Uganda: Opposition Told to Wait for Their Turn, in 40 Years

By Staff Writer

Ugandan government spokesman, Ofwono Opondo, kicked off a political storm in Kampala, with his remarks while replying to a question posted on Twitter, after an opinion poll showed President Yoweri Museveni as a clear favorite for 2016 elections.

Opondo said that the ruling National resistance Movement (NRM) ”is in for a very long journey with the people of Uganda,” under  Museveni’s  leadership, since the ousting of Milton Obote in 1986

“However much the opposition tries, they will not win any elections because they don’t have a proper agenda for the Ugandan people and proper ably will have to wait until 2056, when they have matured enough,” he said.

“It is under the President Yoweri Kaguta museveni’s capable leadership that Uganda for the first time is stable,” he said.

These remarks come shortly after it was alleged that Museveni was grooming his son to take over as the country’s reigns’ of power after he retires from politics. A trend common in the African political context, where democracy is only by word of mouth and power is relinquished to the next of kin.

His government has come under criticisms in the recent past by the  western nations for undermining democracy for his own personal gain through threats and humiliation of the opposition’s, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader, Dr. Kizza Besigye, which caused public outcry.

The international election observers and political analysts in Uganda view these statements by the government spokesman as red light that the coming general election will be marred with irregularities and violence, and that the situation will be at its worst, since the passing of the draconian Anti-gay Bill,” It is only in Africa that incumbent presidents never lose elections.”