War Babies Have Come of Age

For five years as war raged in the Luweero Triangle and beyond, Ugandans spitted out babies by the millions. The National Resistance Army (NRA) won, bringing relative peace. Some people then “could sleep” and produce more babies. Twenty plus years later the War Baby Boomers have come of age, and the Chief Liberator of their parents has declared them (the WBB) his ninja warriors against the pernicious corruption that threatens the very foundation of Uganda society, if there was any such. Just what is this Uganda Society? May be that is where the struggle against corruption should begin.

Several decades ago a white headmaster in a prominent secondary school in Wakiso district asserted that Uganda was corrupted from top to bottom. Has anything changed for the better or worse? Many of his students are now prominently in the NRM government. Did he get through to them? Did he also tell them how to bring about a less corrupted society, or were they taught to just be good Catholic boys and follow the Pope? From the look of it the latter seems to be the case, and the same can be said of all the schools that have produced the crème de la crème of Uganda society. So, how are we going to change to a less corrupted society if those who should know better suffer quietly and only wallow in passive aggressive behaviors?

A society is made up of people. What are the transcending qualities that define a Ugandan man or woman? Some people say it is the smiles amidst hardships. Are the smiles genuinely reflecting happiness and joy, or are they cover-ups of inner turmoil? What about qualities such as fairness in everyday affairs, living-and-let-live, win-win, honor, sense of community, to name a few? What is the tell about the character of a nation whose legislators are given paltry 5,000,000/= (U Shillings) to vote for a constitution that is meant to benefit a man backed by tanks, and who has no qualm about using it against the citizens? How are the ninja auditors and accountants going to follow the audit trails in these kinds of shady transactions? Would accounting controls instituted by the ninjas have stopped Temangalo in its tracts? What about the Mulago incident where a whistle blower is hauled away to a mental asylum by the powers that be?

Mr. President, don’t pull wool over our eyes with your young NRM cadres. Nothing will change as someone pointed out. Even your current fad in teaching patriotism won’t make a dent in the insidious corrupted Uganda society. The man said: your country is corrupted from top to bottom. Take heed. Drastic situations require drastic measures. Begin at the top with yourself—resign if you are serious because you no longer have any credibility. The ninjas too have to audit themselves about the backdoor state-house scholarships you corruptly dished out. Otherwise, they have no professional and moral standings ab initio.