The last couple of weeks have seen Uganda’s political trend tilted towards a different direction.
Young turks like Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi AKA Bobi Wine and Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake have challenged the ruling party, won and even helped other candidates gain ground.
Both are hospitalised at Lubaga Hospital in the outskirts of Kampala after they were brutally arrested and allegedly tortured by extremist security agents a day before the Arua Municipality By-Election that saw opposition leaning Kasiano Wadri trounce NRM’s Nusura Tiperu for the contentious seat that previously belonged to NRM under fallen Ibrahim Abiriga.
The arrest and incarceration of Opposition figures especially Bobi Wine attracted widespread attention across the world. Ugandans went protesting,while in other cities across the world, placard wielding fanatics cheered on.
But, amidst all this, is can Bobi Wine and team maintain the tempo to cause change?
Andrew Mwenda, a political and economic pundit thinks the attempts wont yield any changes. He wrote “Bobi Wine’s only qualification as an alternative to Museveni is that he is critical of the status quo. Our “intellectuals” don’t care what he stands for, the values he represents, the policy alternatives he proposes, the leadership abilities he has exhibited, the alliances he is cultivating and the organizational ability he has demonstrated”
While President Museveni said Bobi Wine had terrorism cases to answer. Museveni also emphasised that cases of “terrorism” against Kyadondo East MP,shall continue. This to the ordinary Ugandan means the legislator will be in and out of court endlessly.
All eyes are now on the young MPs as they recuperate from their hospital beds and what their next steps will be.
