Gen. Museveni the leopard to his cub Gen. Kayihura ‘keep up the good work’
[Editorial: Africa]
Ugandans have gone to social media demanding the whereabouts of Christopher Aine, a top aide of a leading Ugandan presidential challenger and former prime minister Amama Mbabazi.
Mbabazi and Dr. Kizza Besigye are the top challengers in the February 18, 2016 elections to dictator Yoweri K. Museveni who has been in power for 30 years now and is in the fight of his political life. The regime is anchored by the country’s hated police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura.
After Gen. Museveni’s supporters tried to disrupt a campaign rally by Mbabazi supporters on December 13, there were physical altercation between the two groups.
Subsequently Gen. Museveni in a press conference issued threats to Mbabazi supporters saying they had angered a leopard — clearly referring to himself — and vowing they would pay dearly.
Gen. Museveni called Mbabazi’s supporters “thugs” and elaborated on his threats by saying, “If you put your hands in the anus of a leopard, you are in trouble.”
The Ugandan dictator, in addition to the leopard’s anus comment, is also quoted adding: “You don’t attack, you have no right even to point a finger at me. Am here, I am a Ugandan, I am a free person – you come and attack me like that. There is even an idiot I saw beating our people with clubs, hooo! he will regret. He will regret, that person. We shall smash all that little nonsense which some people who don’t see far thought it will help them. We are going to round up all these criminals and they are being rounded up. I hear some went into hiding, where will they hide? Unless they go to heaven. We shall get them. So, nothing will disturb Uganda. It was a very big mistake for those people…”
According to media accounts Christopher Aine, who was in charge of candidate Mbabazi’s private security, was arrested by Gen. Kayihura’s agents on December 14 (observed by eye witnesses) and has not been seen or heard from since then. His family members believe he’s dead, considering the open threats delivered by Gen. Museveni.
Gen. Kayihura himself later cynically announced a $6,000 reward (which is four times Uganda’s per capita income of $1,500) for capture of Aine, whom reportedly had already been detained by Kayihura’s goons, leading to fears about his possible death. Why a ransom for someone already in custody?
Now, normally passive Ugandans, are taking out their rage on Social Media, with some comparing Gen. Museveni to former dictator Idi Amin, to Chile’s former dictator Gen. Agusto Pinochet and to Romania’s Nicolae Ceaușescu. Several postings, including the following, appeared after a story about Aine’s disappearance was published in the independent newspaper The Daily Monitor.
It appears that the regime is reaching its limit.
Poster Kampalan says, “If these accounts are true, of a state behaving like a criminal enterprise, it promotes the idea, the urge, the plea, the yearning, the deep thirst, even the anger that NRM should have been voted out of power decades ago. Where on earth do you have a government conducting the affairs of the state like a bunch of Sadam’s Bathists, Hitler’s Gestapos, Cicily’s Mafias, Pinochet’s DINA, Idi Amin’s State Research Bureau, Ceusescu’s Securitate, Kagame’s Contract Squad, Mubarak’s hired thugs-Batalgiya, Gaddafi’s Death Squads? Could the thirst for insatiable and unchallenged power be mutating Museveni’s political machinery into an ISIS-like terror structure except that in this case the sane and moderate ruling elites are allergic to the sadism of nauseating and patently criminal videos?”
Poster Arthur Paulo Kamuntu responded to Kampalan with: “Hum!! Wow!! Thank you for this, Kampalan!! You have almost said it all!! Mind you: Sevo almost has the expertise in the Dark Political Arts in his DNA. He worked for the SRB during all his Uni-Vacations. And he joined it, as a Political Researcher, having obtained a disappointing Political Science Degree. And he stayed at the SRB for a while after the vicious 1971 Coup d’état!! Having mastered the arts of double-crossing whilst at Dar, the CIA recruited him. But he never whispered a word to the Obote Camp in Exile. That is why Obote called him the double-crosser and a liar per excellence when AMO’s covert informers exposed him!! Even though the Snowden releases say little about our Dictator, there is enough info about him to know that he has no compaction about summary extra judiciary murders!! Unfortunately, after his willingness to invite Lady Nemesis to Uganda, in the form of the al Shabab after his fraternity with Al-Qaida, his former CIA handlers now see him as a useless spent arsenal! And his compulsive interventions in Tanzania, Kenya, Ruanda and Burundi, the DRC ad CAR, and South Sudan, etc has exposed his Achilles’ heel. And, in his present isolation and alienation from the USA Backers, etc; and the Communist Jockeys, who see him as a fool, etc, Sevo is not only a danger to himself but to all Ugandans and the entire Central Africa Great Lakes Region!! The sooner the mild and gentle Ugandans show him the door, the better it would be for all Uganda Lovers and Friends of Africa!! Good riddance!!”
Poster joseph s bamutta says, “If indeed this young man has lost his life to this despotic regime, it is tragic. Most of us thought Mr. Museveni’s was a fundamental change but it is more of the same, a mere change of guards. The only distinction is the degree of dictatorial stability. Otherwise he is no different to the rulers of the past. Under Idi Amin, Obote, citizens ‘disappeared’. The same has happened once again. It is a tragic irony that Aine’s late father ( Resistance Army 0044) fought in the liberation war to ensure the safety of his children and future generations, but today his own has fallen prey to regime goons, masquerading as guarantors of peace and security. Mr. Museveni a rubble rouser in the 1980 General election was allowed to campaign unencumbered by Milton Obote, but today condones the harassment, intimidation and physical assault of his opponents ( Dr. Besigye has been arrested over 40 times in the last 5 yrs). This Presidential misbehaviour is impeachable by the way. It is in breach of Article 107(1) (a), (b) (i) Uganda Constitution 1995.
For those undecided voters, this election is very much about the moral fabric and direction of our country. Are you going to hand the reins once again to the incumbent who has presided over the most corrupt government we have ever known? With 80% unemployment countrywide, do you see this being solved by regular brown envelopes and sacks of money? Will you continue with the present state of hospitals, while the big man and his ministers fly out for expensive treatments, leaving you with nothing, not even panadol?
Do you choose divisive politics or will you choose the politics of oneness? The politics of fear or the politics of common purpose? As to the President’s promises and pledges this election cycle, don’t be duped. He has done it before. Many past promises remain unfulfilled.
Change is not easy; however, to quote Barrack Obama,“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Vote wisely.”
Another poster, s nsubuga, says “If Aine is a dead man and at the hands of the police, you will never find his body, never! And this bounty thing is bollocks, hogwash! Finding his dead body, when every body knows he was picked up Kayihuras men, would be a disaster for the leopard that promised revenge! That’s what happens when leopards.. I mean..erm..animals… become Presidents!”
A poster who goes by the name Mushanju says, “I wrote back the day I saw KK [Uganda police chief Gen. Kale Kayihura] holding that placard of a reward. Aine is no more and they Govt knows that if the reality surfaces them they have shot themselves in the foot. In this digital world thanks GOD the police cars that picked him were photographed. They are all confused as to what to answer they should own up the guy is dead.”
Another commentator, Finalword, says, “Police is clearly on spot here. From airlifting NRM supporters who disrupted Mbabazi rally in Ntungamo leading to the crashes to the IGP displaying Aine’s picture like he committed a capital offence. And at the centre of all this is the IGP. I thought police and related security agencies should be apolitical.”
Another poster, Oxen, says: “The regime goons are so power hungry and will do anything to cling on. Kayihura is a total shame to Ugandans and humanity at large. Free and fair elections run by the Kiggudu as of now sound like a fairy tale. The army and police and some youth gangs-or militias so called crime preventers are being abused by the orders they are given to terrorise the population.”
Poster Masiga Allan says, “Surely, it shouldnt come to this . whether Aine is dead or still alive, police MUST follow the law. If they cant charge the man, he must be released unconditionally. If he is indeed dead, the police MUST be held liable. This whole leopard thing and its other assets that no finger should poke in must be shunned.”
Another poster, Kabindist, says, “This murderous police have a Gestapo like wing used for assassinations…let them produce Aine or this will turn into something this heathen regime regrets for ever.This all began with the leopard vulgarity.”
Poster Kalisizo Girl says, “This not or will never be free and fair election. My unanswered question nrm boasts of 80% of support but why not let 20% campaign freely?”
And poster Grenoble responded to Kalisizo Girl with: “Because the 80% support are NRM’s wet dreams; the reality is that they have 20% support.”
Yoga Adhola, another poster says: “There no question this fellow is dead. Otherwise why would they not produce him in court. most probably he was being tortured and died out of the torture.”
Eduardo, another poster, adds, “Maybe it is now clear why the Opposition should be organised as one to get rid of this criminal dictatorship. Museveni will NEVER allow a free and fair election! We must have a peoples’ Revolution. Not this useless charade, whose outcome we all know!”
Poster Kamoga says “M7 [Museveni] is a cancer. We all know what to do to that limb.”
