A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

As relationship with Mengo is seen, by recent events, to be heading to the dumps, the Gunman is courting Mengo’s historical rival, the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. Bunyoro Kingdom. With Buganda Kingdom being obstinately stubborn and the characteristic monolithic Baganda electorate that follows, the numbers to win the 2011 may be problematical for the Museveni man who wants to rule Uganda for life.

Incidentally, the life presidency is not a new quest in Uganda. Idi Amin Dada, DSO, CSO, The Conquerer of the British Empire & What Have You, just declared himself one. One Museveni is more subtle about it. He bribed MPs with less than $3,000 each to strike down the law on term limits. And strike it they did assuring him of standing for the presidency as long as he wishes. In the African context, in which the incumbent never loses, that means life presidency. However, there is a problem; in the last election he, Museveni garnered only 59% of the popular vote. Usually this is a threshold when an election begins to become competitive. If he loses in Buganda, then he has to make it up substantially in other regions besides his assured Western Uganda—hence, the love affair with the Omukama of Bunyoro-Kitara. And a friend in need is friend indeed—may be. Bunyoro is also on a quest for a lost glory in which the British, with the connivance of Buganda, humiliated Omukama Iguru's grandfather, King Kabalega. There is, therefore, a congruence of needs--a kind of: you scratch by back and I will scratch yours. But will Bunyoro be enough? The North, once on the fringes, may come into play and should expect some heavy breathing and petting!