OPINION: The Political Hope That Never Materialized

One thing about Ugandans is the high rate at which we get excited over anything and how fast we quickly move on. Just a year and a few months ago, the talk of towns & villages was “the political wave”.

True to its nature, it sent some shocks but did not gather enough strength to graduate into a storm. There was a lot of excitement among the youth, especially the “tiktokers” many saw themselves as part of the movement that was to change the political scene of Uganda.

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The pessimists among us laughed it off having en insulated with vulgarity for raising doubts & questions. The youth felt it was their time and we were well equipped to unseat the person they considered “a dictator”.

If you belonged to the opposition, you were either for them or considered a “sell-out” or a useless numskull. The “wave” leader was elevated to the level of a “demi-god” worth worshipping, anything poker en, written in question about the “principal actions, and ideas would earn you a package of insults.

You were supposed to nod to his every statement in the presence of his supporters & followers. In a country where acting less intelligent is a mode of survival, you had no other choice to but reserve your comments. Some smart opposition politicians in Edmonton on the bandwagon for their political survival.

Slogans one after another followed. The NRM handlers realized the gaps in there and took advantage to calm the wave before it could make a heavy landing.

Arrests here and there, a show of might keep many silent with consolation slogans like wee londa strike”( just vote & remain silent”) after the first one failed to yield the expected change of backwash Kyagulanyi”(leave it to Kyagulanyi to handle) because M7 yaliCatalinaa kidaako”(did not have a better plan).

To silence the wave even further, the NRM handlers turned to the social media wars buying off social media video bloggers while weakening others.

Meanwhile, while seasoned opposition politicians who had ridden on the wave’s fame slowly went silent, the NRM openly started showing strategies for 2026. While the “wave” followers & supporters were happy for “having exposed” NRM’s weakness (like NRM cared).

Cracks are now being exposed. Imaginary or real courtesy of state-run media houses. Though expected in any political party, What may be or is happening in NUP is not any different from all institutions in the country from government, religious, and cultural to political.

The accusations of the leader living a celebrlifestyletyle, leaders making the final word without advice, not having a right to question accountability, intrigue, elbow fights & many more have turned out to be part of our society and may not deter the support of a strong follower.

The pessimists in us now wonder what is next (oba Latina Alina kidako). Obaofe “Tusilike”. Or should we remind you that we promised to remind you when you don’t get the anticipated change from “situlago, hajj kulayiira, e meer e Mombabulletproofroof SUV, to Sirika”.

After the failed Tsunami Which promised a better deal than Ssemwogere’s DP change, we lost the excitement and moved on, with this too I am sure we shall move on before picking another excitement in 026.

“Otegedde kyenkugamba oba sirina kyenkugamba”?

Opinion by Absolom Lubwama

Absolom Lubwa does print write-ups ups, language translation, and events planning. He began writing his debut novel during the first cooutbreakreak and world lock wn in 2020 with the use of a mobile phone He is the author of Behind Stormtorm and Marriage an AfriMan’san’s perspective When he’s not writing, he offers a free hand at counseling, plays the saxophone, takes nature walks, travels taking photogr hs or does journaling at a coffee shop.