MBALE – It is a common statement in the world of journalism that when a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news.
In the world of sophiscated mobile phones that have the capacity to record audios and videos, one has to be careful what they say and how they conduct themselves in public, anyone can be misquoted. Almost anyone can be a journalist and can be paid for the stories they collect.
Whoever picked this story may have exposed it innocently but it sent a wrong message to the wrong audience and for the wrong reasons, poor Katumba was misconstrued and only a portion of his speech was picked and abused.
A story is incomplete unless it is picked together with the remarks before and after that statement is made. A literature teacher of mine in an attempt to teach us how to construct sentences said and a think he was quoting a religious leader, “Awo Yesu bweyamalaokulya, omukazi Najja gyali”.
In the interest of avoiding blasphemy, I dare you to rewrite that sentence without the comma; the whole meaning will change to something almost obscene but recall I was only quoting my teacher who has a copyright in that phrase.
The Statement I want you to be President took many by storm, especially those who thought Katumba Wamala was in the succession queue, he certainly is not and he will never be, he is too loyal for my liking and I hate him for that.
He was once a whole inspector General of Police and then dropped to a mere state Minister who had to fix an appointment to meet Kagina at her office and guess what, he did so with ease and that is what has earned him respect.
The whole drama was at the burial of a renowned business man the late Christopher Columbus Sembuya at his ancestral home in Kikwayi village, Buikwe district Sembule of Steel Rolling mills died a frustrated man having been ignored by Government despite his business acumen that propelled the company to admirable levels.
There is no doubt Katumba Wamala appeared agitated by Bobi Wine’s speech which among other floored Museveni in front of General Katumba, no doubt Katumba speech was sentimental, the reaction of the public forced him to say what they wanted to hear, he is only human.
It is perhaps misleading for Katumba to focus his attention on the alleged tribal sentiments instead of apologizing on behalf of the Government for not doing enough to rescue Sembule when it had financial difficulties. Bobi had wondered why Basajjabalaba, Mohammed Hers of Atiak sugar, Finasi Construction among others were bailed out when they had financial constraints but no one rescued Sembule that was employing thousands of Ugandans.
“We have only one country called Uganda, it does not matter whether you are a Munyarwanda, Karamajong, Acholi, Muganda, all of us are Ugandans, if we don’t front Uganda and abandon tribal sentiments, we are doomed and we are moving in the wrong direction, lets abandon tribal sentiments, I beg you, Buikwe is a “United nations” of the sorts, am I lying. Mr Bobi Wine, one day I would wish that you become President but if you have tribal sentiments, you will never achieve that dream”
Katumba Wamala statement could be interpreted in two ways, was he confirming Bobi Wine’s words that saying the current establishment is tribal or Katumba wanted to weaken Bobi Wine In Buikwe that he was drumming tribal drums in an area that has so many tribes and that it was safer to look at them as Ugandans and not in terms of their ethnicity.
I am persuaded by Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45 which scriptures emphasize why the mouth is always quick to say what is in the heart. One of the truths that come from this wise saying is the connection between words and thoughts.
Jesus said it this way a couple of times, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of which is the same as for out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.“Mr Bobi Wine, I wish that one day you govern this country; his statement caused a lot of excitement and a standing ovation from Bobi Wine and other excited mourners.
He is advising for reform in future by not committing the same error this regime is doing.
Mr. Roger Wadada Musaalo is a Lawyer, human rights activist, researcher, and politician
