Joseph Kabuleta: Born with a silver foot in his mouth
Besi Ndereya
“Reader, suppose you were a wing nut. And suppose you were a member of Kabuleta’s church. But I repeat myself.”
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This was what came to my mind when I read Kabuleta’s latest rant. Here he was going on “Forget about the man at the top, he is the easier one to dump. But the deeply- embedded culture of privilege and licentiousness that has burgeoned under him…” before launching into a personal diatribe against the often misunderstood Mr. Keith Muhakanizi.
Mr. Muhakanizi’s looks and speech patterns should never be used as a measure of his understanding and handling of financial affairs. By extolling, albeit unknowingly, his vast experience in “diverse economic advisory roles in the Ministry of Finance or Economic planning from the 1980s”, Kabuleta was being unlike “Museveni toadies, choking on privilege and a deep sense of entitlement” – the toadies exhibit a better sense of judgement and a fluidity in understanding what Uganda was like and where she is headed. The attack on Mr. Muhakanizi was concluded by this shepherd of Mbonye stating thus: “Even people who visit brothels have enough chivalry to leave a note on the table.” Chivalry and brothel in one sentence, really?!
The 3rd victim of Kabuleta’s rant was a one Mondo Kyateka, Commissioner of Youth and Children Affairs at the Ministry of Gender. Kabuleta deliberately misconstrues Kyateka’s observation. Whereas it be true that Agriculture can be a great employer for many an unemployed youth, Kyateka’s observation MUST be put into clear context.
Following the brutal end to Idi Amin’s brutal, rapacious and incompetent rule on April 11th1979, Ugandans hope of a safe and a prosperous state were quickly dashed by the Obote II regime. It is not incomprehensible that Kabuleta, for whom football legends names and stats roll of the tongue easily, allows his “snobbish and ‘arrivalist’ attitude” to conveniently misinform his readers.
A Commonwealth report from June 1979 concluded Uganda would need at least £750,000,000 before April 1981 to rebuild her most basic of infrastructure. This included reequipping what was once Black Africa’s finest hospital Mulago. Uganda received less than one tenth of these funds. Kabuleta, one tenth is approximately 1/10 = 0.1 = 10%.
1986 is a year that clearly infuriates Kabuleta. In his missive, he lists Uganda’s biggest imports then as tracks and vans, food processing machinery, construction machinery and mechanised farm equipment.
He states “Rural Uganda was healthy and booming.” By saying this, Kabuleta exposes the full range of his ignorance. Uganda’s economic statistics from 1986 to 1989 are not something that can be painted as rosy. A quick visit to Mr. Muhakanizi’s Ministry of Finance is in order for Kabuleta and his ‘minions’.
HE goes on: “Musevenism is that snobbish and ‘arrivalist’ attitude that makes state functionaries believe they are entitled to regal comfort” – I struggle to understand this. That 63% of Ugandans (among them ‘state functionaries’) chose Museveni over Besigye, Amama Mbabazi, Maureen Kyalya, Prof. Baryamureeba, Maj.Gen. Biraaro, Ms. Kyalya and Bwanika at the last election surely can’t be termed snobbish.
“The days when a president could appoint his wife and concubines to ministerial positions and Ugandans let it pass” HAVE NEVER been. The Hon. Mrs. Janet Museveni’s works among disadvantaged groups especially Widows and Orphans is well documented. Her excellent works in Karamoja – a docket shunned by many deserve commendation. I certainly know not of any ‘concubines’ appointed to ministerial positions.
In conclusion, Kabuleta asserts “Getting rid of Museveni is the easier part of this equation. Getting rid of Musevenisim will require a counter revolution.” – I conclude thus: "Kabuleta can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
Besi Ndereya Is a Communications Assistant at Government Citizen Interaction Center (GCIC), Ministry of ICT & National Guidance.
