Between Museveni’s frying pan and Bobi Wine’s fire

Uganda has a new hero: Bobi Wine. He is being presented to us domestically and internationally as the symbol of our struggle for democracy, freedom, liberty and social transformation. Even some of our “intellectuals” are treating him as an alternative to President Yoweri Museveni. This is the pathway to disaster.

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The dangers of public opinion

Why the recent state brutality towards opposition politicians and journalists should make us revisit liberal traditions

The 19th century cartoon character, pot-bellied bourgeoisie Monsieur Prudhomme, carried a large sword with a double intent: primarily to defend the republic against it enemies, and secondarily, to attack it should it stray from its course. In the same manner my professional work as a political commentator has always had two purposes: one, to defend the cause ofliberty, freedom and democracy;and two, to attack pseudo democrats who claim to fight for these ideals in their reckless pursuit of power.

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Museveni’s government is in disarray but why won’t it fall?

Museveni decorates Kayihura before he fell from grace. Kayihura made very many mistakes but his role is already being missed on many fronts

The recent crackdown on pro “Free Bobi Wine” protesters in Kampala is not a sign of President Yoweri Museveni’s strength but vulnerability. This crackdown is being conducted by the police reinforced by the army. The soldiers have been excessively arbitrary, not distinguishing protesters from journalists. They brutally assault anyone they can land their brutal fingers on.

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The disintegration of the FDC

Why liberal minded Ugandans should celebrate the breakup of FDC and rally behind its enlightened leaders

 The inevitable is happening. Uganda’s largest opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), is breaking up. Twenty two out of its 36 Members of Parliament (MPs) are quitting the party to form another. They will initially present the new party as a pressure group to avoid the requirement that they seek re-election upon crossing the floor. However, one year to the 2021 elections they will officially announce the new party whose leader will most likely be Mugisha Muntu.

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Why we must all condemn brutal arrest, torture of Bobi Wine

COMMENT | Andrew Mwenda |  I have read the report of the Uganda Human Rights Commission on the way Bobi Wine was arrested and tortured and it is disturbing. He was not at the scene of the incident where the president’s convoy was pelted with stones. The SFC soldiers who arrested and tortured him found him in his hotel room, more than an hour after the incident.

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Uganda’s incompetence paradox part 2

How Uganda performs well in spite of corruption and incompetence and what it teaches us

In 2013 I wrote an article with exactly this headline, the reason this is named “Part 2”. It was about how the state in Uganda exhibits gross corruption and incompetence and yet in many aspects the country performs well. What explains this? I want to suggest that the state in Uganda has been successful in large part because it divested itself of the responsibility to do many things leaving individuals in our society the freedom to pursue their talents in the market.

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Africa over the last 30 years

Why the claim that our continent’s problems are caused by “poor governance” is a lot of baloney

I have just re-read the 1989 report of the World Bank titled “Sub Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Development.” It is a rich document in terms of the data it gives about Sub Saharan Africa (hereinafter called Africa). It is also in this report that the World Bank introduced (for the first time) the argument that one of the powerful causes of Africa’s poor economic performance was “governance.” The report itself did use the expression “good governance”. That was in the Foreword by the World Bank president.

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