Almost all political parties in Uganda are at their lowest ebb, unfortunately at a time when the population has high expectations and is anxious to participate in a process that will provide the next national leadership.
Indeed, the plague that has engulfed the leadership of Uganda’s political organisations serves as an indicator as to the levels of bigotry and malfeasance that characterize our political terrain.
As we approach the election date, there is apparent discontent from some of the members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), who have lost in the just-concluded primaries, a development that has prompted the party to establish a ‘special tribunal’ to address the grievances of the losers.
But the group of losers should appreciate that in every contest there is always one winner and after the elections they should marshall all their efforts to ensure the success of the party.
Then there is The Democratic Alliance (TDA) where there has been persistent bickering since the loose political organization ‘grafted’ to challenge incumbent President Yoweri Museveni in the 2016 polls failed to come up with a flag bearer by consensus. This resulted into the aspirants declaring each would go it alone, never mind that there seem to be ongoing negotiations to try and rejuvenate the antagonistic members of Alliance.
Indeed, as of yesterday there was loose talk that the two Principals, Mbabazi and Dr Besigye, are in talks aimed at having one of them become the ‘Ceremonial President’ and the other ‘Executive Prime Minister’.
But both camps are tight-lipped about the touchy issue, yet it seems to have far-reaching implications on their political ambitions and as such the two should be able to come clean and tell the populace what is really cooking in their pot. That way they will calm the nerves of their supporters.
That said, in the Democratic Party, President General Norbert Mao and staunch party member, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, are at loggerheads, their differences almost pushing the DP into oblivion.
Also, the Uganda Peoples Congress is ‘on fire’, with party ‘President’ Jimmy Akena facing ‘arrest’ after failing to turn up for a court hearing in which he, together with 13 other party officials are charged with trespass on the Uganda House, the formal party headquarters.
So, against such a background the big question is: What is wrong with our parties and political organisations?