SG Todwong's statement in response to Kenyan MP Junet's unfortunate outburst against NRM

 

The Honourable Junet Mohammad MP-Suna East Constituency (ODM)The Republic of Kenya.

Dear Honourable Member;

Re: Your  unfortunate outburst  against  the  National  Resistance Movement Party (NRM) of Uganda.

I write to draw your attention and those of your ilk to the individual and collective comments you made against the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party, the sovereign Government of the Republic of Uganda  and  above  all,  the  personal  disrespect and  insults  you accorded His  Excellency  General  Yoweri  Kaguta  Museveni,  the President of Uganda and the entire Country.

Your  unfortunate utterances  were  indeed  out  of  a  possible deep-rooted internal political misunderstandings within your country. We believe that your proclamation does not represent the official position of  the  Orange  Democratic Movement  (ODM)  in  Kenya  against  the

2well-established  historical ties  between  the  National  Resistance Movement (NRM) Party and the people of Kenya. Given the  above,  I  request  to  enlighten  you  and  your  colleagues of similar  thinking  about  the  National  Resistance Movement  (NRM) Party  of  Uganda;  a  Party  which  did  not come  to  leadership out  of favour, but through intense revolutionary sacrifices. Hon Junet, you have been the MP for Suna East Constituency under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket for close to 10 years.

This  is  quite  significant  for  one  to  have  understood  the  social, political and economic history of a neighbouring country to warrant him/her articulate issues with empirical evidence. On the contrary, you    and    others exposed    your inadequate    knowledge    and understanding of the National Resistance Movement Party.

Dear Honourable Member, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party that you referred to in your hurriedly-released press conference started in the early 1960s as a student movement. This was when its founder-chairman H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, whom you insulted, realized that the post-colonial administrative structures/systems we inherited  could  not  solve  the  major  social,  economic  and  political questions  of  Uganda.  Indeed,  just  like  Kenya  and  the  many  other African  countries,  Uganda  was  struggling  to  establish  a  unifying system that could heal the country of the politics of class difference, tribalism,  religious  differences  and  above all  elitist  approach  to issues.

Unfortunately, unlike Kenya, the democratic equilibrium we now  have  in  Uganda was  through  patriotic  sacrifices  of  the  gallant sons  and  daughters  of  Uganda.  Their  unwavering  sacrifices  helped secure the much-needed peace by January 1986 (nine years after you were born), possibly you were too young to appreciate this. You were  lucky  that  your  ancestral  land-Somalia-is  undergoing serious  challenges  that  would  have  necessitated  you  as  the  first Kenyan Somali to attain a democratic seat in the National Assembly of  a  neighbouring  country,  to  have  some  level  of  courtesy  in understanding  the  National  Resistance  Movement  Party(NRM), which through its principles of Pan-Africanism helped quite several African countries (Somalia inclusive).

It’s worth noting that the Uganda you despised in your statement has gone through 14 rebellions, including civil wars which started shortly after  getting  independence from  the British  in  1962.  From  1964  to 1986, Uganda was burning under political instability and anarchy. The  State  had  virtually  collapsed  and  there  was  nothing to talk  or write  about  Uganda  in  economic  terms. 

The  NRM  and  President Museveni picked this country from zero and embarked on systematic rebuilding   and   restructuring   it by   restoring   social   order   and discipline among the populations through promoting peace, stability, rule of law and democracy. President  Museveni  and  the  NRM  Government  has  been  at  the forefront of championing regional integration.

It’s on record that in 1997,PresidentMuseveni  reached out  to  his  counterparts  Daniel Arap  Moi  of  Kenya  and  Benjamin  Mkapa  of  Tanzaniato  revive  the defunct East African Community. Two years later in 1999, the East African  Community  was  born,  and  more  than  20  years  down  the road, we are closing in on the East African Federation. The NRM is preoccupied with the unity and integration of the East African people including  the  strategic  integration  of  the  African  continent  for  the survival of the African race. President Museveni has always put it to his  fellow  leaders  on  the  African  continent  that  we  either  unite  or perish as a Black race.

East   Africa   has  a   total   population   of about 160million.   This population, if united, could bring huge socio-political and economic dividends  to  the  region.  Africa  has  got  a  population  ofabout1.3billion,  almost  the  same  population  as  India  or  China  which countries have leveraged their huge populations to emerge as power centres in Asia. Both China and India have got strategic defence and security  centres  of  gravity;  meaning  they  have  developed  well-coordinated mechanisms as single landmasses to protect their people from  hegemonic  aggressors.  America  is  a  united  landmass  with  a population  of about 350million. 

Most  of  these  populations  are immigrants or foreigners who have been accepted into the US with their  unique  talents  and  skills. Therefore, instead  of  you  as  a Legislator to promote the unity of our people, you appear to promote disunity. In  your  press  statement,  you  insinuated  the  following  falsehood against the NRM in the quest to sound an “alarm” to Kenyans;

1.That the “tactics” of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to capture power in Kenya should make all Kenyans very afraid.

2.That you do not need to borrow from other countries’ political habits  whose  results  can  lead  to  chaos  and  backwardness  of your country (Kenya).

3.That   the   NRM   records   on   human   rights arenot   worth borrowing.

4.That the NRM records on democracy arenot worth borrowing.

5.That  the  NRM  records  on  good  governance arenot  worth borrowing.

6.That the NRM records on the freedom of the press arenot worth borrowing.

7.That  the  NRM  record  on  expanding  civil  society  is  not  worth borrowing.

8.That  the  NRM  record  on  fighting  corruption  is  not  worth borrowing.

9.That the NRM record in creating a cohesive society is not worth borrowing.

10.That the NRM record in uplifting people from poverty is not worth borrowing;

11.And that the NRM is a party of lifetime presidency. I request to specifically respond to your falsehoods as follows;

1.The  National  Resistance  Movement(NRM)party  does  not  and will never interfere with the internal affairs of any country. One of  our  key  attributes  is  the  promotion  of the pan-Africanism spirit  of  brotherhood.  We  don’t  do  this  to  undermine  or  to “capture power” in any country as you alleged. We neither stop any visitor from entering our country as long as such a visit is not of security risk to our people. 2.The assertion that Kenya doesn’t need to borrow from other countries’ political habits is very correct, and indeed you should never even think of it just like we equally don’t. This is because our social, economic and political trajectories are premised on different core values and principles.

3.That   the   NRM   records   on   human   rights are not   worth borrowing.  I  suppose  you  meant  that  our  record  on  human rights is very poor. Honourable Member, I hope you recall the post-election violence of 2007/08 in Kenya and how more than 2,000 innocent Kenyans were lost in only two weeks of the riots with about one million made homeless. I am sure you may well know the causes of all the above in Kenya and such has never happened  in  Uganda.  The  NRM  party  is  strong  and  has  led Uganda  for  the  last  35  consecutive  years  because  peace, security and human rights are our major pillars.

4.You asserted that the NRM records on democracy are not worth borrowing. This can only be rightfully said by one who doesn’t

7understand the generic history of Uganda and we forgive you for expressing such a level of ignorance about Uganda. Uganda has more than 70,000 villages, more than 10,595parishes and close to  2184sub-counties.  Each  of  these  administrative  units is presided  over  by  locally elected leaders.  They  campaign  on various  political  platforms  without  interference.  Our  National Assembly has the representation of all special interest groups on  affirmative  tickets  ie  (women,  youth,  persons living with disability,  elderly).    Our  President  whom you  insulted  is massively elected by the population every time we go for general elections.  Your  statement  is  an  insult  to  the  sovereignty  and integrity   of   Ugandans   who   always   elect   their   leaders   as mentioned above.

5.You claimed that the NRM records on good governance are not worth  borrowing;  indeed,  please,  don’t  borrow  our  records because  it  is  serving us as  a  country  very  well.  For  your information, our Governance system is structured at local and national  levels.  We  have  local  administrative  units  that  are being  properly  governed  by  our  local  governments  which  are democratically elected. Through these services, we are reaching the lowest person in our villages. The decentralization formula we adopted is working very well for our country, and indeed we request  that  you  don’t  borrow  it.  Secondly,  our  national infrastructure   projects   such   as   national   roads,   energy generation, etc, are progressing very well. We are a country that has  been  growing  and  expanding  without  hardship.  Our  GDP ratio has   been   growing   from   USD3billionin   1986to USD41.2billion in 2021.

6.You  claim  that  the  NRM  record  on  the  press  is  not  worth borrowing.  This  is  laughable.  We  have  more  than  300  FM radios,   more   than   50   Television   stations,   plus   a   high proliferation  of  Online  and  Digital  media that are  free  in cyberspace.

7.You speak from sheer ignorance when you claim that our record on  corruption  isn’t  worth  borrowing.  Uganda’s  record  on fighting graft is laudable, we have a well-functional institutional anti-corruption   mechanism that has   drastically   reduced corruption  at  all  levels  of  government. We  promote an  open government system.

8.The NRM party has united the different societies and peoples as one  Nation.  Our  people  are  united  under  a  common  purpose and identity. The Ugandan Nation is not balkanized under petty politics  of  identity,  tribes,  religion  or  colour. We  are  more focused on National  Development goals  other  than  promoting tribal chiefdoms.

9.I won’t dwell so much on poverty. Recent studies show that Ugandans are the happiest lot in the region with the majority of the population able to afford the necessities of life. This is why most  refugees  from  the  region  including  Kenya do  flock into Uganda.

 Honourable Junet, please crosscheck your records so that next time you are better informed as a Legislator. In  conclusion, we  promote and  are  committed  to  the  East  African Treaty that encourages sovereignty of countries and non-interference in  the  affairs  of  other  countries. We  believe  you  could be  having internal political issues which we cannot be invited to be part of. We respect the independence and sovereignty of Kenya as a country and we appreciate the continuous cooperation between our leaders and people. No amount of diversionary statements from individuals can make  us  think  otherwise. We  are  one  people  of  the  East  African Community.

Sincerely, Todwong Richard (Rt. Hon)SECRETARY-GENERAL NRM