OPINION: Leaders need to help Uganda heal - inciting violence by diatribe talk is dangerous

Let us hope that soon Hon. Dr. Lilian Aber, the Woman MP for Kitgum will also realise the need to tender in her apology for the diatribe outburst that is trending and attributed to her. Surely there must be a point at which the country should be allowed to heal from the grief and the anger that it has generated. The death of Jacob Oulanyah shouldn't be exploited by the leaders of Acholi or from any other region to stir up unnecessary polarisation or hatred among the peoples of Uganda.

The NRM government had successfully managed to unite Uganda and thus helped the country to rise beyond the shallow tribal sentiments that used to characterise Uganda in the 1970s and early 80s during the regimes of Idi Amin and Milton Obote.

It is doubtful if most adults in Buganda for example have forgotten the despicable attrocities that were metted on people particularly in Buganda by those who were in the governments of Amin and Obote particularly their army and security agencies. However, when the NRA/NRM under the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni and grounded in the need for reconciliation in order to build the country, all these attrocities were put aside (forgotten). The result was that there was a general embracing and welcoming of everybody irrespective of their past involvement in the past regimes. That is how the NRM government was able to pacify the country and to ensure that we have the peace the country has enjoyed for all these years.

Now, it should come as disturbing for a leader of the level of an MP in the National Assembly to seem to be inciting or stirring up violence against any particular Ugandan. It doesn't matter whether the person being targeted in that rant is in the opposition. It is a dangerous precedent being set for the country.

It is unnecessary and unwarranted. While appreciating the cause of the anger for the leadership in Acholi, there are still other more acceptable ways of addressing their concern other than taking this rather unpleasant route that seems to be the trend now with the leadership of the sub region.

Hopefully, reason will prevail in the soonest and the Honourable leader retracts her words.