The issue is not 8 reasons why Museveni may retire in 2016, it is 8 reasons why Ugandans (more so the NRM Party) should see him out:
1. The 2010 bombing of innocent Ugandans who were watching the World Cup Finals where it is alleged that Uganda's involvement in Somali war was the cause. The country has wasted enough resources on other interests with no basic tangible reward apart from seeing the prestige of President Museveni. The monies used in these missions would go along way in bettering the welfare of Ugandans, in job creation, in seeing to increased agro-processing for both local and foreign markets hence boost the value of the depreciating shilling.
2. Museveni is a dictator by design, you can accept it or reject it. By now, Uganda would be a Federal State, but trust the man. When he decides on a no, may be it is God who can change it, we see him on Mabira. We don't need this category of hardliner leaders any more.
3. The corruption is now a baby of the NRM. It is everywhere, and it is not made better when he stays in power. All the time he needs new constituencies and many of these are a drain on the country.
4. President Museveni has failed to foot the line of Economic sense which is making the country and the people of Uganda enjoy worse standards of living. Talk of poverty alleviation, but what we see is poverty inducing measures.
5. It is a cause of concern that now the area which seems to be booming in recruitment of youth is the army. We are yet to be lectured on how the army can be a productive entity in a country like Uganda. There is worry about the future of the Ugandans who are now deployed on peace missions and or fighting in other countries, are they in future to see Museveni's continued stay in power or what?
6. President Museveni has ruled the country for over 25 years, there is no miracle to expect giving him more than 3 decades in power. The changing of the constitution is bad enough to see himself in office for life. It makes all the logic for the NRM party to see sense and appreciate that diminishing returns caught up long ago with their man, he hence is more of a liability the more he remains in office of President.
7. The developments in the agriculture sector are not news worth talking about. For some years, the sector has enjoyed about 2% of the GDP, surely, a part from seeing Ugandans keep in absolute poverty, I don't see sense in giving Museveni another 5 years beyond the 30 years he has had as President.
8. Uganda's education is bad news. Many people in Government offices and others in private business as well as many employed out of the country benefitted from Government schools. To see these schools gone so low courtsey of the boom of the private sector is absurd. Talk abou the singing about UPE; you cannot sing and praise the shs 1,350 given to each child per term. Does this money make sense to anybody who understands what is going on in Uganda? Parents have to provide for food at a cost anywhere between shs 20,000 to 30,000, the uniform anything shs 10,000 and above, the books name it and actually fees which is shs 25,000 on average. So what UPE are you talking about? Where is employment for these people? What is paid those in employment? You cannot fight corruption when the money you pay a person cannot take him for a week. Where do you expect these parents to get money to take their children to higher institutions of learning? Many Ugandans are suffering out of the country because the economy is mismanaged. Does it need a Professor to see this? Is there no body who can come up and salvage the situation. Enough is enough with Museveni's leadership. Yes he can have his forces everywhere, but Ugandans deserve better more so a President who can listen, not a hardened one.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka
8 REASONS WHY M7 MAY RETIRE IN 2006
By Our Reporters.
Top eight reasons which indicate a possible retirement of President Yoweri Museveni after serving his current five year term have emerged.
Close aides say a series of recent trend of events point to a retiring Museveni. The reasons that reflect the trend include the following.
APPOINTMENT OF SSEKANDI
The appointment of H.E Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi is reported to be a reflection of the possible successor Museveni is grooming as for now. Although Ssekandi is considered politically weaker having survived by a whisker in the last Parliamentary elections, this is said to be the very reason why Museveni may have him as the next President.
In politics, it is characteristic for outgoing presidents to groom candidates who are considered weaker with little or no power base. A retiring President wouldn’t love to be succeeded by a candidate he or she considers well positioned to build his own strong power base. At the moment Ssekandi is so much entrenched neither at Mengo establishment nor within the Catholic Church like his predecessor Prof. Gilbert Bukenya.
Secondly, the reason why Ssekandi is seen as the person Museveni is grooming as his potential successor is that the two politicians have a historical bond. Both studied from the University of Dar es Salam in Tanzania.
Unlike other comrades who have fallen out with Museveni, Ssekandi is not a politically ambitious man.
DELEGATION OF DUTIES
As a strategy to prepare his way out, Museveni had designed a mechanism in which he delegates most of his responsibilities.
Hitherto, a workaholic Museveni would preside over several functions in a single day.
However, Museveni is these days seen spending more time at either Rwakitura or at Kisozi than at State House, Entebbe or Nakasero. His team of trusted ministers like Edward Ssekandi, Amama Mbabazi, Muruli Mukasa, Amelia Kyambadde and Janet Museveni are doing the donkey work.
To some extent, where he feels that his personal involvement is needed, he either flies to Entebbe State House or directs his pilot to fly his guests to either Kisozi or Rwakitura.
NRM REBELS TREND
The increased emergence of the so called ‘NRM rebels’ attests to Museveni’s possible retirement in 2016. Insiders say that some of these ‘rebels’ are behaving in that direction in order to make themselves relevant in the Museveni aftermath.
Some are suspicious that an opposition candidate may become the next president and the only way to appear relevant is to come out as a critical voice within the current ruling party.
MENGO’S POSITION
The recent decision by Mengo establishment to have Ssekandi’s rival DP’s Jude Mbabali withdraw an election petition against the Vice President is another pointer to Museveni’s potential exit in 2016. Katikkiro Eng. JB Walusimbi mediated and Mbabali softened on Ssekandi.
Political pundits at Bulange reveal that the institution did not want to appear relevant to the succession direction. They feared to make a blunder that would affect their own if Museveni is really bent on fronting him in 2016. Mengo’s move means the establishment wants to be in good books with the future president Ssekandi.
RETIREMENT HOUSE
Last week on Friday we reported how Museveni had put up a palatial home at his country farm in Kisozi. He confided into his relatives that he built it in preparations for his retirement.
This is not the only thing he has done; another source has intimated to us that he has directed his financial managers to build modest houses for his neighbours around Kisozi. He wants to ensure that during his retirement his neighbourhood will not be an embarrassment not only to him but also to his neighbours.
SALIM’S COMMENTS
A few weeks after Museveni was sworn in for a fourth term, his brother Gen. Salim Saleh told the media that he wished his brother served the current term as the last one. Observers of our local politics did not take it lightly. Saleh is not only a trusted brother of Museveni but also a closest confidant.
It is characteristic of Museveni to call him when he is going to bed and directs him to take charge of the country. Furthermore, Saleh is also reported to be the defacto President whenever Museveni travels abroad for both official and private visits. Therefore, Museveni believes so much in Saleh and the comments could have a strong bearing on Museveni’s 2016 possible retirement.
GLOBAL TREND
The other factor that is pressing for his exit is the current global trend that is now stigmatising long serving presidents of Africa and Asia. Insiders say that Museveni can not wait for the fate of his former comrades Hussein Mubarak, Ben Ali and Muammar Gaddafi.
In order to avoid that, Museveni has embarked on reconciliatory mission with his neighbours such that his successors don’t find a rough terrain within our foreign relations. In the last months, he has held talks with his not so friendly counterparts; Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea.
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