By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi
President Yoweri Museveni has spearheaded Uganda’s liberation struggle since the mid-1960s. The capture of state power in 1986 was just the peak.
His admirers and critiques including Dr. Kizza Besigye, agree that he is very strategic, fore sighted and visionary.
In Sowing the Mustard Seed, President Yoweri Museveni talks about a students’ movement that started as a discussion group in Ntare School in Mbarara and later in Dar Es Salaam University. Museveni says he did not aspire for top leadership but his colleagues recognized his leadership skills. For example, after promulgation of 1962 Independence Constitution in 1966 by Milton Obote, Museveni led his colleagues to Enganzi (Prime Minister) of Ankole, however, Kahigiriza discouraged them and they took his advice until after 1971 coup that brought Amin to power.
In terms of strategy, President Museveni is a good listener who believes in dialogue. He employs violence as a last resort even after which he resumes dialogue. In Sunday Bukedde Luganda series, Mrs. Joyce Mpanga a former Minister of State for Primary Education under NRM Government talked about the weekly meetings some Ugandan leaders held at her home every Monday afternoon between 1979 and 1980.
According to Mpanga, a young revolutionary Museveni was ever the first to arrive, and kept on listening other than talking. When he was challenged why he was so quiet, Mrs. Mpanga said that his answer was that he knew more of military than politics. So, according to those in attendance many of them seasoned politicians of the sixties and seventies, it was his learning process. This was later echoed by the late Sam Njuba, a former Minister for Constitutional Affairs under NRM Government and former FDC Vice President for Buganda Region.
No wonder, during the Moshi Unity Conference in 1979 that formed Uganda National Liberation Front under chairmanship of the late Prof., Yusuf Lule, when Museveni proposed that the most active military groups; Kikosi Maalum under Milton Obote and FRONASA should form a common front. He was criticized but it turned out he was being a realist.
At the end of the day, the delegates at the conference had not even elected him on the Military Commission that was chaired by Paul Muwanga and deputized by Grace Ibingira, until Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the then President of Tanzania, who was their host and funder, intervened and ensured that Museveni replaced Ibingira as Vice Chairperson.
During the course of the war, the FRONASA leader recruited all able-bodied people into the liberation army. That is how Gen. Elly Tumwine, Col. Pecos Kutesa, among others, were recruited and at the end of the campaign, the Western Axis had 10,000 soldiers.
The Central Axis under Tito Okello and Oyite Ojok, deliberated never recruited from Mutukula to Karuma simply because, those were wrong tribes. So, after the integration of the fighting groups into UNLA, FRONASA was the strongest. However, Museveni with humility, accepted to work as State Minister for Defence, when Lule doubled as President and Defence Minister.
He became a full minister for Defence under Godfrey Binaisa and a year later he transferred him to Minister for Regional Cooperation. After Binaisa had been removed and Military Commission took over, Museveni accepted to work under Paulo Muwanga as Vice Chairperson.
In 1981, after the merger of Uganda Freedom Fighters under Lule and Popular Resistance Army under Museveni that resulted in the formation of National Resistance Movement, National Resistance Army and National Resistance Council, Museveni accepted to work under Lule as a First Vice Chairperson and Chairperson of NRA High Command.
While addressing a Movement Caucus meeting of the 6th Parliament, President Museveni said that had Lule not died early, in January 1985, before NRM captured power in 1986, he would be the President of Uganda and he, Yoweri Museveni, was ready and willing to serve under him.
No wonder after the death of Lule, Museveni remained the Interim Chairperson until a National Resistance Council meeting was held in Lubiri barracks after capture of Kampala, and he was elected a substantive chairman and subsequently President of Uganda. Sources close to the meeting talk of individuals that wanted to declare themselves first in line, in succeeding Lule for but there was consensus for him, for he had already made a mark, an impact of spearheading a successful five-year bush war
So, the post 1986 Ugandan aspiring leaders have a big lesson to learn if they want to fill in the big shoes of President in future. Patience, tolerance, persistence, dialogue, reconciliation.
Haji Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi is a veteran journalist and Deputy Resident City Commissioner Masaka City in charge of Kimaanya – Kabonera City Division.
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