By George Murumba

President Museveni: Is he still a sane man?

25^th April 2011:  Time Magazine, one of the world’s most influential publications that is known for its global personality ratings and foreign policy issues, has, in a subtle way, drawn attention to President Museveni’s sanity by saying he is increasingly issuing “bizarre” statements.

In an article published on the 23^rd of April under the title “Deadly crackdown on Uganda’s walk-to-work protests”, the author Ioannis Gatsiounis starts by analysing the approach adopted by Museveni’s government to deal with the ‘Walk-to-‘Work protests that have rocked most parts of Uganda; especially central, western, and northern regions.

Gatsiounis said, “…no one took much notice when Besigye, who heads the Forum for Democratic Change, announced he and other opposition leaders would walk to work to protest the country’s soaring fuel and food prices.  No one except Uganda’s security forces, who intercepted the first march on April 11^th in full riot gear, fired tear gas and hauled the opposition leaders onto police trucks”.

Public outrage over the government’s heavy-handedness, Gatsiounis says, “…was instant. By April 14, Ugandans had seen images of Besigye, the victim of a rubber-gunshot wound, standing outside Kampala Hospital with his hand bandaged and in a sling, and walk-to-work campaigns had spread to four cities across the country. But by Friday, the protest movement had become violent. Clashes between the demonstrators, and between protestors and police, have left at least five people dead — including a two-year-old child who was shot in the head and chest by security forces-dozens injured, and hundreds arrested”.

Museveni’s show of force and solemn vow not to compromise with the opposition, Gatsiounis adds, “…has so far only stoked resistance as it comes amid a growing list of public grievances, including swelling unemployment, runaway corruption, and reckless government spending”.

Time Magazine believes Museveni’s reasoning is that the brutal crackdown will forever stop the protests and shock Ugandans…back into their natural state of political detachment. But for now, the author says, “…images of children choking on tear gas, one brutally slain, and a man in bandages thrown behind bars just for walking to work are proving more powerful than the threat from the barrel of a gun”.

Besides, Museveni’s re-election campaign is estimated to have cost $350 million, with a 600billion supplementary budget approved to foot the bill after the national treasury was reportedly exhausted. Since then his regime has spent $740 million on fighter jets and at least $1.3 million is scheduled to be spent on his swearing-in ceremony next month; all while inflation has soared from 6% to 11% since February.

Time Magazine further says the government’s brutal crackdown on Besigye supporters has undermined Museveni’s image as liberator and peacemaker and is threatening to damage Uganda’s standing both regionally and internationally. Donor nations have condemned the disproportionate use of force, while regional media are questioning just where Museveni is leading Uganda.

President Museveni’s sanity called into question

The author then appeared to call Museveni’s sanity into serious question by saying, “…Museveni-known for his populist touch-has at times come off as unbothered by citizen concerns, issuing statements that have bordered on the bizarre. Regarding rising fuel prices, which have risen 50% since January, he said last week, “What I call on the public to do is to use fuel sparingly. Don’t drive to bars”, Museveni is reported to have bizarrely advised

Museveni, Time Magazine says, also recently dismissed rapidly rising food prices by saying that they’re good for farmers.  And last weekend, Museveni told journalists at his country home in Rwakitura, Kiruhura district that, “…I can see myself getting the Nobel Peace Prize for managing the country, especially the army, very well”, a response that Time Magazine thinks may suggest that Museveni is totally out of touch with the prevailing socio-economic and political realities in his own country.

US Ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier agrees

On December 13^th 2010, Uganda Correspondent published a story [see: USA thinks Museveni is ‘deluded and autocratic’] in which reference was made to comments made by US Ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier in the WikiLeaks diplomatic cables.  In the leaked cables, Ambassador Lanier told Secretary of State Jonnie Carson that “…Museveni’s heavy-handedness and the corruption of senior leaders have sparked dissent within the NRM”.

In what was interpreted by one analyst [at the time] to be the most damning indictment of “Museveni the man”, Ambassador Lanier added that, “…press reports and anecdotal evidence suggest the President is increasingly isolated and unaware of the depth of resentment both within the NRM and among society as a whole”.

That, according to the analyst, means “…the US government under President Barack Obama now privately believes Museveni is a deluded President”.  END.  Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.