UGANDA: How Museveni has destroyed institution of parliament - VIDEO, PHOTOS

HOW MUSEVENI HAS DESTROYED THE INSTITUTION OF PARLIAMENT

CHANGE OF GUARDS - There is no doubt that under the Museveni military dictatorship, Parliament is just a rubber stamp of his rule by decree. Using the numbers of his regime M.Ps, he is able to have all his decrees rubber stamped by Parliament thus creating a false impression of democracy.

First, he deliberately suffocates social and economic development in a wider scheme to reign over an impoverished population. He then turns around to blackmail the population that it is only when they vote for the regime M.Ps that they will get a share of the national cake. Secondly he blackmails the M.PS by driving them into assigning themselves the task of bringing social and economic development in their constituencies or else they lose the vote at the next election.

In return, the M.Ps abandon their core duty of legislation and concentrate their efforts on soliciting, begging and lobbying for extension of social and economic services to their respective constituencies not from government but from Museveni. In some cases and more especially with opposition leaning constituencies, the respective M.Ps commit their own emoluments into such developmental undertakings. They build schools, health centers, buy ambulances, desks, text books, hospital beds etc.. It is such M.Ps that have been branded 'hardworking' assured of another term.

These M.Ps have assuned the role of central government technocrats at different levels. It's no longer the responsible Minister, RDC, CAO, District Heads of Departments that are held accountable for service delivery in the countryside but the respective M.P. Consequently, there is total breakdown of service delivery throughout the country. It is only in Museveni's Kiruhura district where he often blames the heads if department for the few failures like the veterinary department in the case of persistent tick resistant drugs. In the rest of the country, it is the respective M.Ps who take charge of service delivery.

At parliamentary level, he pays the M.Ps handsomely despite the ailing economy. Whenever there is a controversial bill to pass, he takes the regime M.Ps for retreats in military camps, dresses them in military uniform and intimidates them into swearing allegiance to his ideals. In some cases he simply summons them to State House from where they simply enforce his position before they rubber stamp it on the floor of Parliament. Financial inducements to these M.Ps is no longer a secret. Actually it is this regime caucus that replaced Uganda's Parliament.

But even with the caucus, it is just a formality since there is no debate but just adopting Museveni's predetermined position. The case in point is the recent controversial and uncoordinated passing of the internet and mobile money tax. Those who attempt to raise dissenting voices are simply branded "Rebel M.Ps" and chased from the regime party. This explains the big number of the so called independent M.Ps. It is an open secret that in most cases it's bribery and intimidation by security forces that ensures the success of regime M.Ps at the polls. In order to contain dissent, Museveni has always blackmailed his M.Ps by threatening to deny some individuals the power of cash and security machinery. This was the case with Gen. Otafiire in Mitooma during the last general elections.

Here below, please find the scenarios that clearly illustrate the above arguments:

“Buhweju had a hard working man called Biraro in parliament. That man used to bother me so much with services in his area like roads, water, schools and I could not sleep. But they helped me and voted a person who is not important. I have never seen him and he does not reach where we make appropriations from. So who lost, is it Biraro or it is Buhweju? I even removed Buhweju on the map. So if you want services, give me a person who will always be at my neck not noise makers who just keep there and for us we do everything in our caucus and come to parliament just for formality.”

Museveni telling voters of Sheema last week.

"John Francis Oketcho, will be beneficial to voters once voted because he is in the ruling party - with access to the president".

Regime Secretary General, Kasule Lumumba addressing voters in Bugiri last week.

"There was a possibility of a person from opposition who had planned to contest for Sheema municipality and Museveni would ask me and Prof Ephraim Kamuntu on how we let opposition take Sheema."

Elioda Tumwesigye - the Minister and MP who is vying for the Sheema Municipality seat.

“You are partly to blame for choosing opposition MPs who won’t help you. Mwiru sat in Kampala, got his salary until his five years elapsed,” he said.
“Therefore, know that elections aren’t a joke. It is not just about looking for handouts but people who will lobby for you”.
He explained that it is easier for him to collaborate with an NRM MP than it is when the legislator is from the Opposition, like Mwiru.
“Give me an MP who will remind me and follow up what we shall agree on. I have never seen Mwiru in any meeting yet I am the one in charge of the money,”

Museveni addressing voters at Masese in Jinja East - March 2018.

“You people of Rukungiri you beat yourself, now it’s one or two terms, I have never seen your person (MP), because there is a movement [NRM]caucus where we meet to divide the national cake, some take this others take that… yours is never there,”

Museveni addressing voters in Rukungiri - March 2018.

It is in the same regard that the M.Ps have now developed cold feet to face their constituents and are coiling their tails under Museveni's seat. In return, he is duping them by offering to give them fake military bodyguards. The only hope of Ugandans used to lie in the strength of the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga before she was completely shattered around late last year.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM.