the face of political strife. Music has for so long been an instrument of change.

In view of the recent cancellation of his Kyarenga extra concert, the witch hunt and ongoing house arrest that suffers Hon. Kyagulanyi, one starts to questions the working of human rights laws in Uganda, the loyalties of the Uganda Police Force and the rule of democracy. The normal procedures of arrests have been violated, the workings of the law been undermined and abused in view of the person of Hon. Kyagulanyi. 

We have been here before, in 2016, we witnessed the brutal arrests and man handling, we have walked through the trauma of witnessing police brutality and without a doubt, and people came out and had an opinion about it. Demonstrations happened that most times ended up in tear gas and deaths. But the last time we had these episodes it was against the former Presidential candidate Dr. Besigye Warren Kiiza.

So why is an episode that is unprecedented meeting the same contradictions? Is there something in our push for human rights and justice that was not remedied that we ended up in the same fracas three years later? Is there redress in the rule of law that we have ignored and we find ourselves at the same dispensation?

Hon. Kyagulanyi says that he has been waiting for the court ruling on the dismissal of their concerts since 2017.As I write, the Concert promoters have filed a case involving all Bobi wine concert appearances for redress in the courts of law.

And even then, as I write the police are preparing to file criminal charges against Hon. Kyagulanyi that he will need to answer. While still camping at his house and holding him under house arrest in what has been termed as “preventative arrest”

I borrow the words of Bobi wine, “Mwebeleremu!” The people need to find purpose within the cause of Hon. Kyagulanyi; the tribulations of the people are not any different from the very things Hon. Kyagulanyi faces today. The collective voice of the people, civil society and human rights bodies needs to be heard far beyond the media and press address on the human violations that suffer Hon. Kyagulanyi as first and most a citizen of this country

The death of the rule of law, the impunity of the government operatives, and the apathy of the citizenry has become the defining face of Uganda and it is important for us as a people to take back the reigns of order. The people need to be empowered to find reason to make sense of what democracy is and what it is not in the Uganda experience. 

We need to foster dissent in the political spaces of Uganda in order for us to have the ability to accommodate different political actors in the politics of Uganda.

As a country, we also need to have a streamlined definition of the role of police in the protection of the people because I am very certain that the very police deployed to deter the Kyarenga Concert would have been used to protect the revelers.

So it is a question of whether there is a chance for the reign of the law in Uganda. Can we as the people of Uganda, civil society and the powers that be work towards fostering the rule of law and democracy in Uganda? When we can have common grounds on where we go from here on, then we can have a chance to work towards change.

FEELS FROM THE VOID: Of empty depths

Empty feels real some days,

The days that you feel like you need some normal,

 that keeps evading you.

Empty feels real right now,

To know that there is no person waiting on the other side of the road.

To be waiting on nothing,

To have nothing to look forward to,

That void only you learn to

fill with your own little workings.

But man was born for relationship,

And man thrives in love.

So to look in the mirror and love myself has come easy,

But the overflow has not found a vessel to drain in.

And so I embrace the loneliness...

I embrace the rawness of this void...

I hold this empty for a moment...

Until I hold something that feels warm and real for a

while.

I am empty, void and caught in the pain of not finding

you...

I need you to find me sooner than later...

Not to fill the void but to make this void have purpose.

To give to me another piece of the story that is missing, for the moments to make sense.

I need you to show up and stir up the storm of life beckoning to exists.

MEETING #26

My birthday is in six days and I am starting to have an overwhelming nauseating feeling that I am not ready.

I am not ready to meet 26. I feel inadequate walking into a new year unsure of what the plan is, mostly because 25 ended up with an altered plan. Yes, there was a lot of growing that came with 25 but then what do I take into 26, is a question I wrestle with.

The truth that I am not as young as 20, hits home more now than even at 25. I am into the journey of my late 20s. I am more aware of the responsibilities and consequences thereof that come with 26. 

I am scared of not knowing what to imagine a few days from now. I know it will be a normal walk into Thursday because when I think about it, something will definitely change as well within.

So here I am at the finish of a quarter of a century, not sure of what changes will come but more aware of how much I am growing, I am changing and most importantly how many things I am learning to embrace. Oh the struggle with embracing 26.

I am scared, I have questions to what my life would be like if all factors had remained constant. I have doubts and questions of whether I am doing a great job at living and at adulting.

I know I don’t need to overthink growing but with dreams that need actualizing, I have moments of life editing. I see life through lenses of what I have accomplished on this journey. I am not sure if I am doing enough and even if I was, I am not sure I know what that is.

So I walk into 26, with a sulk I cannot avoid and a calmness I am choosing to master. I walk into 26, unsure but determined. I go with no plan but resolve. With heart and drive. Only because, in many years, my heart and gut have proved to be good allies.

I go into 26, raw with emotion but alive.

HUMANS OF MY WORLD: Selah Moments

The other day, I saw you grieve...

Your loss brought me back to this

 reality.

The other day you shaved your honor in mourning.

I mourned with you...

But even then I felt my heartbreak on the things I wanted to do for you yet felt short in my ability.

I sit here and think of you...

Yet my thoughts in this moment, don’t count for your freedom.

                        Selah 

You are the epitome of achievement.

Or maybe in my smitten stance I see only your greatness.

The other day you made my heart skip beats...

And today I don’t know where the boundary line lies.

I think of you and then tell myself to keep you in a place of awe other than of mutual love.

But what if what you feel, is a mirror of my very being?

                           Selah

You are everything I would have loved to have.

You are the one the future would look amazing with.

You are flawed but yet I see the beauty of who you are.

Maybe I see what I want to.

Maybe you are everything I choose not to see.

                         Selah

Beloved Bestie, the one who gets me before others...

In your difference I mirror my very likeness.

You are the best companion to do life with.

In the chaos and shortness of this life, I have enjoyed taking the ride with you.

You are the safest place a heart can go to.

                       Selah

And then there’s you, you who is the full roundness of me.

I am incomplete without a journey into your life.

You who has carried me on this journey...

Who has cried for me without showing it...

Who has loved me unconditionally.

Life without you is hard to imagine.

Because in you, I am and I love you fiercely.

                         Selah

The trail of your irresistible hearts has left me with a story written on my heart.

The women and the men that have marked the highlights of my journey.

Humans of my world.