Opinion: How The Animal Farm Tale Is Actualized In NRM's 35 Years In Power

By Kiyimba Joseph

Kampala, Uganda (RTN) -In his book "The Animal Farm", Mr. George Orwell made a prophetic prediction and appraisal of what almost non of his readers ever thought would more vividly obtain in human history more than it is in Mr. Museveni's Uganda.

Led by the seemingly patriotic and compassionate pigs, animals that had been oppressed mobilised and organized and successfully rebelled against their Master. 

The animals were happy to run their own affairs in fairness, sharing into the successes and equally shouldering the burden of the Farm together.

Napoleon, however, led by the lust for power, authority and comfort reneged on all the farms social contract, agreements, treaties and promises they made to each other.

 He embanked on a putsch to get rid of those who wanted to tame his power.

Misery returned and again became the way of life but Squealer, the chief propagandist always handy to remind the other animals that the farm had become better under the wise leadership of the comrade Napoleon without whom the farm would never survive. 

At the end of it all, life at the farm had become worse than before!

This tale of long ago is very much in Uganda today and it has never been more clearly and glaringly vivid than during this Covid19 crisis.

Almost 35 years ago, Museveni overthrew what he called a tyrannical,  intransigent, corrupt and brutal regime of his former boss Milton Obote and founder of the political party which has become his open ally, the UPC !

Mr. Museveni arrived in Kampala, the base of Uganda's Political Power on 25/01/1986 with the Ten Points Programme  exactly like  the Seven Commandments of The Animal Farm in addition to the "Fundamental Change" slogan.

However, what the country has witnessed in the last 35 years is a sad spectacle of the naked misuse of power and trust that many of his colleagues, in addition to us that he found in Kampala could never imagine.

This Covid19 fight has exposed even to those who were still in doubt about how the unfolding are in a most clear replay of The Animal Farm.

General Museveni, as lied to by his numerous Mr. Squirrels has been projected as the most Patriotic, Heroic and Closely next to God just like himself and his supporters say and that without him Uganda will not survive. 

The recent resolution passed by parliament declaring Mr. Museveni the Covid19 'hero' was the highest demonstration of mediocrity surpassing by far what Mr. George Orwell thought a system can deteriorate to.

If I were Mr. Museveni, I would denouce that sarcastic motion and even institute  an investigation which would result into some arrests. Otherwise the action has highly dented Museveni's image internationally and thrown his efforts into jeopardy.

Secondly, the corruption, cash Bonanza, outright looting and sharing of national resources within his rulling class. A man who rightly described the 10bn cash Bonanza by MPs as immoral, can't be the same one to be accused or suspected to be the one involved into another 20bn/- cash Bonanza in addition to much more as revealed by the speaker of the Ugandan parliament. 

All this looting is taking place in an environment when TVs are showing poor people donating to the same officials from a government whose members are rumsacking the national treasury. What kind of government is this? 

The same government has locked people home to starve  to death with their children in their houses, as their officials are going about with their private businesses!

Even the trailers importing corona virus to the "house arrested" Ugandans are said to be their businesses, explaining why they can't take drastic measures against them.

As though all these are not enough, the ministry of Foreign Affairs pulls out another deeply disappointing and annoying revelation.

Vulnerable Ugandan students have been crying to be airlifted back in the country. It's suspected that some Ugandan students even died of hunger in countries like Algeria!

In China, very disheartening pictures were being shared showing how Ugandans were being thrown into the streets with no help, not even a word of support from the Ugandan government. 

Good Samaritans like Mr. Bobi Wine had offered to airlift some of our stranded Ugandans back home. Other usual medical exercises including 14 day's quarantine would then be done but when they are home. 

Although the NRM government was not going to spent even a coin, they flatly rejected the request by Hon. Bobi Wine. But can afford to charter planes and facilitate their own relatives with taxpayers money to return home violating all kinds of the rules set. This ofcourse indicates that people have been returning without the public knowing. 

We are only lucky that this time around a whistle blower volunteered this information of which, apart from ranting nothing will be done. Their relatives will return and will be comfortable.

The collective wealth of our nation is being selectively distributed to facilitate a network of the ruling family, friends and in-laws while the rest of Ugandans are starving with their  children in houses with nothing to eat! This is grossly unfair! It's very sad and indeed painful. 

Like the chant “four legs good, two legs better” slogan we have moved from Fundamental change to No change the pakalast, and now President for life.

But some day, the hunter will be the hunted!!