KAMPALA – The last time I wrote an opinion piece calling for action, I was told off by some comrades who felt like I was questioning their work. Today, I would like to start with a disclaimer that this piece is just a loud thought. I am not judging anyone’s work but I hope that it can speak to all of us in ways that go beyond what we may feel.
I have deliberately chosen to comment on Uganda’s political situation not as frequently as I used to. This is because like I previously wrote, we are just moving in circles. It gets overwhelmingly draining to keep up with current affairs. The recent #UgandaParliamentExhibition punched another big hole into my heart as a Ugandan. I know that there’s much more than we have just seen and that is more scary.
How did we get here? How do we get out of this mess? I believe that we all have an idea about the first question on how we got here. I guess we also have ideas about how to get out of the mess. I hope, though, that none of you thinks that elections will fix things. Unfortunately, we are entangled in a system that has to be uprooted from the mother root. The Parliament exhibition has shown us that opposition is only reflected in party colours. The people we entrust with votes to go and legislate on our behalf are busy EATING with very very big spoons!!!!! Forget about the empty rhetoric on camera. We are represented by greedy, selfish, nepotistic, corrupt people. And they didn’t start yesterday. They have been at it for a long time.
Do we expect our legislators to do better? Of course we do. Are our current legislators a reflection of who we are as a nation? Do we preach water while we drink wine? If your answer is yes, then how do we expect to have leaders who are service oriented when we do not reflect the values we preach?
The kind of action that I am calling for today is for us to face ourselves. I think that if we are to have a Uganda that works for all of us, we need to fumigate all the corners of the house. This means that what we demand for in public, we must practise it in private. Every small act of honesty, goodness, kindness and accountability counts. Why aren’t you standing up to that tribalistic Aunty or Uncle who bullies and disapproves of people on the basis of their tribe? Why do you gaslight your partner when they ask you uncomfortable questions? Why do you get a sex offender, a paedophile and make him the face of your brand? Why do you refuse to pay your employees on time? Why come on national television to preach accountability yet you swindle funds and practise nepotism? Why do you see criticism as judgement when it is directed at your favourite leader? Why do you refer to fellow Ugandans as ordinary citizens? Are you extraordinary? Why do you deny your house helps the food that your family eats?
Our liberation must begin with ourselves. Criticism and self reflection are revolutionary virtues. Measure yourselves against the values and standards that you are demanding for. What’s your score? It goes without saying that everyone’s effort counts. As we #kulabisa the thieves and plunderers of our nation, let’s reflect on our own actions. If we do not practise what we preach, we will create many more Mpuugas who instead of accounting for their corrupt tendencies, will remind us that we are a dirty lot. We will end up competing to see who is dirtier than the other. We will keep running in circles. We should address and face the things we fear to talk about-our habits/tendencies that are not any different from the oppressor’s.
The author, Annah Ashaba, is a Human Rights Activist.
