Uganda
This is why dictator M7 throws “Small victories” to the opposition
Understanding the “Small Victories” in a Dictatorship – David Lewis Rubongoya
In the past, Uganda has been described by scholars and researchers as a “hybrid regime”. Hybrid regimes are those which are dictatorial at the core, but for convenience, they also put in place a semblance of democratic features. nnTherefore, a hybrid regime will hold regular elections every five years, but those elections are not free and fair. They will ensure that power does not change through those elections. At MP and local government levels, they may allow the opposition to get some seats, but substantially they ensure that real power remains in the hands of the autocratic regime. nnLikewise, although the judiciary is under capture, every once in a while, the opposition may get some court victories on matters not so great in significance to the regime. But on matters with potential to upset the status quo, such as Presidential Election Petitions, the Age Limit case, etc courts will not move an inch. Even if you have the most straight forward case, they would rather rely on some technicality to rule in favor of the regime. nnIn the same way, Parliament which is under the dictates of the autocrat, may sometimes pass resolutions that appear to be pro-people, but this can only be possible on matters that have no potential to answer the democratic question. When it comes to questions of term limits, substantive electoral reforms, etc, Members of Parliament are either persuaded through manipulation, or coerced and reminded how they must vote. If there is potential for rebellion in the August House, military choppers will hover over the Parliament building! nnThis goes for all other agencies including the Electoral Commission, security agencies, UCC, etc.nnThe regime will determine elections where they do not have much interest or where massive rigging may lead to worse problems for them. In those cases, you may have an opposition leader declared winner. nnIn a hybrid regime, the media may be allowed to operate and even criticise the autocrat. But the plug will be pulled when what is aired on the media gains traction and has real potential to rally the masses into action. Then the media houses will be closed, licenses revoked, etc. The fate of CBS in 2009 comes to mind.nnIn a hybrid regime, you may have institutions mandated to fight corruption. But those institutions are only capable of holding to account “small fish”. The real corrupt people in powerful places will always be shielded. nnYou may have a Human Rights Commission in place. They can entertain human rights complaints and even release reports critical to the state. But you will not see them call for the prosecution of the Generals who ordered for the execution of citizens in broad daylight. Cases of missing persons- if political in nature, will always be given a blind eye. Why? Because the institution heads know who appoints them and butters their bread. nnBut to an outside observer and even an insider who is not very critical, the presence of these institutions will be hailed as symbols of democratic rule. nnOne may ask, why do these regimes do this? They are super pretenders. They pretend to be democratic in nature for several reasons. nn1. To keep the international community persuaded to deal with them or simply not to throw them out. Outright dictatorship (rule by decree) has fallen out of favor internationally since the 1980s. At present, there are a few regimes which can manage to be outrightly autocratic and get away with it. nnSo most dictatorial regimes will pretend to exercise some democratic tendencies simply to hoodwink or manipulate the international community and keep them convinced that there is room for improvement. You will often hear a diplomat say, “Yes, things are bad, but they could be worse”. And so the regime is able to live to another day. nn2. To keep the population in check. Regimes of this nature know the inherent capacity of the people to rise up when they are pushed to the wall. So they will often throw some small victories to oppressed people, in order to keep them optimistic and not offended all the time. They may carry out nine oppressive moves and then notice the brewing anger. A “small victory” at that point may pacify the situation. However, if the oppressed people decide to, nonetheless go on to express their anger, then the regime puts every pretense aside and shows itself for the military dictatorship it is. nn3. Propaganda value. The few victories handed to the opposition in a dictatorship are often used by regime apologists to discredit the argument that things don’t work in the country. So if Parliament strikes down the Vinci Coffee Agreement or a court orders for the release of an opposition activist, you will often hear regime apologists say, “The opposition claims that courts don’t work, only when decisions are not in their favor.” When you criticise the lack of independence by the electoral body, they remind you how the same body declared some of your MPs winners. This is always well planned and choreographed in order to discredit a right argument. nnHere is another example. At the height of protests and political activities, political leaders will be trailed, beaten, arrested, harassed and kept under house arrest. But when there are no activities and in their assessment the risk is low, they will allow political leaders to move around freely but under watch. And their propagandists will be saying, “How can you be free to move around if we are in a dictatorship?” This is all manipulation. nnThere are other reasons for the pretense, including using small victories as baits for compromise and manipulation of desperate leaders within the opposition. nnBecause hybrid regimes are dictatorships in pretence, their true colors will always come out when they are under real threat. Survival is their main business and they don’t compromise on that. That is why we saw what we saw during the Age Limit debate. It wasn’t any debate. It was about the survival of the regime, and so they had to bring out all manner of violence and force. nnLikewise, during the 2020/21 campaigns when it became clear to the regime that there was no chance of even getting 30% of the vote, they resorted to the kind of brute force not experienced before in this land. Broad daylight executions, abductions, torture, illegal detentions, etc. What we saw between 18th and 19th November 2020 was the real military regime come out of its shell because they felt that their survival was on the line. nnI have written this down to simply supplement on the call for us no to be overly excited by some small victories we get a long the way, and forget the bigger picture. It is important that citizens understand how manipulative hybrid regimes are. That is the only way we shall be able to look beyond the small crumbs that fall off their table and pursue the right to sit at the table and charter the course for our country.nnThere is hope. At the fall of Omar al Bashir, I read an article titled – “Sudan’s Master-Manipulator Falls”. They fall.
Exclusive
Justin: Rt. Hon. Mathias Mpuuga asked to Resign After Admitting Taking Irregular Service Award 500 Million
Former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mathias Mpuuga asked to Resign by the NUP party to resign from the position of Commissioner of Parliament after admitting to having taken part in an irregular service award amounting to UGX 500 million.
There is an ongoing online protest under the hashtag #UgandaParliamentExhibition. The protest aims at exposing the massive corruption, abuse of office and gross mismanagement of public affairs by the leadership of Parliament and other leaders.
Unfortunately, the protest has not only revealed grand corruption on the side of NRM leaders. Some leaders on the opposition side have had serious allegations of corruption leveled against them. Specifically, our former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and current Parliamentary Commissioner, Rt. Hon. Mathias Mpuuga alongside three other Parliamentary Commissioners have been accused of irregularly awarding themselves huge sums of tax-payers’ money on the pretext of “Service Awards”. Under the scheme, Rt. Hon. Mpuuga was allocated 500,000,000/= (Five Hundred Million Uganda Shillings).
On Wednesday 28th February 2024, the President convened an urgent meeting comprised of senior leaders of the Party including all Deputy Presidents and some of our senior legislators. At the meeting, Rt. Hon. Mpuuga admitted that he indeed took part in this wrong doing and apologised for the same. In light of this, he was strongly advised that the moral thing to do in the circumstances is to step down from his role as Parliamentary Commissioner with immediate effect.
The nation will recall that the values of the National Unity Platform are Discipline, Reliability, Inclusiveness, Integrity, Patriotism and Service. All actions of corruption and abuse of office go contrary to these values. They also go contrary to the Integrity Oath which every leader of the Party swore at the start of this term.
We therefore ask our leaders at all levels to do self-reflection and recommit themselves to these values and the Oath they took to shun and fight corruption in all its forms.
Politics
Repressive Tactics used by Dictator Museveni to silence dissent and what activists have resorted to in Uganda.
What you need to know
“Activists in Uganda are increasingly recognizing the importance of exposing these enablers. By shining a light on the individuals who facilitate and execute Museveni’s oppressive tactics, activists aim to dismantle the system of impunity that allows such abuses to continue. This approach not only seeks to hold accountable those directly responsible for human rights violations but also challenges the broader power structures that sustain dictatorial rule.”
Yoweri Museveni’s authoritarian regime in Uganda has continued to systematically dismantle any form of dissent or opposition for over three decades. Museveni employs a range of repressive tactics designed to intimidate, silence and eliminate those who dare to criticize or oppose him.
Abductions carried out by security forces are commonplace, with critics of the regime seized from their homes or the streets, blindfolded and taken to undisclosed locations. In these ungazetted detention centers referred to as “safe houses”, detainees are subjected to torture and denied due process or access to lawyers and families. Some eventually resurface, dumped in remote areas, while many simply disappear without a trace an example is John Bosco Kibalama who was abducted on the 3rd of June 2019 and many others.
The use of unlawful detention is another key weapon for Museveni, who regularly has opposition leaders and activists unlawfully arrested and imprisoned for prolonged periods without trial. By locking up opponents indefinitely, the regime aims to weaken and fracture any organized resistance. Prominent opposition figures and academicians have found themselves thrown in jail on questionable charges.
Beyond detention, Museveni also ruthlessly clamps down on dissent through targeted killings and assassinations. Security operatives have shot opposition leaning prominent Ugandans in broad daylight and run vehicles of activists off the road. Homes of anti-regime lawyers and journalists have been raided by armed assailants resulting in point-blank murders. These violent silencing tactics instill deep fear across Ugandan society.
To try to evade accountability, Museveni relies on a network of enablers spread across the judiciary, security establishment, public sector and beyond. Complicit judges, officials, police chiefs and magistrates all play a role enacting the regime’s oppressive agenda through sham trials, trumped up charges, abductions, illegal detentions and more.
Police and soldiers carry out violent crackdowns on protests. Prison authorities hold detainees incommunicado and deny them due process. Together, these individuals form a machinery of oppression that ruthlessly crushes any challenge to Museveni’s authority.
Despite the grave risks, courageous activists continue exposing human rights abuses, building solidarity networks and using both legal means and civil disobedience to challenge the regime’s grip on power.
Human rights defenders and concerned civilians are documenting stories of torture and enforced disappearance, turning victims into symbols of resistance. Opposition leaders are calling for sanctions and travel bans against specific security officials complicit in abuses but most importantly against the man at the helm of all this, Museveni.
By targeting not just Museveni but also his lieutenants, activists are striking at the foundation of the regime’s repressive edifice. Their brave actions are leading to greater global solidarity, as international civil society groups amplify calls for accountability and governments face pressure to act against Museveni’s key henchmen.
With their focus on dismantling the structures and individuals propping up dictatorship, Ugandan activists offer hope for a future where impunity is replaced by justice. Our struggle is about more than just Museveni’s exit – it aims to build a Uganda where the human rights and civil liberties of all citizens are respected. Although the road ahead remains fraught with risks, these courageous voices show that even the most entrenched authoritarian systems are vulnerable when their victims unite to expose their abusers.
We there for call upon the entire human race globally to pay attention to what is happening in Uganda under Yoweri Museveni who captured power in 1986 through armed struggle and has clung onto power till to date by using the military to crush any opposition.
Museveni has gradually eroded democratic norms, removed term limits and age limits, and stifled any dissent in order to entrench his authoritarian rule. Ugandans have continued to pay a steep price as Museveni’s security apparatus abducts, tortures, detains and assassinates opposition voices with impunity.
The stories of victims like John Bosco Kibalama and many other disappeared Ugandans need to be heard. The voices of activists, opposition leaders, journalists and citizens being crushed by Museveni’s brutal machinery of oppression need to be amplified on the global stage.
Most of these Museveni repressive tactics were Cleary captured live on camera and documented well in the Bobi Wine the People’s president Documentary, a gripping documentary that chronicles the remarkable journey of Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician, as he strives to dismantle Uganda’s brutal dictatorship under Museveni brutal rule. The film delves into the 2021 Ugandan presidential election, where Bobi Wine, alongside his wife Barbie, leads a courageous fight for freedom against President Museveni’s oppressive 35-year regime
It is high time the international community re-examined its ties with Museveni’s regime and took concrete action to stand with Ugandans yearning to be free of decades of dictatorship. With rising resistance and striving for change, Uganda needs solidarity from world leaders, civil society and human rights defenders in this difficult struggle.
Writer
Social Activit JBMuwonge
Email: contact.jbmuwonge.com
Briefly about Bobi wine the people’s president
Bobi Wine: The People’s President is a gripping documentary that chronicles the remarkable journey of Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician, as he strives to dismantle Uganda’s brutal dictatorship under Museveni brutal rule. The film delves into the 2021 Ugandan presidential election, where Bobi Wine, alongside his wife Barbie, leads a courageous fight for freedom against President Museveni’s oppressive 35-year regime
In this powerful narrative, Bobi Wine’s activism and determination resonate as he rallies his people, challenging the status quo and advocating for change. The documentary sheds light on the intersection of music, politics, and human rights, making it a must-watch for those interested in social justice and the pursuit of democracy.
If you’re curious to explore this compelling story, you can find the full documentary on platforms like National Geographic and Disney+. It’s a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dare to challenge oppressive systems and fight for a better future.
Here is the Full Documentary of Bobi wine the People’s President
Bobi Wine The People’s President
Born in the slums of Kampala, Bobi Wine, Ugandan opposition leader, former member of parliament, activist and national superstar musician, risks his life to fight the ruthless regime led by Yoweri Museveni. Museveni has been in power since 1986 and changed Uganda’s constitution to enable him to run for yet another five-year term. Running in the country’s 2021 presidential elections, Bobi Wine uses his music to denounce the dictatorial regime and support his life mission to defend the oppressed and the voiceless people of Uganda. In this fight, he must also take on the country’s police and military, which are not afraid to use violence and torture in a vain attempt to intimidate and silence him and his supporters.
Bobi Wine The People’s President
Meet the Participants
BOBI WINE
PARTICIPANT
Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, famously known as Bobi Wine, is a musician turned politician who is the current leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the People Power Movement. Bobi was born in Mpigi District in Uganda on Feb. 12, 1982. He grew up in the Kamwokya slums in the northeast part of Kampala. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a veterinarian and farmer.
Bobi is a singer, musician, actor and activist. He has campaigned for hospital sanitization, malaria prevention, refugees’ rights and children’s education. His songs are known as peaceful protest and edutainment (a mix between education and entertainment), focusing on the struggles of Uganda’s underprivileged and low-income earners and calling upon young people to join politics and change their country’s destiny. He is married to Barbara Itungo Kyagulanyi, known as Barbie, with whom he has four children.
His characteristic enthusiasm for democratic discourse and the popularity he had earned from his prior artistic and philanthropic endeavors successfully endured his transition to politics. Bobi Wine continues to lead the NUP, the largest political opposition party in Uganda and has become the main opposition leader to President Museveni’s rule.
BARBARA “BARBIE” ITUNGO KYAGULANYI
PARTICIPANT
Barbara “Barbie” Itungo Kyagulanyi is an author, philanthropist and human rights activist.
Barbie’s 2012 book, “Golden Memories of a Village Belle,” gives insight into her early childhood experiences with village politics and local council elections, her African family unit, and the abject poverty that led to the early marriages of her childhood friends.
In 2013, Barbie founded Caring Hearts Uganda, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that seeks to champion development projects in rural areas, prioritizing health care, maternity, education and sanitary programs. The NGO supports empowering leadership in girls through HIV/AIDS eradication, menstrual hygiene instruction, and continuing education, teaching traditional Ugandan values while encouraging girls to stay in school. In the community, the NGO has extended entrepreneurship skills to teen mothers for personal development and sustainability.
With a master’s degree in human rights law from the University of London, Barbie has taken on the mantle of demanding equity and equality for women in political spaces through the women’s wing of the National Unity Platform political party, which is led by her husband, Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
Meet the Filmmakers
CHRISTOPHER SHARP
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Christopher Sharp was born in Uganda and has a deep appreciation for the country’s people, culture and extraordinary natural beauty. He spent his early working life as a film editor in London and more recently has revisited the profession as director of ‘Bobi Wine: The People’s President’.
He met Bobi and Barbie in 2017 and was inspired by their courage. Christopher believed in their extraordinary capacity to enact change, and instantly knew that their enormous sacrifice and resilience needed to be documented.
He worked closely with a number of talented individuals, including Editor Paul Carlin, as well as acclaimed Producer John Battsek, Co-Director Moses Bwayo, and other inspirational cinematographers. Collectively they have made a film which he hopes gives courage to all those who struggle under oppressive regimes.
MOSES BWAYO
DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Moses Bwayo is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker known for shooting and co-directing the award-winning feature documentary “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” (2023). Born in the village of Bududa on the slopes of Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda, Moses was introduced to filmmaking by peeking through cracks in the walls of local kibandas, bootleg movie theatres housed in wooden shacks. Wrapt in the exciting camerawork and storytelling of Hollywood’s martial arts films, Moses immediately fell in love with cinema.
At 19, he moved to the capital of Uganda, got a job as a portrait photographer, and began studying at Kampala University. In 2013, he graduated with honors with his Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication. Moses went on to earn a postgraduate diploma at Kampala Film School, the nation’s top film and television conservatory, and started working as a production sound recordist and cinematographer.
His life changed when he met Oscar®-nominated director Mira Nair, who was facilitating a workshop for aspiring filmmakers at her Maisha Film Labs. He was chosen as a boom operator on Nair’s short documentary “A Fork, a Spoon and a Knight” (2014). Subsequently, Nair took Moses under her wing and mentored him for two years, during which he performed sundry jobs for Disney’s “Queen of Katwe” (2016), travelling to the United States for the first time for the final mix with Nair in New York.
In 2016, Moses started his own production company in Kampala, Jajja Productions, where he oversaw production and post-production services on various commercial, documentary, and feature films. Moses’ reputation as a courageous verité cinematographer and local fixer began to grow, shooting for ABC, BBC, and VICE News for their Uganda-based productions.
In late 2017 His life changed again when he began work on the feature documentary “Bobi Wine: The People’s President.” Working closely with co-director and producer Christopher, Moses spent five harrowing years following Bobi Wine, a pop star turned politician who ran for president opposing Yoweri Museveni, a dictator who has been in power since 1986. During the production, Moses was arrested, imprisoned, and shot in the face at close range while filming. Two-time Oscar winner John Battsek also produced the film. With mounting threats to him and his family for making the film, Moses fled Uganda to the United States.
“Bobi Wine: The People’s President” premiered to a 10-minute standing ovation at the 2022 Venice Film Festival in September 2022, where it sold to National Geographic before making its U.S. premiere at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival. The film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Hamptons International Film Festival.
JOHN BATTSEK
PRODUCER
John Battsek is one of the most successful producers in feature documentary filmmaking. Starting with Academy Award winning One Day in September, which John conceived of and produced, he has since been responsible for some of the most acclaimed documentaries in recent years.
John’s most notable credits include Academy Award & BAFTA-winning Searching For Sugar Man, Academy Award-nominated Restrepo and Winter On Fire, and Emmy-winning Manhunt: The Story Of The Hunt For Bin Laden, The Tillman Story and Forever Pure. John served as producer on Grammy-nominee Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars and the BAFTA nominated & Peabody winning Listen to Me Marlon. John also served as Executive Producer on the BAFTA Award winning The Imposter and Hillsborough.
In 2020, John launched his new production company Ventureland with long-time PrettyBird collaborators Kerstin Emhoff, Ali Brown and Paul Hunter. His most recent credits include Emmy Award winning The Rescue (National Geographic), double Emmy winning Rising Phoenix (Netflix), critically acclaimed biopics Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, and Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story. In 2022 John served as producer on Mary McCartney’s directorial debut, If These Walls Could Sing, the story of London’s iconic Abbey Road recording studio, which premiered at Telluride 2022 and was released on Disney+.
Most recently, John produced the freediving documentary The Deepest Breath which premiered at Sundance 2023 and will be released by Netflix later this year. John also produced Alex Gibney’s portrait of former tennis legend Boris Becker (Apple TV+) and a three-part series on David Beckham directed by Fisher Stevens for Netflix.
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