NRM has been in power since 1986 and the NRM party since 2001.  Between 1986 and 2001, all Ugandans belonged to the NRM although it may not have been necessarily by choice. The common denominator was that the majority of the people of Uganda, who were old enough at the time, were resentful of the divisive nature of our old multiparty politics.

For the benefit of the youth, our old political parties were constructed on religious and tribal foundation.

Our political orientation was determined at birth. And that's how it remained until the people of Uganda, by general consensus, decided that multi-party politics must be shelved because it had divided our country and caused death and suffering to many Ugandans.

But because human beings are greedy, those who were missing out on the 'eating' by not being in government, decided that a broad-based government wasn't good and therefore should be abandoned and we go back to the old party politics the winner taking everything notwithstanding.

The hope of the anti broad-based politics of course was that the voters would reject the incumbents since they had stayed in power for longer than the usual governments we were used to.

It was never to be. NRM is still in power today. It is still in power because the Opposition has not managed to convince the voters that they (voters) will be better off and safer and more secure under a government led by UPC, DP, FDC, and those  other  parties.

Why is this so when there is still so much that this government has not done? With such obscene corruption and the poor state of our roads, why do the majority of Ugandans continue to vote for Museveni? The answer lies in our past history of insecurity and violence.

For many years Ugandans lived in fear for their lives and in hopelessness. Because of insecurity nobody, foreign or local, could risk investing in Uganda . Until Museveni took over power, ended insecurity, attracted investment in the country and encouraged Ugandans to fight poverty.

Now, there is still poverty that afflicts many of our people. But the people have hope that as long as there is peace and security, Ugandans have the capacity to work, to work hard, and to improve quality of life for themselves and for the people in their lives.

When Ugandans imagine losing this peace that has enabled them to live their lives whatever the quality, most Ugandans start weighing their options and their choices.

That said, the Opposition that has turned itself into some form of movement, has not helped itself in the sense that it has not managed to convince the majority of the people of Uganda that it has what it takes to do better.  

Has anything dramatic befallen this government for the people to wish to change their mind as to how they should vote come 2011? Not particularly but who knows what happens between now and then, given that a week in politics can be a very long time.

And hasn't it been written over and over again that Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind. blog comments powered by Disqus

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