Uganda’s former Minister for privatisation and Former Makerere University guild president (1962-1963) Canon Hon Mathew Rukikaire has asked the political parties in Uganda to believe in dialogue as it’s only the answer that will usher in peaceful transition.
He said this on NRM liberation day as he discussed issues related to the 36 years of the ruling National Resistance Movement.
Rukikaire noted that the country still needs freedom of speech although the government at some point doesn’t allow most media houses to work independently.
“We still have freedom of speech, although they don’t allow you to publish certain things. I don’t think another bush war would solve the problem. I believe dialogue is the answer; it had better happen when some of us are still around to contribute” Rukikaire said.
Rukikaire also said that National Resistance Movement NRM ran into serious problems in the central region and so you can’t have a region like Buganda where NRM is totally wiped out in elections and then you say that you leading this country expecting it to get on the same level in terms of development hence describing it as unhealthy thus a need for dialogue to find the long standing solution.
He says he is happy with some groups which are joining Uganda’s politics but whose aims are good and won’t let them into another war.
“I have heard the Kyagulanyi group say they don’t want war. Today’s problems can be corrected through genuine national dialogue, which is not dominated by NRM or another group.” Rukikaire said.
The former cabinet minister added that Uganda’s economic stability was achieved to some extent but later down the line, the country got problems.
He says that a big issue that must be addressed today if it’s to be stable, the government must reduce on borrowing that might lure the country in turmoil.
“I don’t think we have achieved the democracy we had planned at that time. We need to ask ourselves whether we have brought the democracy we are proud of,” he concluded.
