Museveni Warns Opposition But Promises to Serve All

Tabu Butagira

13 May 2011

President Museveni was yesterday sworn-in for a new five-year term, the fourth elective one for him, in an observance attended by only nine of 32 invited Presidents.

The inauguration at a retouched Kololo Ceremonial Ground in Kampala puts Mr Museveni on course to rule for 30 years – and more than half of Uganda’s Independence golden jubilee due next year.

At 12:26pm, Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki handed to the President-elect copies of the Ugandan Constitution and National Anthem, a Presidential Standard (flag), the Court of Arm and Public (government) Seal as instruments of power, shortly after Mr Museveni took the oaths of Allegiance and President.

The key, which in previous inaugurations was offered to the President-elect as a symbol of unlocking State House, was missing yesterday and officials would not say if the omission was because the key is the official symbol of the opposition FDC party.

He promised to uphold, protect, promote and defend the Constitution as well as the welfare of all Ugandans, asking God to bless him in the discharge of his presidential functions. Anglican Archbishop Luke Orombi prayed that Uganda remains a blessing to its citizens and neighbours on the journey to destiny.

Warning

All opposition leaders, except former People’s Development Party presidential candidate Abed Bwanika, shunned the ceremony arising from a February 18 vote they discredit as “a sham”.

The political opponents vow not to recognise the new government formed on the basis of the disputed results turning instead to embrace a walk-to-work demonstration over runaway inflation called by pressure group, Activists for Change.

In his 41-minute speech, the shortest in years, Mr Museveni chided the opposition leaders as “sectarian and opportunists” by disputing results of an election in which he said “Ugandans have coalesced into such a consensus” incomparable since creation. The incumbent obtained 68.3 per cent of the ballot.

“I would, therefore, call upon those who have been pushing sectarian ideas and pushing opportunism to join the national consensus instead of being desperate and embarking on disruptive schemes,” he said.

“Those disruptive schemes [of the opposition] will be defeated just like the previous opportunistic schemes have been defeated. The massive victory by the NRM in the February 2011 elections, therefore, was a triumph of progress and even revolutionary ideology over reactionary ideology.”

As the President and guests celebrated at Kololo, gunshots rang out and acrid smell of teargas filled the air on the highway to Entebbe International Airport as a battery of regular and military police forcibly broke up a huge crowd of supporters accompanying FDC President Kizza Besigye on his homecoming from treatment in Nairobi.

Inflation

Mr Museveni addressed himself yet again to the problem of rising food and other commodity costs, this time round announcing tangible options government is considering to ease the economic stress.

35-year-old Joseph Mwesigye, a boda boda cyclist, said he could not be at Kololo because “I have to look for food for my family.”

He was 10 years and staying in the village when the incumbent took power in 1986. Now a father of four and heading a family of seven, Mr Mwesigye is hurt that a kilo of maize flour that sold at Shs600 has jumped to Shs1, 600.

Mr Museveni said the government is looking to South Sudan, its northern neighbour expected to become Independent by July 1 following a favourable January 9 plebiscite, for cheaper oil.

“Regarding the current short term problems of increased fuel prices and food prices, we are looking at the option of buying fuel in bulk and also the option of approaching the Government of South Sudan,” the President said.

“I am told that buying in bulk lowers prices. I am also told that fuel in Juba is cheaper. I intend to approach the Government of South Sudan to see the possibilities.”

The oil question

Presently, the country’s oil reserve tanks in Jinja are dry, adding to the burdens of oil consumers as pump prices in Kampala rose yet again by Shs50 on Wednesday.

Mr Museveni announced government will build food stores (silos), an opposition demand, so prices and supplies are stabilised during surplus and shortage, respectively.

Earlier in the day, UPDF Air Force MIG pilots did spectacular maneuvers midway the political rite, simultaneously frightening and thrilling guests, with somersaults over the city – reminiscent of military might.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled for 31 years, arrived amid tighter security and an uproarious welcome before taking a seat next to Chief Justice Odoki who sat to the immediate right of Mr Museveni.

The First Lady, dressed in a black skirt and red top, sat on her husband’s immediate left.

Presidents present

In the VIP tent also was Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in power for two decades; Mohammed Abdelaziz of the North Africa’s Sahwari Republic and Nigeria’s Jonathan Goodluck, who won an election last month.

Other presidents included Joseph Kabila (Democratic Republic of Congo), Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Sheik Sharif (Somalia), Salva Kiir (South Sudan) and Mwai Kibaki (Kenya) as well as his predecessor Daniel arap Moi.

None of them spoke but each stood up and waved to the crowd amid ululation as they were introduced in turns. Notable absentees included Rwanda’s Paul Kagame who instead sent his Prime Minister, Bernard Makuza; South Africa’s Jacob Zuma (represented by Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane) and beleaguered Libyan leader, Col. Muammar Gaddafi. A horde of ambassadors accredited to Kampala attended, but no top official of any Western government or China and Russia was present.

But Mr Kabila’s attendance appears to signify thawing of previously strained relations between Uganda and DRC following the invasion of the latter by the former during the 1997-2003 war.

The DRC leader, who took office in January 2001, ten days after the assassination of his father/former president Laurent-Désiré Kabila, last met his Ugandan counterpart nearly two years ago at Mpondwe border post in western Uganda.

At yesterday’s ceremony, Mr Museveni harangued his handlers for omitting African Union Chairman Jean Ping, new East African Community Secretary, Dr Richard Sezibera, and Abdulrahin Abdi, the regional bloc’s Speaker from the guest list.

It was Security Minister Amama Mbabazi, not his Foreign Affairs counter Sam Kutesa or his junior Oryem-Okello, who alerted the President to the diplomatic blunder.

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