How Besigye started a scientific revolution in Ugandas body politics. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Newton s third Law of motion says. When Dr. Besigye announced his intention to challenge Museveni in 2000 he was searching for a means to democratise the NRM and make it institutional rather than personal. Museveni s opposite reaction was to entrench a dictatorship. He did this through what he termed modernisation of the army. He had to transform the UPDF from a national protection force into a regime survival force. He used British funds, recruited predominantly young Bahiima boys who were sent in a series of cadet training batches to Jinja and graduated as Captains and Lts. As for the police he brought in Generals to head the institution. New unconstitutional intelligence agencies were created alongside the official ones. All in a bid to spy on each other for the survival of one man. A specialised brigade was created and headed by a rapidly promoted son who had recruited an own loyal force. So the opposite of Besigye s strategy to democratise the political space is the entrenchment of a Museveni dictatorship.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 08:11:41 +0000