Last week Ugandans went to the polls to choose the next president of the country. For a country that has been under the stronghold of Yoweri Museveni, breathing fresh air was part of the expectations of the voters and the international community considering that Museveni has been the leader of that country for over 34 years.
Museveni grabbed power in 1986 after the country survived the tight rule of Idi-Amin and Milton Obote.
He took over the leadership of a country that was torn between different armed forces loyal to various militia. Trying to assure citizens of a secured country, Museveni said in 1986 that “The second point on our programme is security of person and property. Every person in Uganda must have absolute security to live wherever he wants. Any individual, any group who threatens the security of our people must be smashed without mercy. The people of Uganda should die only from natural causes which are beyond our control, but not from fellow human beings who continue to walk the length and breadth of our land.”
Although, he initially ensure human rights was guaranteed in the country, he was still a dictator as his influence could not cover the whole country due to protracted internal insecurity that had pervaded the country.
By March 1989, three years after he assumed leadership of the country, Amnesty International published a human rights report entitled Uganda, the Human Rights Record 1986–1989. It documented gross human rights violations committed by NRA troops. In one of the most intense phases of the war, between October and December 1988, the NRA forcibly cleared approximately 100,000 people from their homes in and around Gulu town. Soldiers committed hundreds of extrajudicial executions as they forcibly moved people, burning down homes and granaries, the report revealed.
By 1996, 10 years after he assumed leadership he organised first election and won with over 70 percent of the total votes cast. Although, the election was adjudged credible by the international community, Museveni had since then perpetuated himself in power. He contested and won in 2001 in his reelection bid, but successfully sought the alteration of the constitution to remain in office and contest subsequent elections.
His recent supposed victory at the polls against a younger opponent, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, also known as Bobi Wine reiterated the revolution sweeping the continent. The revolution of the younger generation taking on the older ones for position of leadership.
It is time for the likes of Museveni in other parts of the continent to know that a silent and bloodless revolution champion by the younger generation is on. The likes of Paul Boys of Cameroon, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Republic of Congo, Marshal Idriss Déby Itno of Chad and other sit-tight African leaders should by know lean the lesson from the rise and fall of Robert Mugabe and relinquish power rather than perpetuate themselves in authority.
