In 2001 when I joined Senior Three, I quickly embarked on self discovery, of how bad I can become. The same journey Ugandan youths have boarded. Most children do that in Senior Two, so that by Senior Three, they are either excelling or reforming.
I missed that opportunity, I was one year late, just like Ugandan youths who missed genuine opportunities to riot when a minister delegated Vice President, or when IGG reported that just 200 people are stealing 25 percent of the National Budget.
The missed opportunities are endless. All the same, I said better late than never, as Minister Kahinda Otafiire encouraged the youths to rise up now or never.
I joined a group of guys who had already discovered the extent of their notoriety. Like the Kenyan youths who over powered police and marched to parliament, seizing Speaker’s mace amongst other damages.
I was naturally calm, tolerant, accepting like Ugandan youngs who after graduating and finding no jobs, enrolled for betting. They stake Shs1,000 in 12 matches, expecting Shs1 million. They left Museveni to run his “thing”.
At that time, a pastor had hired our hostel’s multipurpose Hall to conduct his church service. The hall was our lousing room, sitting room, dining room, reading room amongst others. The same way Uganda is all we have.
We didn’t understand the deal between the landlord and the pastor, because it wasn’t our business. Like the guys who overthrew Kampala. They didn’t need to explain themselves to Kampala people.
The church would occupy the hall from 8am to 5pm every Sunday. They would pray until God answered their prayers. I am not saying the revolutionaries are not going anywhere until they liberate Uganda from themselves.
After so much noise, perhaps to announce their presence, The church started making real impacts; character reforms of our students, especially the girls. We didn’t like that. We started losing our members. I am not equating it to Emyooga, PDM, Youth Livelihood Fund that are changing lives and threatening poverty in the villages.
So, we started threatening Pastor that we will beat them up, burn their equipment and bibles the same way the youths want to march to Parliament and do that which Kenyans did.
At first, the church was threatened. They begged us to be good students, reform and embrace the Lord so we can bear fruits in future. Did Inter-Religious Council of Uganda say something like that too? That the youths should embrace peace and abandon the rioting ideas?
Well, the more they begged us, the more we threatened. Soon they got tired and started threatening back. Like President Museveni said in his Saturday address that the youths should stop playing with fire.
We wouldn’t tolerate being defeated by mere counter threat, so we actually hatched a plan to beat up the church congregation and burn their equipment on Easter day. Mind you, it was not a small church anymore.
On that fateful day, because I was not naturally notorious with balls and boldness to do that, really like Ugandan youngs we prefer rioting online so that no one gets shot dead, arrested, kidnapped, abducted and beaten. I convinced my guys that we first drink some alcohol, and return when charged, ready for the mission.
I dont know what good Ugandan youths who want to act bad will smoke. I am not sure if the Kamwokya supply is of the required quantity. Indeed, we went and drank four jugs of kwete (maize brew) on my bill. By 1pm, we returned.
To our shock, God must have had a plan to either protect us or the church or both. Pastor changed course. He opted to preach using a film. A Nigerian Christian movie. We found the church as full to capacity. Quiet and calm. At that time, cinema was not an everyday thing. We knew if we attempted to disrupt it, we would be beaten to demise, by even non church goers.
Like President Museven said, that the Kalerwe people will not accept any riot to damage their furniture. To save ourselves, we joined the church. Like he (Museveni) told the youths to join wealth creation initiatives like PDM to defeat poverty.
As the movie was ending, that touching part when the lady was getting liberated from demons, the pastor got up, picked his microphone and started calling those who want to give their life to Jesus, so they can experience similar liberation.
We were the first, with our hands up in the space (not in their air anymore) and tears rolling our eyes. We went, knelt down to the shock of everybody. Whether we acted by conviction of the holy spirit or alcohol, we got saved.
So please, let the handful youth have the opportunity to riot, to discover that Uganda is a unique country.
The writer is a public policy analyst with interest in politics.