Opinion: Bobi Wine Kyagulanyi is not the enemy of the state

By Richard Mbayo 

Why is the government which fought for Democracy and Restoration of Human Rights and Freedoms become more intolerant, riddled with accusations of corruption that boggle the mind? 

There are events happening today that make one wonder. One Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine was meant to be hosted on 100.6 BCU FM Mbale after paying the fee for Airtime to enable him to talk to the public in Eastern city of Mbale. He was denied access to Political talk show and the radio was switched off and was directed to return to Kampala while on the same day August 8, 2020 a procession to receive an ambulance donated by State Minister of Finance for Investment and Privatization MP of Koboko Evelyn Anite took place in Koboko town putting lives of Ugandans into danger of COVID-19.

The Electoral Commission issued roadmap where it introduced Virtual-Scientific Elections which calls for Scientific Campaigns. In this road map,  aspiring candidates are required to conduct campaigns via mass media: radio, television and social media outlets in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19 although only 30% of the population have access to electricity. Therefore, it means that remaining percentage is at the mercy of Political God for the voters to get information.

How do you expect young ambitious Ugandans who are yearning for change to sit back and watch the space while their rights and freedoms as stipulated in the Constitution of Uganda are being violated by State? When all the doors to change are shut, the young determined youth will find a way to liberate themselves since the 86 Liberation seems liberated those who are dressed in yellow colour not all the people regardless of the political affiliation.

When Opposition Candidates organize a meeting, they are always frustrated by the State Police or the Election Commission which meant to be the regulator of these proceedings.  The Alliance for National Transformation wrote a letter to the EC seeking permission to hold a delegates conference, and would not receive a reply until almost a day to the event which was eventually cancelled. 

Meanwhile leading NRM candidates continue to hold unscientific public rallies with no interference from the authorities. There is the case in Lira City by MoH, in Mbale by Mike Mukula who organized meeting in a Church yet Churches are banned in the name of COVID-19. By the look of things, it seems that COVID-19 FEARS and does not spread among NRM candidates since they are holding public rallies.

Time is now that voters to express themselves by making a fundamental decision which will impact the rest of their lives. The decision is very simple, it's either to maintain current status quo by voting for Yellow or opting for Red which seems to have answers to the questions nationals are raising. Matters of national importance in regard to healthcare, education, rampant and unprecedented corruption, rule by law yet they promised rule of law, poor living standards of police and army, rampant unemployment among trained youth, sectarian divisions that are raising their ugly head again. All these issues need to be answered by February 2021 by the nationals themselves.

As a law-abiding citizen of Pearl of Africa who loves Peace, I challenge the Independent Electoral Commission to reflect as its name. Ugandans understand the frustration, stress that comes when one loses office especially the top office in the Land since it's the source of Bread and Butter but for the betterment of Uganda, Time is now for EC to install confidence among the Nationals by distancing itself from the State and requires the EC to be Neutral. At the beginning of this week, UPC cleared the air that it's not one fighting for colors and UPC insisted that the color was is being Engineered by the regulator or the referee which is the EC.

Who are the enemies of State? The enemy of the state is not Bobi Wine Kyagulanyi Ssentamu. The real enemies of the state are the people who embezzle public funds and donations like from the Covid Taskforce. The real enemies of the state are those who misappropriate money meant to build hospitals and improve healthcare for the ordinary person removing forever the need to fly abroad to get better medical care. These are the real enemies of the state who need to be weeded out by the 2021 elections.  

 

Richard Mbayo is a Graduate Student at Silk Road School of Renmin University of China. Mbayo holds a Bachelor of Development Studies from Kyambogo University.