Kampala: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said that politicians must be clear on where they stand. He used Luganda and Runyankore words to contextualise acceptable and unacceptable politics, during his New Year’s message. "Our languages are more precise when it comes to describing actions (verbs). In Luganda, for instance, there are the following words: Okuvuganya [contest], okulwaana [fighting], okulemesa [sabotage], okutabula [disorganize], okuseketerera, okusanyaawo [obliterate] or okutemula [kill]," Museveni said.
Okuvuganya is what he called a peaceful way of putting forward alternative ideas about running society. "If A has built 100 schools in the area, B can, without telling lies, truthfully say that, with better discipline and more frugality, he could have built 150," he argued.
Museveni argued that the politics of fighting (okulwaana), defiance (okulemesa) or disorganization (okutabula), is not good for the country. Okulemesa a singular verb for tubalemese which has been a vocal anti-government catchphrase of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) since 2016 contested presidential election.
Tubalemese was equally evoked during the 2017 age limit constitution amendment that led to deletion of the 75 year age cap for presidential candidates. Fingers were pointed at Museveni who will turn 75 years in 2019 as the sole beneficiary of the amendment. When he referred to politics of okulwaana and okutabula, Museveni could have been indirectly talking about firebrand youthful People Power politicians led by Kyadondo East legislator, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.
Bobi Wine and his colleagues clashed with security forces in August on the last day of campaign for Arua Municipality by-election. A number of MPs were arrested and tortured for allegedly stoning Museveni's car. The incident which attracted international denunciation will leave an indelible mark on Uganda's political scene for years.
Museveni said there are double-faced opposition politicians with a leg in constitutional politics and another in un-constitutional politics which will not be allowed. No politicians, Museveni warned, should expect to be allowed go around promoting acts of political indiscipline. But 2019 is expected to be a year of intensified politicking ahead of 2021 general elections. Opposition politician Kizza Besigye has already declared 2019 'a year of action'
