In a scene that should disgust every right-thinking African, a gathering of over ten so-called African kings and cultural leaders had the audacity to encourage President Yoweri Museveni to cling to power indefinitely. Such a brazen display of sycophancy and sheer ignorance reveals the extent of corruption and moral decay that has spread across the continent’s leadership. These so-called kings, led by His Royal Majesty King Amenya Fiti V of Ghana, have shamelessly aligned themselves with one of Africa’s most notorious despots, urging him to continue his decades-long grip on power in Uganda.
How utterly hypocritical for King Amenya to extol Museveni’s leadership, comparing Ugandan roads favorably to those in Ghana. This blatant lie exposes King Amenya’s ignorance, or perhaps his desperation to stay in Museveni’s good books. What does he know of Uganda’s crumbling infrastructure and failing public services under Museveni’s regime? Is he blind to the massive corruption and the plunder of state resources that have left Uganda’s roads in a state of disrepair? His comments are not only foolish but an insult to the millions of Ugandans suffering under Museveni’s rule. To suggest that Museveni should emulate kings who refuse to relinquish power is a slap in the face of democracy and the dignity of all Africans.
Museveni, who has clung to power for nearly four decades, has transformed Uganda into a personal fiefdom, ruling with an iron fist and crushing any form of dissent. His rule is marked by rampant corruption, gross human rights abuses, and economic mismanagement that has driven millions of Ugandans into poverty. Yet here we have King Amenya and his entourage of sycophants, turning a blind eye to these atrocities and singing praises of a tyrant. The only explanation for such behavior is that these so-called kings are themselves corrupt, having sold their dignity for a few crumbs from Museveni’s table.
The Bamasaba cultural leader, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, and other Ugandan cultural leaders should hang their heads in shame for allowing their institutions to be used in this charade. By welcoming King Amenya and his entourage, they have tarnished the reputation of Uganda’s cultural institutions, making them look like tools of the Museveni regime. It is an embarrassment that these leaders, whose primary role is to preserve the culture and dignity of their people, are instead encouraging tyranny and oppression.
The silence from Uganda’s cultural leaders, as pointed out by Mr. Masiga Stevenmasiga, is telling. Their lack of a strong rebuke against these statements highlights their complicity. If Uganda’s municipal law forbids cultural leaders from endorsing political leaders, then why was King Amenya allowed to spew such nonsense on Ugandan soil? It is clear that the law is only a smokescreen, meant to protect Museveni from criticism while allowing his foreign sycophants to do his dirty work.
Ugandans should see through this charade and recognize it for what it is: a desperate attempt by a crumbling regime to seek legitimacy through foreign puppets. King Amenya and his fellow African kings have shown their true colors as nothing more than court jesters, willing to sell out their integrity for the favor of a dictator. It is high time for the people of Uganda, and indeed all Africans, to reject these pretenders and stand up against tyranny in all its forms.
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